Bowl Projections 2012: Week 14 Predictions for Every Bowl Game Matchup

Another crazy week of college football is behind us with a number of changes coming to the bowl landscape with this past week’s performances. 

Notre Dame has solidified its place in the BCS National Title Game, but who the Fighting Irish will square off with has yet to be decided. The SEC title game has become the play-in game for the chance at the crystal ball, with Alabama and Georgia battling in Atlanta on December 1. 

Utah State and Louisiana-Lafayette are the latest teams to accept bowl invitations. With one week of games remaining the bowl picture is getting close to coming clear.  

Here is a look at the Week 14 bowl projections for all 35 bowl games.  

Writer Note: * denotes an accepted bowl bid

Gildan New Mexico Bowl

Date: December 15

Time: 1:00 p.m. ET, ESPN

Projected Matchup: Arizona vs. Nevada

Arizona finished its season with a disappointing loss to Arizona State, but the Wildcats are still bowl eligible and will head to the New Mexico Bowl at seasons end. 

Matt Scott has been a dangerous dual-threat quarterback under the guidance of Rich Rodriguez, throwing for 3,238 yards and rushing for 485 yards through 12 games. The Wildcats have had trouble finding consistency this year, but that comes with coaching changes. 

The Nevada Wolfpack have ridden their ground game to success this fall, winning seven games so far this year. They still must face Boise State on December 1 to close the season.

At this point the Wolfpack are a hot mid-level pick for this bowl. 

The showdown between Matt Scott and Cody Fajardo will be a fun offensive matchup that will bring a great opening contest to the bowl season. 

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Date: December 15

Time: 4:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Projected Matchup: Utah State* vs. Ball State

Utah State sealed a WAC title on Saturday with a win over Idaho. The Aggies received an automatic bid to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl with the conference win for the second straight season. 

Ball State has battled through a tough MAC conference this season to finish with a 9-3 regular season record. The Cardinals' biggest win came over conference foe Toledo on November 6 when the Rockets were a Top 25 selection. 

This will bring two strong ground games to the field, but Utah State’s defense has been one of the best in the country, ranking No. 8 in scoring defense this fall. The defense gives the Aggies the edge in this showdown. 

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl

Date: December 20

Time: 8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN

Projected Matchup: BYU* vs. San Diego State 

BYU has an automatic tie into the Poinsettia Bowl and qualified for the game against Idaho on November 10. The Cougars are 7-5 and are coming off of a 50-14 win over the New Mexico State Aggies. 

The Poinsettia Bowl is set to match up the No. 2 MWC team against the Cougars and the Aztecs of San Diego State will get the nod. 

The Aztecs have put together a great season, finishing 9-3. Adam Muema is the sophomore running back making it happen. He has 1,355 yards and 16 touchdowns on the year. He will cause major headaches for the Cougars defense in this game. 

Beef O’Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl

Date: December 21

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Projected Matchup: Central Florida vs. Middle Tennessee State

Central Florida has battled through tough losses to Tulsa, Ohio State and Missouri this season. The Golden Knights fought Missouri and Tulsa until the final seconds, but they were unable to finish the game and earn the win. 

The Golden Knights will square off with Tulsa again on December 1 for the Conference-USA championship.

With no Big East teams projected to qualify for this berth—the Big East traditionally fills one slot in this game—Middle Tennessee will step in to take on UCF. 

The Blue Raiders play Arkansas State on December 1 for the Sun Belt championship. 

R + L Carriers New Orleans Bowl

Date: December 22

Time: 12:00 p.m. ET, ESPN

Projected Matchup: Louisiana-Lafayette* vs. East Carolina

The Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns accepted a bid to play in the New Orleans Bowl for the second straight season this weekend after sealing their seventh win of the season. 

The Ragin’ Cajuns played in an exciting game a year ago that finished in a 32-30 win for Louisiana-Lafayette. 

While the Ragin’ Cajuns are a lock, East Carolina is not. C-USA has a number of teams that are qualified to take on Louisiana-Lafayette, with the Pirates providing a great matchup in the contest. 

Bourbon Street will be rocking with a hometown team returning to Superdome. 

MAACO Las Vegas Bowl

Date: December 22

Time: 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Projected Matchup: Boise State vs. USC

The hardest fall in recent memory occurred this season when USC dropped from No. 1 to become a 7-5 team finishing in the Las Vegas Bowl. 

The Trojans will hope to have starting quarterback Matt Barkley back in the fold by the bowl game, but if not they won’t be overly worried. Max Wittek showed promise against Notre Dame on Saturday. 

