Bowl Predictions as of 11/26

by Leeweihan4687

I've been on a college football binge lately, and the following is the result of how my time has been wasted (the bottom four C-USA bowl spots have already been filled, and perhaps others that I haven't heard of yet):

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BCS CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: BCS #1 vs. BCS #2 (Jan. 7, 8 p.m., FOX) in New Orleans, LA

Matchup : Missouri vs. West Virginia

Comments: #1 vs. #2 for now, provided each takes care of business.

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ORANGE BOWL: ACC #1 vs. BCS  (Jan. 3, 8 p.m., Fox) in Miami Gardens, FL

Matchup : Virginia Tech vs. Georgia

Comments : The two best two-loss teams in the country have at it.

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FIESTA BOWL: Big 12 #1 vs. BCS (Jan. 2, 8 p.m., Fox) in Glendale, AZ

Matchup : Kansas vs. Boston College

Comments : Kansas must hope Oklahoma loses to have a clear shot at this spot.

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SUGAR BOWL: SEC #1 vs. BCS (Jan. 1, 8:30 p.m., Fox) in New Orleans, LA

Matchup : LSU vs. Hawaii

Comments : Hawaii finally gets its chance to prove itself among the big boys.

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ROSE BOWL: Big Ten #1 vs. Pac 10 #1 (Jan. 1, 4:30 p.m., ABC) in Pasadena, CA

Matchup : Ohio State vs. USC

Comments : The Rose Bowl always does well with its traditional matchups.

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GMAC BOWL: C-USA#2 vs. MAC #1 (Jan. 6, 8 p.m., ESPN) in Mobile, AL

Matchup : Tulsa vs. Central Michigan

Comments : How did this bowl become the second to last one?

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INTERNATIONAL BOWL: Big East #5 vs. MAC #3 (Jan. 5, noon, ESPN2) in Toronto, ON

Matchup : Rutgers vs. Ball State

Comments : Shows the love we have for our neighbors to the north, giving them this matchup.

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GATOR BOWL: ACC #3 vs. Big East #2/Big 12 #4 (Jan. 1, 1 p.m., CBS) in Jacksonville, FL

Matchup : Clemson vs. Texas Tech

Comments : Good defense versus good offense.  This battle will be put to rest.

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CAPITAL ONE BOWL: Big Ten #2 vs. SEC #2 (Jan. 1, 1 p.m., ABC) in Orlando, FL

Matchup : Illinois vs. Tennessee

Comments : Florida is also an intriguing option, but when did things go the way they were supposed to this season?

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COTTON BOWL: Big 12 #2 vs. SEC #4 (Jan. 1, 11:30 a.m., Fox) in Dallas, TX

Matchup : Oklahoma vs. Auburn

Comments : Two classic teams in a classic bowl.  What more can one ask for on New Year’s Day?

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OUTBACK BOWL: Big Ten #3 vs. SEC #3 (Jan. 1, 11 a.m., ESPN) in Tampa, FL

Matchup : Michigan vs. Florida

Comments : One last hurrah for Lloyd Carr in Florida’s backyard, if neither are chosen for the Capital One.

CHICK-FIL-A BOWL: ACC #2 vs. SEC #5 (Dec. 31, 7:30 p.m., ESPN) in Atlanta, GA

Matchup : Virginia vs. Arkansas

Comments : Decent bowl for both teams, considering their recent pasts.

INSIGHT BOWL: Big Ten #6 vs. Big 12 #7 (Dec. 31, 5:30 p.m., NFL Network) in Tempe, AZ

Matchup : Michigan State vs. Oklahoma State

Comments : Does anybody know what Insight even does?

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MUSIC CITY BOWL: ACC #5/6/7 vs. SEC #6/7 (Dec. 31, 4 p.m., ESPN) in Nashville, TN

Matchup : Georgia Tech vs. Mississippi State

Comments : Sure, both teams may be better suited for lesser bowls, but two teams from each conference getting BCS bids bumps everybody up.

