College Football Bowl Projections: Will Stanford and Alabama Join the BCS Field?
Welcome to the 12th installment of theย Bleacher Report Bowl Projection Series.
In the following pages, readers will find a projection of participants in all 35 postseason college bowl games.
Summary and analysis are presented forย each event, detailing how the teams will beย chosenย and which ones are currently theย most likely contenders for the contests.
The choicesย presentedย in this seriesย have beenย updatedย on a weekly basis during the pastย three months,ย including theย results of past games as wellย taking into consideration theย upcoming schedule.
The order of bowl presentationย in this article reflectsย the amount ofย moneyย paid toย schools for playing in the event.ย Thisย will preventย anyย false emphasis on a contest due simply to what dayย the gameย is played.
Reader participation is strongly encouraged. Please feel free to leave comments regardingย your impression of the matchups as well as your own bowl projections.
The Bleacher Report Bowl Projection Series isย a combination of the readers' suggestions and the writer's opinion.ย
Information concerningย conference affiliations to specificย bowl gamesย is part of each breakdown. In order toย project a specific teamย for a bowl game, simply follow the conference tie-ins for the postseason contest.
Join us now for the latest journey into the Bleacher Report Bowl Projection Series.
The 10 Bowl Games Paying $750,000 or Less to Participants
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We begin the process by turning to the 10 lowest-paying bowls.
Because some conferences will not produce enough teams to be available for selection, several tie-ins may need to beย filled with qualifyingย schools from otherย leagues.
Anย example would beย theย Texas Bowl, in which theย Big 10 appears unlikely to produce a candidate to faceย the much improved Baylor Bears of the Big 12.
If this dilemma comes about, word may be sentย to the Big East.ย Louisvilleย could qualify for a postseason invitation by accumulating six victories, but it could be squeezed out of theย selection process.
The Armed Forces Bowl is slated toย have a Mountain West Conference representative. Theย signal may go out to send in a qualified squad from West Point to faceย powerful Tulsa of Conference USA.
The New Orleans Bowl features the Sun Belt champion against a Conference USA representative. The Florida International Panthers appear to be in the best position to capture the Sun Belt title.
In the C-USA pecking order, the Hawaii Bowlย has aย high priorityย and couldย chooseย former Warriors head coachย June Jones,ย now leader of the SMU Mustangs.
The C-USA opening in the Crescent City game could be filled by Texas El Paso, which has already qualified with six wins.
Bowlย ย Nameย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Dateย ย ย ย ย ย ย Venue ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Payoutย ย ย ย ย Conf. Tie-Insย ย ย ย ย ย Projected Matchup
No.35: Newย Orleansย ย ย ย ย ย Dec. 18ย Newย Orleans $325,000ย ย Sun Belt,ย CUSAย ย Fla. Int'lย vs.ย UTEP
No.34: Texasย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Dec. 29ย Houstonย ย ย ย ย ย ย $612,500 ย Big Ten,ย Big 12ย ย ย Louisville* vs.ย Baylor
No.33: New Mexicoย ย ย ย ย ย Dec. 18 ย Albuquerqueย $750,000 ย MWC,ย WACย ย ย ย ย ย BYUย vs.ย Fresno State
No.32: Armed Forcesย ย ย ย Dec. 30ย ย Dallasย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย $750,000ย ย CUSA, MWCย ย ย ย ย ย Tulsaย vs. Army**
No.31: Hawaiiย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Dec. 24ย ย Honoluluย ย ย ย ย ย $750,000ย ย CUSA, WACย ย ย ย ย ย SMU vs. Hawaii
No.30: Poinsettiaย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Dec. 23ย ย San Diegoย ย ย ย $750,000ย ย MWC, Navyย ย ย ย ย ย ย San Diego St.ย vs. Navy
No.29: Kraftย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Jan. 9ย ย San Fran.ย ย ย ย ย $750,000ย ย ย WAC, Pac-10ย ย ย ย Nevada vs. BC***
No.28:ย GoDaddy.Comย ย ย ย Jan. 6ย ย ย ย Mobileย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย $750,000ย ย MAC, Sun Beltย ย ย Ohio vs.ย Troy
No.27: Humanitarianย ย ย ย ย Dec. 18 ย Boiseย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย $750,000ย ย ย WAC, MACย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Idaho.ย vs.ย Temple
No.26: Little Caesarsย ย ย ย ย ย Dec. 26ย Detroitย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย $750,000ย ย MAC, Big Tenย ย ย ย ย N. Illinoisย vs. N'western
The selection process isย unclearย concerning the Kraft Bowl, in which Nevada of the WAC is anxious to travel over to San Francisco to face a Pac-10 foe.