Boise State has not had its signature undefeated BCS-busting season, but the Broncos have won nine games with a 10-win season possible as they close the season on December 1 against Nevada. 

The Trojans will need to prepare for this game as they did for Notre Dame. If they take the Broncos lightly, they will get thumped by Chris Petersen’s squad. 

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl

Date: December 24

Time: 8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN

Projected Matchup: SMU vs. Fresno State 

The Hawaii Bowl is the premier destination for every football team looking for a nice getaway during the bowl season. If you can’t make the BCS, landing in Honolulu is a pretty good contingency. 

Fresno State has marched through its schedule this season winning nine games through the regular season. The Bulldogs won the Mountain West conference this season and are looking to earn a 10th win this winter. 

June Jones is no stranger to Hawaii as he coached there for years, but his return will be as the coach of the SMU Mustangs. The Mustangs pulled an upset over Tulsa in the season finale, handing the Golden Hurricane their only conference loss of the season.

That showing earned the Mustangs their postseason invitation. 

Little Caesars Pizza Bowl

Date: December 26

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Projected Matchup: Kent State vs. Western Kentucky

Kent State has put together a very impressive season this fall, making its way into the Top 20 this weekend. The Golden Flashes have relied on a powerful running back tandem and solid defense to push forward to the MAC title game on November 30. 

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers have battled through the Sun Belt and finished the 2012 regular season 7-5 overall with some key wins throughout the year. 

The Hilltoppers will fill an at-large bid into the Little Caesars Bowl as no Big Ten team is expected to qualify for the game. 

Military Bowl

Date: December 27

Time: 3:00 p.m. ET, ESPN

Projected Matchup: San Jose State vs. Ohio 

Both Army and the ACC will fall short of providing bowl eligible teams for this year’s Military Bowl, leaving the game open to at-large selections. 

One of the most intriguing teams this season has been the San Jose State Spartans. Their efforts will be rewarded with a trip to Washington, D.C. to finish the year. 

Facing off against the Spartans will be the Ohio Bobcats. The Bobcats started the season strong, but key injuries derailed the MAC championship plans. This is still a hot team and would bring a great crowd to RFK Stadium.

Belk Bowl

Date: December 27

Time: 6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Projected Matchup: Cincinnati vs. Duke

The Duke Blue Devils are bowl eligible for the first time since 1994 this year. David Cutcliffe has done a great job with this team and had them playing great football mid-season, but there have been struggles in the closing weeks. The Blue Devils have lost four games in a row. 

The Bearcats of Cincinnati are trying to right the ship after a tough loss a few weeks ago to Rutgers. This past Saturday they defeated South Florida, and close this season this Saturday against UConn. 

Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl

Date: December 27

Time: 9:45 p.m. ET, ESPN

Projected Matchup: Oregon State vs. Texas Tech

Tommy Tuberville has taken over the Red Raiders and done something that was once thought to be impossible. He has taken the Red Raiders to the top of the country in defense, and maintained the efficiency of the pass-heavy offense employed since the Mike Leach days. 

The Red Raiders are dangerous with Seth Doege making a name for himself in his final season in Lubbock, Tex. 

Oregon State was unable to come up with the upset win in its rivalry game with Oregon on Saturday, but they will still finish with a decent bowl appearance. 

Both teams will provide this game with electric offensive play. Turnovers will be key in this contest.  

AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl

Date: December 28

Time: 2:00 p.m. ET, ESPN

Projected Matchup: Louisiana-Monroe vs. Louisiana Tech 

What better way to celebrate the Independence Bowl than with two Louisiana schools pitted against each other in the Louisiana bowl game. 

The Warhawks from Monroe, Louisiana stunned the country when they knocked off Arkansas early in the year. The next week they took Auburn to overtime. Kolton Browning was a hot name early in the year, and the junior could return to the spotlight in this game. 

The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs were headed to BCS-buster fame until they lost a close game to Texas A&M. Since the loss the Bulldogs have dropped two more games. 

Colby Cameron is still one of the best signal callers in the country despite the turnover bug that hit in the last two weeks. Cameron and Browning will provide an electric game from start to finish with state bragging rights hanging in the balance. 

Russell Athletic Bowl

Date: December 28

Time: 5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Projected Matchup: N.C. State vs. Louisville

After a tough loss started the year for the N.C. State Wolfpack, they have battled to earn key wins in the ACC and stay alive in the bowl discussion. A signature win came against then-No. 3 Florida State earlier this year. 