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SUN BOWL: Big East #2/Big 12 #6 vs. Pac 10 #3 (Dec. 31, 2 p.m., CBS) in El Paso, TX

Matchup : Connecticut vs. Oregon

Comments : UConn is the second-place team in the Big East, and the selection committee did say they would take the second-highest Big East team.

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HUMANITARIAN BOWL: ACC #8 vs. WAC (Dec. 31, 2 p.m., ESPN2) in Boise, ID

Matchup : Western Kentucky vs. Boise State

Comments : ACC did not have enough bowl-eligible teams, finally giving Western Kentucky a shot?

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ARMED FORCES BOWL: Mountain West #3/4 vs. Pac 10 #6 (Dec. 31, 12:30 p.m., ESPN) in Fort Worth, TX

Matchup : Utah vs. California

Comments : Massive drop from #2 for Cal, huh?

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INDEPENDENCE BOWL: Big 12 #8 vs. SEC #8 (Dec. 30, 8 p.m., ESPN) in Shreveport, LA

Matchup : Colorado vs. Kentucky

Comments : Good baby steps for both teams.  See where Mizzou ended up after playing in two of these in the past few years?

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ALAMO BOWL: Big Ten #4 vs. Big 12 #5 (Dec. 29, 8 p.m., ESPN) in San Antonio, TX

Matchup : Wisconsin vs. Texas A&M

Comments : Wisconsin will have its hands full in A&M’s backyard.

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LIBERTY BOWL: C-USA #1 vs. SEC #6/7 (Dec. 29, 4:30 p.m., ESPN) in Memphis, TN

Matchup : UCF vs. Alabama

Comments : UCF’s second bowl game against a highly-storied school.

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MEINEKE CAR CARE BOWL: ACC #5 vs. Big East #3 (Dec. 29, 1 p.m., ESPN) in Charlotte, NC

Matchup : Florida State vs. Cincinnati

Comments : Does anybody else think Florida State looks a little out of place in this bowl?  Better pick it up Bobby.

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EMERALD BOWL: ACC #5/6/7 vs. Pac 10 #4/5 (Dec. 28, 8:30 p.m., ESPN) in San Francisco, CA

Matchup : Maryland vs. Oregon State

Comments : Maryland barely squeaks into bowl-eligibility.

TEXAS BOWL: Big 12 #9 vs. C-USA #6 (Dec. 28, 8 p.m., NFL Network) in Houston, TX

Matchup : Purdue vs. Houston

Comments : Big 12 did not have enough bowl-eligible teams, giving Purdue a bowl.  And Houston gets to play at home.

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CHAMPS SPORTS BOWL: ACC #4 vs. Big Ten #5 (Dec. 28, 5 p.m., ESPN) in Orlando, FL

Matchup : Wake Forest vs. Penn State

Comments : It could be worse for both teams than playing in Orlando in December.

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HOLIDAY BOWL: Big 12 #3 vs. Pac 10 #2 (Dec. 27, 8 p.m., ESPN) in San Diego, CA

Matchup : Texas vs. Arizona State

Comments : Very good matchup between a traditional powerhouse against a contender for most of the year.  It's surprising that the timing of this bowl is surrounded by ones of much-less magnitude.

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MOTOR CITY BOWL: Big Ten #7 vs. MAC #2 (Dec. 26, 7:30 p.m., ESPN) in Detroit, MI

Matchup : Indiana vs. Bowling Green

Comments : Indiana finally makes a bowl for the first time in over a decade.  They should savor this visit.

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HAWAII BOWL: WAC vs. C-USA #5 (Dec. 23, 8 p.m., ESPN) in Honolulu, HI

Matchup : Fresno State vs. East Carolina

Comments : Without Hawaii playing at home, the WAC bowl spot is up for grabs.

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LAS VEGAS BOWL: Mountain West #1 vs. Pac 10 #4/5 (Dec. 22, ESPN, 8 p.m.) in Las Vegas, NV

Matchup : BYU vs. UCLA

Comments : UCLA somehow squeaks in after a rough middle of the season.