This is the first year of the WAC tie-in, which had previously belonged to the ACC.
Without an eligible Pac-10ย opponent to face the Wolfpack,ย a return adventure to San Franciscoย could be offered to Boston College as a replacement selection, even though the ACC no longer has a conferenceย contract with the bowl game.
The Poinsettia appears set with San Diego State and Navy.
The New Mexico Bowl has the opportunity to match Fresno State against BYU in the opening event of the postseason.
The Humanitarian should extend an invitation toย Idaho ofย the WAC if the Vandals can secure one more victory to reach theย qualification ofย six wins. The MAC selectionย may go to the Temple Owls.
The Little Caesar's Bowl invites the MAC champion, and that should be Northern Illinois. Theย apparent Big Ten opponentย appears to be Northwestern, creating a Chicago-area showdown in Detroit.
The GoDaddy.com (old GMAC bowl)ย needsย Troy to continue to win in order to qualify as the Sun Belt entry, simply from the fan attendance angle.
Coach Frank Solichย and Ohio U. seemsย headedย for the MAC invitationย to the southern Alabamaย event.
It would make for a curious circle of events for the former Nebraska Cornhusker great, who lost his final gameย as a player to the University of Alabama during the battle for the 1965 national championship.
No. 25: The BBVA Compass Bowl
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Date:ย January 8, 2011
Place:ย Birmingham, Alabama
Payout: $900,000
Conference Tie-Ins: SEC No. 8ย vs. Bigย East No.ย 7ย
Formerly known as theย Birmingham Bowl.
Projected Matchup:ย Tennessee vs.ย Syracuse
The BBVAย Compassย Bowlย now has the security of a being a sponsored event.
Tennesseeย is aย possibility for this SEC invitation if the Volunteers can pull out a win in their final game of the regular season against Kentucky.
With this in mind, and for the sake of local interest, let us position the Vols in this slot as the result of an upset special.
Syracuse, one of the great comeback stories of the season, wouldย create a big-nameย atmosphereย with national audience appeal.
Orange vs. Big Orange is only one sidebar to this potential contest.
No. 24: The Beef O' Brady Bowl
3 of 27
Date:ย December 21, 2010
Place:ย St. Petersburg, Florida
Payout: $1 Million
Conference Tie-Ins:ย Bigย East No. 6 vs. Conference USA No. 4
Note: Formerly known as the St. Petersburg Bowl.
Projected Matchup:ย South Floridaย vs. Southern Mississippi
Coach Skip Holtzย has hisย Bullsย performing extremely well despite having tremendous distances to travelย in the Big East Conference.
Southern Mississippi isย well known for providingย solid competition on the big stage.ย
Due to the circumstances of travel, bowl availability and selection position inside the two conferences, this one has a real possibility of happening.
No. 23: The Military Bowl
4 of 27
Date:ย December 29, 2010
Place:ย Washington, D.C.
Payout: $1 Million
Conference Tie-Ins:ย ACC No. 8 vs. CUSA No. 6
Note: Formerly known as the Eagle Bank Bowl.
Projected Matchup:ย Georgia Techย vs.ย East Carolina
The opportunity to match theseย exciting offenses should not be ignored.
The Yellow Jackets have failed to repeat as ACC champions in 2010.