Louisville was driving in the Top 10 on its way to a BCS bowl bid until the train derailed and the Cardinals lost to Syracuse in embarrassing fashion. The Cardinals are now riding a two-game losing streak as they head into the season finale against Rutgers. 

The Wolfpack are surging while the Cardinals are flopping to finish the season. This will bring two teams in need of a strong finish to the 2012 campaign together. Expect a close game from start to finish. 

Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas

Date: December 28

Time: 9:00 p.m. ET, ESPN

Projected Matchup: Baylor vs. Minnesota

In what has been a down year in the Big Ten, the Golden Gophers have found success. Minnesota has marched to a 6-6, bowl-eligible season in 2012. 

Baylor has become the new hot name from the Big 12 after tearing through then-No. 1 Kansas State two weeks ago and using overtime to defeat Texas Tech this past Saturday.

A game against Oklahoma State finishes the year for the Bears and a win would solidify their placement in this game. 

Bell Helicopters Armed Forces Bowl

Date: December 29

Time: 11:45 a.m. ET, ESPN

Projected Matchup: Air Force vs. Rice

Air Force received their automatic bid into the Armed Forces Bowl two weeks ago when they defeated Hawaii at home by two touchdowns. The Falcons' triple-option attack has been dangerous for opposing defenses all year, and that won’t change against Rice. 

Rice has finished the season on a hot streak, winning its last four games in a row. The four straight wins gave the Owls the ability to receive a bowl bid.

Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl

Date: December 29

Time: 3:15 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN2

Projected Matchup: Navy vs. Arizona State

Navy earned its automatic bid into the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl in early November with a win over Florida Atlantic. The Midshipmen are the No. 6 rushing attack in the country and will use that efficiency to churn up yards and clock against the Sun Devils of Arizona State. 

The Sun Devils were stuck at five wins by mid-October but they finally became bowl eligible on November 17 with a win over Washington State. A road trip to rival Arizona ended in a big Arizona State win, pushing the Sun Devils into the postseason.

New Era Pinstripe Bowl

Date: December 29

Time: 3:15 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN2

Projected Matchup: West Virginia vs. Syracuse

West Virginia was expecting to be a national title contender after its hot start, but five straight losses dropped the Mountaineers to the bottom of the Big 12. 

They are climbing out of the cellar and a season-closing win over Kansas will solidify their position in this game. 

Syracuse won a huge game over Louisville three weeks ago, leading to a three-game winning streak and bowl eligibility for the Orange. If Rutgers beats Louisville to close the year, the Orange will finish as the No. 2 team in the Big East. 

They are getting hot, but it will take an amazing defensive effort to stop the Mountaineers offense. 

Valero Alamo Bowl

Date: December 29

Time: 6:45 p.m. ET, ESPN

Projected Matchup: UCLA vs. TCU

The Horned Frogs of TCU have battled a ton of adversity this season and have emerged relatively victorious. The Horned Frogs should be happy with their first season in the Big 12 ending in bowl eligibility.

UCLA has been inconsistent throughout this season and will finish the year against Stanford in the Pac-12 title game. Stanford throttled the Bruins just last week and it could be repeated this coming weekend in the conference title game. 

The Bruins are playing sporadic football right now. They will finish the year in San Antonio against TCU. 

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl

Date: December 29

Time: 10:45 p.m. ET, ESPN

Projected Matchup: Oklahoma State vs. Michigan State

Oklahoma State battled Oklahoma to the wire in the Bedlam Series this past weekend, losing the game in overtime. 

The Cowboys have played inspired football this season, winning big over Texas Tech and West Virginia. 

Michigan State has underachieved this year, as nothing shy of a Big Ten title was expected. The Spartans finished the season with a win over Minnesota, but a 6-6 mark in 2012 is disappointing for Spartans fans. 

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl

Date: December 31

Time: 12:00 p.m. ET, ESPN

Projected Matchup: Vanderbilt vs. Virginia Tech

Vanderbilt finished with its eight wins this year under the guidance of James Franklin. The Commodores are playing their best football in recent memory and have earned a bowl bid with their great season.

Landing in the Music City Bowl at home is fitting for Vanderbilt. 

Virginia Tech has limped through the season and lost a number of games that it shouldn’t have. This is also a team that took overtime to beat Boston College. But the Hokies are 6-6 and travel as well as any team in the country. 

A quick drive to Nashville will surely be in the cards for Hokies faithful when they receive the bid to this game. 