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NEW MEXICO BOWL: Mountain West #3/4 vs. WAC (Dec. 22, ESPN, 4:30 p.m.) in Albuquerque, NM

Matchup : New Mexico vs. Louisiana Tech

Comments : Louisiana Tech gets its fifth bowl, and it draws New Mexico at home…

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PAPAJOHNS.COM BOWL: Big East #4 vs. C-USA #3 (Dec. 22, ESPN2, 1 p.m.) in Birmingham, AL

Matchup : South Florida vs. Southern Miss

Comments : Toss-up between South Florida vs. UConn for this one, though South Florida probably is not ecstatic about being here twice in a row.

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NEW ORLEANS BOWL: Sun Belt #1 vs. C-USA #4 (Dec. 21, ESPN2, 8 p.m.) in New Orleans, LA

Matchup : Troy vs. Memphis

Comments : Definitely running out of things to say.

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POINSETTIA BOWL: Mountain West #2 vs. At-large / Navy (Dec. 20, ESPN, 9 p.m.) in San Diego, CA

Matchup : Air Force vs. Navy

Comments : Wouldn’t this matchup be a better fit for the Armed Forces Bowl?

Remember that 6-6 teams are not eligible if there are teams in the conference with more overall wins, therefore Iowa does not get a bowl over Michigan State, Indiana, and Purdue.

All information other than bowl predictions correct when last checked (today), and all times are EST.  Team-selection guidelines (SEC #4, for example) may be off by a place or so.  I'll try to be back next Saturday before the BCS bowls are announced with my final predictions.

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HappyskinnyAll-American

737 days ago

Score 0

There is no way that the Fiesta Bowl takes Boston College. I'm curious how you came up with that one.

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Leeweihan4687Varsity Captain

737 days ago

Score 3

Mizzou, WVU, OSU, USC, LSU, and Va. Tech win BCS conferences. Hawaii makes it per BCS rules. Georgia and Kansas are in (provided OU loses) as top 5 teams. Florida and OU are not in because of the 2-team rule. BC is the only remaining top 12 team. USC and OSU obviously play in the Rose Bowl, especially if assuming Mizzou and WVU are still 1 and 2, and the bowls take the best of their respective conference associations. That leaves Georgia, Hawaii, and BC. I doubt any bowl would want two teams from the same conference, so Georgia can't play LSU and BC can't play Va. Tech. Georgia's best fit is the Orange IMO, and to even out the bowl matchups and not have one look much better than the other (LSU/BC and KU/Hawaii), BC goes to the Fiesta and Hawaii to the Sugar. Don't know if that makes sense, but it did in my head...

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HappyskinnyAll-American

737 days ago

Score 1

I'm not sure, but I don't think that is correct. If BC loses this weekend to Virginia Tech, then they will drop in the BCS rankings. Currently they are number 11 in the BCS. If they lose, then I assume they would drop to around somewhere maybe like 17 or 18 in the BCS. I tought the rule was that you had to be in the top 14 in the BCS to get a BCS bid.

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Leeweihan4687Varsity Captain

737 days ago

Score 0

You're right, I forgot about BC losing would drop them in the polls. I guess Arizona State would take their spot if they beat 'Zona (sorry ASwaff), all Pac 10 teams move up one spot while all ACC teams move down one spot, and Western Kentucky plays in the Armed Forces...Would that sound plausible? And I always thought it was top 12, but you may be right with the top 14. I guess it just shows that the BCS system is awful.

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HappyskinnyAll-American

737 days ago

Score 0

Yeah, your right on that, except on the part about all ACC teams moving down one spot. If BC loses, they will probably drop to the Champs Spots Bowl. The Gator Bowl has already said they will not take the loser of the ACC championship game as it is in the same venue. The Chick-fil-a bowl will take Clemson over BC. Clemson will have many more fans there and they will probably find them a better draw than BC.

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ASwaffAll-American

737 days ago

Score 0

I'd be very disappointed to see Arizona State in a BCS Bowl just because of things getting shuffled around based on losses. That's a team that's lost two games against the only two good opponents they've played. Their best victory is a toss up between 6-5 Cal and 6-5 UCLA. I do not think they've earned an at-large spot. It would be a real disappointment to see them get in instead of a team like Oklahoma or Florida because of conference participation restrictions.