The Pirates are masters of the upset special but are very inconsistent.
The weaknesses of each team will prevent them from climbing higher in the bowl-selection process.
No.22: The Meineke Bowl
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Date:ย December 31, 2010
Place:ย Charlotte, North Carolina
Payout: $1 Million
Conference Tie-Ins: Big East No. 3 vs. ACC No. 5
Projected Matchup:ย Pittsburghย vs. UNCย
With the arrival of the dynamic new Pinstripe Bowl in New York City, and the possibility of USF staying in St. Petersburg,ย the field narrows concerningย available Big East participants for the Meineke Bowl.
When in doubt, call for a rematch!
Pittsburgh has failed to live up to expectations all season. It may be just a matter of time before the Panthers' once-iron grip on the Big East BCS slot disappears.
UNC,ย while still attempting to stave off the long arm of the NCAA's John Law,ย will be delighted to receive any postseason invitation after yet another year of inconsistent performances on the gridiron.
Inย this rematch of a previous Meineke Bowl, the prospect of ticket sales will be theย major factor.ย
No.21: The MAACO Bowl
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Date:ย December 22, 2010
Place:ย Las Vegas, Nevada
Payout: $1 Million
Conference Tie-Ins:ย Mountain West No. 1 vs.ย Pac-10 No. 5
Projected Matchup:ย Utah vs.ย Kansas State*
Utah has the opportunity to finish the season strong and qualify for the topย bowl destinationย available toย the Mountain Westโthe MAACO Bowl.
Theย Pac-10 positionย seems likely to be unfilled, partially due to USC's probation and partially due to an injury-riddled season for West Coast schools.
Because of the unusually-high stature of the Las Vegas event in the scope of the Mountain West Conference, a distress signal should be sent out forย one of the most respected coaches and his team, Bill Snyder and his Kansas State Wildcats,ย to report as a replacement for the vacant Pac-10 slot.
K-State is heading toward being squeezed out of the Big 12 selection process and possesses the ability to put on a great show in a city ofย high-level entertainment.ย
No.20: The Independence Bowl
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Date:ย December 27, 2010
Place:ย Shreveport, Louisiana
Payout: $1.1 Million
Conference Tie-Ins:ย Mountain West No. 3 vs. ACC No. 7
Projected Matchup:ย Air Forceย vs.ย Clemson
We now enter theย world ofย bowl games paying over $1 millionย to the teams involved.ย The increasedย reward builds excitement andย interestย among the public.
Air Force has suffered setbacks only toย top-of-the-line opponents this season.
The Clemson fan baseย travels well to bowl locations and willย support the exciting and talented Tiger football team.
Since the ACC and Mountain West have a new contract with the Independence Bowl, they each want to presentย well-known and exciting teams.
This seems to be a good offering for the Shreveport gala event.
No.19: The Ticket City Bowl
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Date:ย January 1, 2011
Place:ย Dallas, Texas
Payout: $1.2 Million
Conference Tie-Ins:ย Big Ten No. 7 vs. Big 12 No. 8
Note: Formerly known as the Dallas Football Classic.
Projected Matchup:ย Illinois vs. Texas Tech
In this inaugural bowl game, played at the site of theย Cotton Bowl Stadium,ย local fans would welcomeย these two schools as the projected contestants.
The Fighting Illini, of coach Ron Zook, offer media-market interest and the Red Raiders, of coach Tommy Tuberville, offer interest to in-state fans.
These two teamsย would be delighted to play on New Year's Day in the first-everย Ticket City Bowl.
No.18: The Music City Bowl
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Date:ย December 30, 2010
Place:ย Nashville, Tennessee
Payout: $1.6 Million
Conference Tie-Ins:ย SEC No. 7ย vs. ACC No. 6
Projected Matchup:ย Georgia vs. Maryland
The Georgiaย Bulldogsย have an opportunity to secure a position in theย Music Cityย Bowl with a season-ending victory over Georgia Tech.