Hyundai Sun Bowl

Date: December 31

Time: 2:00 p.m. ET, CBS

Projected Matchup: Washington vs. Georgia Tech

The Yellow Jackets are set to face off with Florida State in the ACC title game this coming Saturday, which could put Georgia Tech at 6-7 on the season. Despite the losing record, the NCAA should give a bowl waiver to the team, placing them in the Sun Bowl.

The Pac-12 has been in a tailspin with a number of teams knocking each other around on a weekly basis. 

Washington will land in this game against the Yellow Jackets, pitting two teams that are as unpredictable as a lightning strike. It will be a fun matchup to watch unfold if both offenses are hitting on all cylinders. 

AutoZone Liberty Bowl

Date: December 31

Time: 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Projected Matchup: Tulsa vs. Pitt

The Golden Hurricane will square off with UCF this weekend in the Conference USA championship game. I expect Tulsa to walk away with the C-USA championship and land in the Liberty Bowl. 

Tulsa dropped their season-ending game to SMU, but they have a talented roster and have been on an impressive tear so far this season. They will get back on track on Saturday. 

Pitt is on the verge of eligibility, with one more win needed to seal a postseason appearance. This weekend they square off with USF in a very winnable game. Earn the win and they land against Tulsa in Memphis. 

Chick-fil-A Bowl

Date: December 31

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Projected Matchup: Clemson vs. LSU

LSU was on a date with the BCS, but as the season settled the Bayou Bengals are now seeing their postseason options fall to the Chick-fil-A Bowl. 

This will be a battle that matches Tigers as Clemson will receive the bid from the ACC into this game.

Watching Clemson’s offense against the strong defense of LSU will be a great way to ring in the New Year. 

This will mark the first appearance for Clemson in the Chick-fil-A Bowl since 2007, and the first appearance for LSU since 2008. 

Heart of Dallas Bowl

Date: January 1

Time: 12:00 p.m. ET, ESPNU

Projected Matchup: Purdue vs. Iowa State

Paul Rhoads has done a great job at Iowa State since arriving in 2009. Rhoads has taken the Cyclones to two bowl games in three years and has them poised to finish in the Heart of Dallas Bowl this season. 

Watching this team rise in the Big 12 has been a great side-story in college football over the past few seasons. 

Purdue is caught in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten, but that isn’t a great place to be. The Boilermakers finished the season with three straight wins, earning them bowl eligibility. 

An overtime loss to Ohio State on the road was one of the best performances of the season for the Boilermakers. If they find that same type of performance in the bowl game they have a chance of leaving Dallas with a win. 

TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl

Time: January 1

Date: 12:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2

Projected Matchup: Wisconsin vs. Mississippi State

The Wisconsin Badgers face off against Nebraska to finish the year in the Big Ten title game. A BCS bowl is possibly sitting on the horizon, but the likely finish for Wisconsin is in the Gator Bowl.

Montee Ball became the all-time leader in touchdowns last week when he hit 79 career scores, and he will have a big day against Mississippi State in Jacksonville.

Mississippi State finished the year with a blowout loss to Ole Miss in Oxford. The Bulldogs started the season 7-0, but after a loss to Alabama the tumble began. 

This will be an interesting matchup of traditional power conferences. 

Capital One Bowl

Date: January 1

Time: 1:00 p.m. ET, TBA

Projected Matchup: Georgia vs. Michigan 

The Georgia Bulldogs have put together a very impressive 11-1 run so far this year. They are heading into their second SEC championship game appearance this weekend against Alabama, with a loss landing them in the Capital One Bowl. 

Michigan will take the Big Ten seat in the game against the Bulldogs, matching two very prolific offenses against defensive strengths. The Bulldogs are great at rushing the passer and sealing the perimeter on defense, and the Wolverines are strong in the secondary. 

This will be one of the best games of the New Year. It should have a ton of big hits and a lot of points once the final seconds tick off the clock. 

Outback Bowl

Date: January 1

Time: 1:00 p.m. ET, TBA

Projected Matchup: Northwestern vs. South Carolina

The Northwestern Wildcats made their return to a bowl play in 2009 in the Outback Bowl against Auburn. An overtime loss stole the show from the Wildcats, but the team has been on the rise since. 

South Carolina will square off with the Wildcats in this game, looking to use the tough Gamecocks defense to stifle the Northwestern offensive attack.

Without big plays, the Wildcats will fall to South Carolina. 

AT&T Cotton Bowl

Date: January 4

Time: 8:00 p.m. ET, Fox

Projected Matchup: Texas vs. Texas A&M

The Cotton Bowl is a tradition-rich game that matches the Big 12 against the SEC. Texas A&M defected to the SEC this season and left behind longtime rival Texas in the process. 