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Leeweihan4687Varsity Captain

737 days ago

Score 0

I thought the ACC Championship Game was Va. Tech vs. BC?

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Leeweihan4687Varsity Captain

737 days ago

Score 0

Oh, nm, not take the ACC loser...sorry, misread.

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RawbeezeitzMajor Leaguer

737 days ago

Score 0

If BC ends up in the Champs Sports Bowl, I will be extremely pissed off.

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HappyskinnyAll-American

737 days ago

Score 0

Unless they win the ACC championship game, I'm pretty sure thats where they are headed. It sucks, but their location, coupled with how the fans travel does not bode well for them.

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ASwaffAll-American

737 days ago

Score 0

I hope that the Sun Bowl doesn't take the Big East #2. I think that the offense of Texas Tech against the offense of Oregon is a much more intriguing matchup. Not to mention that Tech would draw a heck of a lot more fans (and possibly even viewers) by representing the home state than UConn would. I also think that UConn versus Clemson is a more interesting matchup than Clemson-Tech. I really think the Sun Bowl and the Gator Bowl would both benefit from swapping those teams. But I have to like a ton of these matchups. I'd be very happy if the bowl schedule played out this way. Arizona State-Texas is a VERY interesting game.

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HappyskinnyAll-American

737 days ago

Score 0

As a Clemson fan, I have no interest in playing UCONN. The Gator bowl would love to get a Clemson versus Texas matchup, and the Chick-fil-a bowl would absolutely love a Clemson versus Auburn matchup. Personally I would love to go to Atlanta to play Auburn. Close proximity to both schools, and both schools travel very well. It would be one of the toughest tickets to get, and also a good game.

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Leeweihan4687Varsity Captain

737 days ago

Score 0

I think the Gator wanted to take a Big 12 team this year, which makes the Sun take a Big East team, or I heard last year on the Sun broadcast that the Big 12 and the Big East were alternating years...Either way, the Sun's taking a Big East team, which you're right, doesn't fit, but I guess that's how the contract worked out.

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ASwaffAll-American

737 days ago

Score 0

Oh yeah, I forgot that the Sun Bowl took Missouri last year. There was so much talk of them taking a Big East team last year, I forgot that they hadn't. There was also talk of the Gator Bowl inviting Texas, but obviously that didn't work out, either.

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RawbeezeitzMajor Leaguer

737 days ago

Score 1

The reason why The Poinsetta Bowl took Navy: About a trillion sailors stationed in San Diego. And if BC loses to Va. Tech, they will probably fall in the standings enough to knock them out of the BCS, but who knows. I can't wait for next Saturday. I only wish every conference had a championship game.

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Amilke60Div-I Stud

737 days ago

Score 2

I know not many people care but Rawbeezeitz is right, Navy draws a huge crowd in San Diego because of the Naval Station there and they will not be playing Air Force because the bowl organizers do not want to see a rematch, which I personally think is stupid on their part. That would be a larger draw than a Navy/Utah or Navy/New Mexico game will draw. And even with that being said Navy will still draw a huge crowd.

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ASwaffAll-American

737 days ago

Score 1

Yeah, bowl committees are kind of stupid that way. Like the Holiday Bowl last year, inviting #4 Texas A&M instead of #3 Texas just to get a fresh face. Texas has provided them with some great games, and A&M doesn't travel well at all. Just to get a new team, they hurt themselves. Bowl committees can't be counted on for logic at all.

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Brendan21Soccer Kid

737 days ago

Score 0

Its crazy to think UCLA (of all teams) still has a chance to win the PAC 10. If UCLA beats USC, Oregon beats Oregon State and Arizona beats ASU next Saturday, the Bruins will have the tiebreaker over everyone, sending them at 7-5 to the Rose Bowl, Oregon probably to the Holiday Bowl, USC to the Sun Bowl and Arizona State to ... Emerald Bowl? It probably wont happen but in a season where South Florida was BCS #2...

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