Maryland has the opportunity to whistle past the Meineke trip to Charlotte in order to obtain the more interesting, and profitable,ย invitation from Nashville to face an SEC opponent.
An extremely interesting clash between two teams of equal size and ability.
No.17: The Liberty Bowl
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Date:ย December 31, 2010
Place:ย Memphis, Tennessee
Payout: $1.7 Million
Conference Tie-Ins:ย Conference USA No. 1 vs.ย SEC No. 8
Projected Matchup:ย Central Florida vs. Kentucky
Theย Wildcats from Kentuckyย have an opportunity to secure a position in theย legendary Liberty Bowl opposite the Conference-USA champion.
This should be a fantastic matchup of skill and coaching.
Coach George O'Leary (see picture) has hisย Central Florida squad inย a battle for the C-USA championship.
The Knights will be challenged by some of the better teams in the South in order to secure the C-USA title.
That experience will helpย UCF inย a meeting withย coach Joker Phillips' Wildcats
No.16: The Sun Bowl
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Date:ย December 31, 2010
Place:ย El Paso, Texas
Payout: $1.9 Million
Conference Tie-Ins:ย ACC No. 4 vs. Pac-10 No. 4
Projected Matchup:ย Miamiย vs.ย California
The newย contract between the ACC and the Sun Bowl will present a stage for continuedย football excitement in theย city of the Sun Carnival.
For over 75 years, the venerable old Sun Bowl has been providing unforgettable entertainment, and aย matchup between California andย Miami should provide a high-scoring contest.
Why should these two teams be given the opportunity to visit the Sun Bowl?
With its high selection order, the Sun Bowl has the opportunity to secure each of these squads from the conference tie-in.
The ACC wishes to present a quality product for its first offering under the conference contract with the Sun Bowl.
Expectย the drama and action each fan cravesย when the Hurricanes and Bears tangle out in the west Texas town of El Paso.
No.15: The Pinstripe Bowl
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Date:ย December 30, 2010
Place:ย New York City, New York
Payout: $2 Million
Conference Tie-Ins:ย Big East No. 4 vs. Big 12 No. 7
Projected Matchup:ย UConn vs. Texas
In the inaugural Yankee Stadium bowl game, football fans throughout the Big Apple called for Notre Dame to be invited.
Withย Notre Dameย playing as well as it has been the past two games, the Irish have their eyes on aย warmer climate. How well have they played? No touchdowns allowed in the past 11 quarters.
Provided UConn can pin down Cincinnati this week, the Huskiesย will cross theย state line and provide a formidable opponent during the first postseason rumble in the Bronx.
Theย Huskies are nowย performingย up to the level expected prior to the season-opening loss at Michigan.
Their opponent from the Big 12?
This is where a little human intuition separates man from machine.
Lets say we take the Longhorns of Texas to upset Texas A&M (sorry, Dad) this weekย and finish with six wins, allowing the legendary football powerhouse to visit New York City?
Now, that's entertainment !
No.14: The Champs Sports Bowl
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Date:ย December 28, 2010
Place:ย Orlando, Florida
Payout: $2,130,000
Conference Tie-Ins:ย Big East No. 2 vs.ย ACC No. 3
Projected Matchup:ย Notre Dameย vs. Florida State
Florida State has a golden opportunity to swipe the ACC championship if the Seminoles can get some help from Maryland this weekend.
Ifย FSUย falls short, Orlandoย is where it will land.
In virtually any other season, a 6-6 or 7-5 Notre Dame would have no intention of ending up with the No. 2 slot in the Big East bowl-selection procedure.
But this is not any other season.
A .500 Irish squad will be considered preferable toย any Big East team that does not win the conference title.
Although Notre Dame is an independent, it is eligible for the Big East bowl tie-ins as well as being the backup for the Big 12 in the Pinstripe Bowl.
This contest has the big-name recognitionย every bowl wants to have.
