Midseason Bowl Projections!

[Eric]

From yours truly, which means I made these up off the top of my head with little to no insight into the bowl process

New Mexico Bowl: Miami OH (at-large) vs. Idaho
Humanitarian Bowl: Nevada vs. Northern Illinois
New Orleans Bowl: Middle Tennessee State vs. Houston
St. Petersburg Bowl: USF vs. Southern Miss
Las Vegas Bowl: Utah vs. Oregon State
Poinstettia Bowl: San Diego State vs. Navy
Hawaii Bowl: Hawaii vs. UTEP
Little Caesar's Bowl: Temple vs. Troy
Independence Bowl: Air Force vs. Georgia Tech
Champs Sports Bowl: Florida State vs. Notre Dame
Insight Bowl: Penn State vs. Oklahoma State
EagleBank Bowl: Maryland vs. UCF
Texas Bowl: Baylor vs. Northwestern
Alamo Bowl: Arizona vs. Texas
Pinstripe Bowl: Syracuse vs. Texas Tech
Music City Bowl: North Carolina vs. Kentucky
Armed Forces Bowl: SMU vs. Army
Holiday Bowl: Missouri vs. Stanford
Meineke Car Care Bowl: Pittsburgh vs. NC State
Liberty Bowl: ECU vs. Ohio (at-large)
Sun Bowl: California vs. Clemson
Chick-fil-A Bowl: Miami vs. Florida
Capital One Bowl: Georgia vs. Iowa
Outback Bowl: South Carolina vs. Wisconsin
Dallas Football Classic: Illinois vs. Texas A&M
Gator Bowl: Michigan vs. Mississippi State
Cotton Bowl: Oklahoma vs. Arkansas
GMAC Bowl: Toledo vs. Florida International
Fight Hunger Bowl: Kansas State (at-large) vs. Fresno State
Birmingham Bowl: Louisville vs. Tulsa
Rose Bowl: Michigan State vs. Oregon
Fiesta Bowl: West Virginia vs. Nebraska
Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech vs. Ohio State
Sugar Bowl: Auburn vs. TCU
BCS Championship: Alabama vs. Boise State

[Spence]

I don't see Ohio State getting in a BCS bowl. I'm thinking Cap 1 - probably.

[billybud]

I would hate FSU to matched up with a 6-6 Notre Dame. And if Notre Dame loses to Utah and USC, that's where they'll be.

[Eric]

I don't see Ohio State getting in a BCS bowl. I'm thinking Cap 1 - probably.

It could very well end up like that. I'm assuming that the BCS will take two Big 10 teams, like they always do. So it could be Wisconsin instead of the Buckeyes.

[Eric]

I would hate FSU to matched up with a 6-6 Notre Dame. And if Notre Dame loses to Utah and USC, that's where they'll be.

That may or may not be the case. I had that wind up happening because the game is in Florida and it's an attractive matchup on paper. But if the Chick-fil-a Bowl picks a team like Georgia or South Carolina, Florida State would probably wind up bowling in Atlanta. I just think Florida will wind up winning the East and would play in the Peach Bowl where I don't think they have been since 2004.

[Vileborg]

I'm going to go for Eric's picks cause I like the match-ups.

[Spence]

I'm going to go for Eric's picks cause I like the match-ups.

Ohio State - Virginia Tech wouild be cool. A preview of the upcoming series between the two schools.

[Brian Roastbeef]

It's been so long since seeing Syracuse in the Bowl Projection list... UConn, Rutgers, Boston College - all beatable this season. 2 out of 3 is a bowl.

So this list obviously assumes Alabama beats Auburn and wins the SEC. Very possible. Does this then assume Boise to be the only undefeated at the end of the season? Or Boise and TCU?

[Dossenator]

I don't see Ohio State getting in a BCS bowl. I'm thinking Cap 1 - probably.

1. If things play out right we could see Arkansas vs Ohio State in the Cap One (if Ark wins out and the SEC gets 2 teams in BCS games).

2. My favorite scenario (highly unlikely):
Arkansas wins out (finishes 10-2)
Auburn wins out and wins SEC Championship game (finishes 13-0)
LSU beats Bama (Bama would also lose to Auburn if they win out) (Bama finishes 9-3 and LSU 10-2)

That would put Ark #2 in the SEC West and the 2nd best record in the SEC overall.

So, Auburn would be in the BCS NC game and you would have to think in this scenario that Ark ends up in the Sugar Bowl (who else would they pick...a 4 loss SEC East team, Ark would have the tie breaker over LSU, and Bama would have 3 losses).