The rivalry is looking to be renewed in the Cotton Bowl this year as the Aggies and Longhorns are on a date with destiny in the coming weeks. 

The college football gods will not allow this rivalry to die easily. This will be a great matchup that would captivate the nation as the bitter in-state rivals square off once again. 

BBVA Compass Bowl

Date: January 5

Time: 1:00 p.m. ET, ESPN

Projected Matchup: Ole Miss vs. Bowling Green

The Ole Miss Rebels were in need of a win to earn bowl eligibility in the season finale against Mississippi State, with the Rebels coming through for their fans. They throttled the Bulldogs 41-24 and earned their place in the BBVA Compass Bowl. 

Bowling Green will fill an at-large bid in the game as the Big East and Conference-USA will not have a team to fill the conference’s automatic berth. 

Hugh Freeze has worked magic in year one at Ole Miss with a bowl win far exceeding first-year expectations in Oxford. 

GoDaddy.com Bowl

Date: January 6

Time: 9:00 p.m. ET, ESPN

Projected Matchup: Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois

Gus Malzahn stepped into a 10-win program at Arkansas State and has kept the ball rolling this season. The Red Wolves are expected to finish in second place inside their conference with a number of big wins on the schedule. 

Northern Illinois has the MAC title game left to play, but the explosive offensive play from starting quarterback Jordan Lynch will lead them to the win and title to finish the season.

The Huskies and Red Wolves will mount two impressive offensive attacks and will bring a lot of fireworks to Mobile, Ala. to start the New Year. 

Rose Bowl Game Presented by Vizio

Date: January 1

Time: 5:00 p.m. ET, ESPN

Projected Matchup: Nebraska vs. Stanford

The Cornhuskers and Stanford are set to square off in the Rose Bowl to close the season.

The Cardinal have found a lot of success on the ground this season with Stepfan Taylor, and are playing inspired defense. They will be looking to win big in this West Coast game.

Nebraska has performed extremely well under Bo Pelini and is reaching the BCS for the first time in his tenure. The Cornhuskers are 2-2 in bowl games under Pelini, but this will be a matchup that favors the Huskers. 

This won’t receive a lot of chatter, but it will be a great matchup to finish the year. 

Discover Orange Bowl

Date: January 1

Time: 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Projected Matchup: Rutgers vs. Florida State

The Seminoles are looking to finish the season with an ACC title and BCS bowl. They will be pitted against Rutgers in the Orange Bowl once the last week of football settles. 

Rutgers has to make it past Louisville to seal the Big East, but nothing indicates that they won’t. 

This will be another ignored BCS matchup by the majority of the country, but it should breed great results on the field.

Allstate Sugar Bowl

Date: January 2

Time: 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Projected Matchup: Florida vs. Oklahoma

The Sooners have battled through a number of close games this season, most recently an overtime win over in state rival Oklahoma State.

Landry Jones has been very inconsistent during his senior campaign and a stingy Florida defense will not allow for a happy finish to his career. 

The Gators have played inspired football at times this season, while at others they have handed the game to the competition. 

This will be a matchup of big-name teams that have beaten themselves often this fall. A complete game by both will provide the most solid matchup outside of the BCS title game this year. 

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl

Date: January 3

Time: 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Projected Matchup: Kansas State vs. Oregon

This matchup will draw the eyes of the country when it kicks off. Two of the most prolific offenses in the country will take the field attempting to prove that they belong in the national title discussion despite both teams carrying one loss. 

Can Collin Klein pull out the win, or will it be the Kenjon Barner and De’Anthony Thomas show? 

One thing is certain—yardage will be abundant in this contest. Defense will win this game.

Whichever squad forces turnovers will walk away with all the chips on January 3rd. 

Discover BCS National Championship Game

Date: January 7

Time: 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Projected Matchup: Alabama vs. Notre Dame

Notre Dame is now in the national championship game, with the last national title for the Irish coming in 1988. A program that was said to be past its time just a few years ago is now at the top of the FBS world. 

Alabama is still a win away from the national title game berth, but they are playing inspired football, finishing the season with a 49-0 win over in-state rival Auburn this past Saturday. Georgia awaits in the SEC title game, but the Tide should be able to navigate their way to victory. 

This national title game will bring a rich history to the national stage with both teams combining for 25 national titles all-time. 

Notre Dame is 5-1 all-time against Alabama. 

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