No.13: The Holiday Bowl
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Date:ย December 30, 2010
Place:ย San Diego, California
Payout: $2.2 Million
Conference Tie-Ins:ย Pac-10 No. 3 vs.ย Big 12 No. 5
Projected Matchup:ย Arizona vs. Missouri
Arizona was a legitimate threat to win the Pac-10, but a series of injuries have left the Wildcats limping into the bowl season.
Wildcat coach Mike Stoops has done his bestย with what he has left.
Missouri has the offense to compete with a healthy Arizona and is eager to demonstrate its all-around talent.
Looks like these two schools will fall right in to the outstretched arms of the Holiday Bowl.
No.12: The Alamo Bowl
15 of 27
Date:ย December 29, 2010
Place:ย San Antonio, Texas
Payout: $2,225,000
Conference Tie-Ins: Big 12ย No. 3 vs.ย Pac-10 No. 2
Projected Matchup:ย Oklahoma vs. Stanfordย
The new Alamo contract calls for the San Antonio eventย to haveย the No.2 choice among PAC 10 teams.
With Oregon the likely champion of the Pac-10, Stanford becomes the obvious No.2 choice among conference schools available thisย season.
The Cardinal have a possibilityย of receivingย a BCS invitation.
Awaiting the Cardinal in San Antonio should beย the Oklahoma Sooners.
The Big 12 will be interested in sending quality competition to combat an opponent as powerful as Stanfordย toย avoid a league mismatch embarrassment.
Theย Sooners appear up to the task.
No.11: The Gator Bowl
16 of 27
Date:ย January 1, 2011
Place:ย Jacksonville, Florida
Payout: $2,750,000
Conference Tie-Ins:ย SEC No. 6 vs.ย Big Ten No. 4/5.
Projected Matchup:ย Florida vs. Penn State
The Gator Bowl has a new tie-in with the SEC and Big Ten.
Audiences can be treated to the coachingย spectacle ofย Joe Paterno vs. Urban Meyer.
Thisย clashย will sell out the Gator Bowl and attract national attention.
With a journey to the Gator Bowl, Florida should beย in comfortable surroundings.ย
Using the conference selection order as our guide, there is no reason this match cannot be made.
No.10: The Chick-Fil-A Bowl
17 of 27
Date:ย December 31, 2010
Place:ย Atlanta, Georgia
Payout: $3.25 Million to ACC, $2.4 Million to SEC
Conference Tie-Ins:ย ACC No. 2 vs. SEC No. 5
Projected Matchup:ย N.C. State vs. Mississippi State
In one of the most competitive matchups ofย each bowl season, the always spectacular Chick-Fil-A prides itself onย providing outstanding football entertainment.
Theย Wolfpack has a real shot at winning the ACC this season but first must advance past Maryland and then Virginia Tech.
Mississippi State has played well all year and hasย confirmed the beliefย the rightย person in the job can turn around a football program faster than having highly-recruitedย players.
With the selection order in place, Miss. St. vs. N.C. State looks solid.ย
No.9: The Outback Bowl
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Date:ย January 1, 2011
Place:ย Tampa, Florida
Payout: $3,100,000
Conference Tie-Ins:ย SEC No. 4 vs. Big Ten No.3
Projected Matchup:ย South Carolinaย vs.ย Iowa
If South Carolina is unable to defeat Auburn in the SEC title game, then Tampa looks to be the destination for theย Gamecocks.
Iowa had a variety of opportunities to move into the BCS conversation but has lost four games by small margins.
Following the selection order, the Outback should end up with these two teams.
No.8: The Insight Bowl
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Date:ย December 28, 2010
Place:ย Tempe, Arizona
Payout: $3,325,000
Conference Tie-Ins:ย Big Ten No. 4 vs. Big 12 No. 4/5.
Projected Matchup:ย Michigan vs. Texas A&M
There is big money to be made in the desert with the new bankroll ESPNย provided the Insight Bowl.
$3,325,000 in prize money makes the Insight the third-highest-paying of allย non-BCSย contests.