I know long shot....but I have seen stranger things happen.

More than likely it will be Ark in the Cotton....shot at Cap One....and long shot for Sugar.

[Eric]

It's been so long since seeing Syracuse in the Bowl Projection list... UConn, Rutgers, Boston College - all beatable this season. 2 out of 3 is a bowl.

So this list obviously assumes Alabama beats Auburn and wins the SEC. Very possible. Does this then assume Boise to be the only undefeated at the end of the season? Or Boise and TCU?

I have TCU and Boise State as the lone remaining undefeateds. I think Oregon will finish 11-1 by losing once between USC, Arizona, Cal, and Oregon State. Missouri will probably finish 10-2, Nebraska will be 11-2 and beat Oklahoma in the Big 12 who then finishes 11-2 as well. I think Michigan State will lose this week to Iowa and even if MSU did finish at 12-0, I believe Boise State could still finish a few points ahead of Sparty in the BCS formula. Quite honestly though, I suppose it is possible that Oklahoma would be picked ahead of TCU, but I'm not sure what the rules are for the BCS if Boise automatically qualified for the championship. I'm not sure if TCU would wrap up an automatic bid because they would finish in the top 12 of the BCS standings as a non-AQ in that scenario.

[Spence]

I would like an Arkansas match up too. I don't think we have ever played - at least not that I remember.

[Derek]

I agree with Doss, there is no way Georgia makes the Cap One, even if they win out.

The BEST they could hope for IMO is the Outback, and that's if they win out. No matter how well your playing at the end of the year...it's hard to convince people that a 4 loss team belongs in a bowl any bigger than that. Do I beleive they have come together and are probably the best in the East right now? Yes. But they should not get the biggest paying bowl outside of the BCS.

[Dossenator]

I would like an Arkansas match up too. I don't think we have ever played - at least not that I remember.

I just pulled out my SEC College Football Encyclopedia. It lists every Arkansas game played from 1894 to present. According to it Arkansas and Ohio State have never played....unless I overlooked it.

On a side note:
I did find it interesting that Arkansas played several local high schools for the first 10 years (1894-1904)....now that's a weak schedule. Ark for their first 3 seasons played a total of 7 games (5 of those games were against Fort Smith high school....Ark won all 5...and were stomped by Texas and Drury College in the other 2 games).

[Spence]

Ohio State has played several games against high school teams in the early years also, not sure they won all of them either.

[Eric]

REVISED. I'm an idiot; I totally left out LSU

New Mexico Bowl: Tulsa (at-large) vs. Idaho
Humanitarian Bowl: Nevada vs. Northern Illinois
New Orleans Bowl: Middle Tennessee State vs. Houston
St. Petersburg Bowl: USF vs. Southern Miss
Las Vegas Bowl: Utah vs. Oregon State
Poinstettia Bowl: San Diego State vs. Navy
Hawaii Bowl: Hawaii vs. UTEP
Little Caesar's Bowl: Temple vs. Troy
Independence Bowl: Air Force vs. Georgia Tech
Champs Sports Bowl: Miami vs. Notre Dame
Insight Bowl: Penn State vs. Oklahoma State
EagleBank Bowl: Maryland vs. UCF
Texas Bowl: Baylor vs. Northwestern
Alamo Bowl: Arizona vs. Texas
Pinstripe Bowl: Syracuse vs. Texas Tech
Music City Bowl: North Carolina vs. Kentucky
Armed Forces Bowl: SMU vs. Army
Holiday Bowl: Missouri vs. Stanford
Meineke Car Care Bowl: Pittsburgh vs. NC State
Liberty Bowl: ECU vs. Ohio (at-large)
Sun Bowl: California vs. Clemson
Chick-fil-A Bowl: Florida State vs. South Carolina
Capital One Bowl: Florida vs. Iowa
Outback Bowl: LSU vs. Wisconsin
Dallas Football Classic: Illinois vs. Texas A&M
Gator Bowl: Michigan vs. Georgia
Cotton Bowl: Oklahoma vs. Arkansas
GMAC Bowl: Toledo vs. Florida International
Fight Hunger Bowl: Kansas State (at-large) vs. Fresno State
Birmingham Bowl: Louisville vs. Mississippi State
Rose Bowl: Michigan State vs. Oregon
Fiesta Bowl: West Virginia vs. Nebraska
Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech vs. Ohio State
Sugar Bowl: Auburn vs. TCU
BCS Championship: Alabama vs. Boise State