Chasing theย big bucks in the sandย will be two exciting teamsโMichigan and Texas A&M. They will be chosen becauseย of largeย fan bases andย media interest.
For years an afterthought, the newly-funded Insight Bowl nowย lets the money do the talking.
No.7: The Cotton Bowl
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Date:ย January 7, 2011
Place:ย Arlington, Texas
Payout: $3,575,000
Conference Tie-Ins:ย SEC No. 3 vs.ย Big 12ย No. 2
Projected Matchup:ย Arkansas vs.ย Nebraska
The great Cotton Bowl will be played on the first Friday night ofย 2011 and isย theย only college football gameย played on that date.
The Cornhuskers could end up on the losing side of the Big 12ย championship game, dropping them from the BCS to the Cotton Bowl (that's what one calls a soft landing).
Arkansas just might end up in the BCS selection process provided the Razorbacks take down LSU this weekend.
Stranger things have happened.
No.6: The Capital One Bowl
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Date:ย January 1, 2011
Place:ย Orlando, Florida
Payout: $4.25 Million
Conference Tie-Ins:ย SEC No. 2 vs. Big Ten No. 2
Projected Matchup:ย Alabama vs.ย Michigan State
The Spartans are ranked lower than Wisconsin and Ohio State. If a three-way tie for first placeย results, the Big Ten situation could leave Michigan State outside the BCS scenario.
The Big Ten will use the BCS rankings to determine the conference champion and Wisconsin is ranked highest in the league at this point in time.
Michigan State may not end the regularย seasonย in the position the Spartans desire, but they still qualify for the highest-payingย non-BCS bowl game.
Alabama has already lost twice and still has to faceย Auburn. Although favored over the Tigers,ย the Crimson Tide appear to be Orlando-bound, win or lose.
The pieces are in place for this match to be made using the order of selection.
No.5: The Fiesta Bowl
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Date:ย January 1, 2011
Place:ย Glendale, Arizona
Payout: $17 Million
Conference Tie-In: Big 12 No.1 vs. BCS At-Large Selection
Projected Matchup:ย Oklahoma State vs. West Virginia
The Cowboys will have to take out Oklahoma and Nebraska back-to-back in order to capture their first-ever Big 12 title.
That is menacing enough, but Okie State has the offense to complete the sweep.
West Virginia. Almost heaven.
The Mountaineersย fooled around most of the middle of the season but now have their eyes fixed on the prize of the Big East championship.
Let's sayย West Virginiaย pulls out the Big East title because the playersย want to protectย Bill Stewartย from outside agitators who disagree with his coaching style and philosophy.ย
No.4: The Orange Bowl
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Date:ย January 3, 2011
Place:ย Miami, Florida
Payout: $17 Million
Conference Tie-Ins:ย ACC No.1 vs. BCS At-Large Selection
Projected Matchup:ย Virginia Tech vs.ย Texas Christian University
Ifย Virginia Tech runs the table and wins the ACC, it will automatically receive an invitation to the Orange Bowl due toย the conference tie-in.
The Orange will then be left with the option of taking the Big East champion, Stanford or TCU.
Stanford provides little in the way of national exposure or following. The fact that the Cardinal are a continent awayย does not workย in their favor.
Theย winner of the Big East Conference wouldย provide anย unspectacular opponent in theย Orange Bowl.
Because of these circumstances, this is where TCU will find a home in the BCS selection process.
There is talk in the Crescent City that TCU could make a more desirable opponent among BCS at-Large teams. If that is the case, Ohio State will provide the competition for the Hokies.
No.3: The Sugar Bowl
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Date:ย January 4, 2011
Place:ย New Orleans, Louisiana
Payout: $17 Million
Conference Tie-Ins:ย SEC No. 1 vs. BCS At-Large Selection
Projected Matchup:ย LSU vs. Ohio State
This is where the battle for a BCS invitation can get unpredictable.
LSU should be the choice as an at-large entry for the Sugar Bowl, provided Auburn is selected for the BCS title game. The Sugar will take the Tigers to replace their SEC tie-in champion.
The picking order will allow for the Sugar Bowl to make anย at-large selectionย fromย qualified teams.
While undefeated TCU may well be available at this juncture,ย the Sugar Bowlย could select a team with a more more widely-known profile and reputation than the Horned Frogs.
Thatย teamย just might be the Ohio State Buckeyes.ย
The Buckeyes and the Tigers wouldย provide a great deal of excitement and entertainment for fans and viewers alike.
If the Tigers slip up against Arkansas, the chances of a two-loss SEC team in the BCS could be diminished greatly.
In that case, TCU may be selected by the Sugar Bowl as the host team to face Ohio State.
No.2: The Rose Bowl
25 of 27
Date:ย January 1, 2011
Place:ย Pasadena, California
Payout: $17 Million
Conference Tie-Ins:ย Big Ten No. 1 vs. Pac-10 No. 1* (see explanationย below)
Projected Matchup:ย Wisconsin vs.ย Boise State
If the Oregonย Ducks are plucked for the BCS title contest, there is the opportunity to make history in the Rose Bowl.
A new rule concerning the Rose Bowl allows the Pasadena committee to select a high-ranking team from a non-BCS conference provided it meets certainย poll criteria.
The rule may come into play this season as TCU and Boise State are highly-ranked teams that can meet the Rose Bowl requirements.
To the Broncos' advantage, TCU is sliding backward in the pollsย while Boise State still has a big game at Nevada remaining on the schedule.
If Boise State remains unbeaten and continues upward movement among voters, it will overtake TCU and be chosen to play in the Rose Bowl.
With Wisconsin being the highest-ranked Big Ten squad, the Badgers seem to be the front-runner for the Big Ten invitation.
No.1: The BCS Championship Game
26 of 27
Date:ย January 10, 2011
Place:ย Glendale, Arizona
Payout: $17 Million
Conference Tie-Ins: None, BCS Final Regular Season Pollย No. 1 vs.No. 2
Projected Matchup:ย Auburn vs. Oregon
With these two squads currently sitting in the top two positions in the BCS poll,ย they should beย projectedย as theย teams that will be invited to play for the national title until circumstances dictate otherwise.
The Cool Down Lap: The Readers Take Over
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November 22 marks the 47th anniversary of the assassination of President John F.ย Kennedy at the hands of aย madman in Dallas, Texas.
President Kennedy (pictured, with First Lady) was quite an athlete as a young man and never lost his love for football, specifically college football.
Somehow, there is just aย feeling he would approve of the developments in the game and the effort to determine a champion.ย
Many thanks toย Carl Stine, Tim Croley, Dan Boone, Brandon Hamblen, Kevin McGrady, Alex Balderee, Tom Ormbrek, Alabama Voodoo, Donny Pennington,ย Richard Steffens, Ken Hammerick, Dave Gross, Bronco Dad, Brad Howard, Gregory Thimmig, Zodiac and soย many othersย for taking the time to provideย insight into specific bowl games for our Bleacher Report series.
Because of input from the readers, the Bleacher Report Bowl Projection Series has become a source of information and entertainment for sports fans.
The regional advice provided by readers is what has made this weekly series so consistent in projecting where the teamsย will receive bowl invitations.
As we do each week,ย a tally of the "Big Seven" bowl games is in order.ย The comments of readers from last week's articleย reveals a consensusย of theย following:
BCS National Championship Game: Oregon vs.ย Auburn
Rose Bowl:ย Wisconsinย vs.ย Stanfordย
Sugar Bowl:ย TCU vs.ย Boise State
Orange Bowl:ย Virginia Techย vs.ย Michigan State
Fiesta Bowl:ย Nebraska vs. Pittsburgh
Capital One Bowl:ย Alabama vs.ย Ohio State
Cotton Bowl:ย LSU vs.ย Oklahoma State
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