College Football Bowl Projections: Can Boise State Make the Jump?
With the college football bowl season just three short months away, it's time to make some projections!
The college football landscape looks decidedly different than it did just three weeks ago. Teams have fallen, and others have risen to take their place.
With Alabama's struggles against Arkansas, Boise State's impressive win over a BCS foe, and Texas' stunning loss, who will be sitting on the top of the heap when the dust settles? Let's take a look.
Bridgeport Education Holiday Bowl: Washington Vs. Texas A&M
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The Bridgeport Education Holiday Bowl will pit the third-best Pac-10 team agains the fifth best team from the Big 12. The game takes place December 30, at 10 P.M EST, at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.
Why Washington is There: The Huskies will, in all likelihood, finish the season as the fourth best team in the Pac-10. But with Arizona bumping up a slot, Steve Sarkisian's club should get this bid.
Why Texas A&M is Here: The Aggies have been a bit of a mixed bag through three games, going undefeated against a lackluster slate. If A&M can beat Oklahoma State this week, 7 or 8 wins is well within their reach.
What Could Change: If it turns out that A&M is all fluff and no tough, they could be bowling even lower than this. If Cal proves to be better than Washington, they'll end up here instead.
Final Score: Washington 28, Texas A&M 21.
Hyundai Sun Bowl: Cal Vs. Georgia Tech
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The Hyundai Sun Bowl pits the ACC's fourth-best team against the Pac 10's fourth best team. It's typically a pretty exciting game, considering the teams playing in it.
Why Georgia Tech is Here: The Yellow Jackets are no more than the fourth best team in the ACC behind Paul Johnson's triple option offense. They've lost two games already, and will, in all likelihood, lose at least two more this season.
Why Cal is Here: The Golden Bears are the Pac 10's fifth-best team, but get bumped up a notch on the bowl totem pole. Head coach Jeff Tedford's team isn't the toughest team around, but they've got the talent to hang with just about anyone.
How it Could Change: Cal and Washington could flip-flop in the conference, while the Yellow JAckets face threats from multiple teams in their pursuit of a bowl game.
Final Score: Cal 24, Georgia Tech 20.
Insight Bowl: Kansas State Vs. Northwestern
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The Insight Bowl is one of the more underrated bowl games of the season, pitting the fourth best Big 12 team against the fourth or fifth-best Big Ten team. It takes place on December 28, which is a little early for a game of it's caliber.
Why Kansas State is Here: The Wildcats look legit through 4 games, going undefeated and beating a decent BCS team in UCLA in the process. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, Texas, Oklahoma and Nebraska will all finish ahead of them in the conference.
Why Northwestern is Here: The Wildcats have become like clockwork, winning 6-8 games pretty consistently since head coach Pat Fitzgerald took over. Northwestern can't hang with the conference's elite teams, and will probably finish fifth, but that's plenty good enough for the Insight Bowl.
How it Could Change: Kansas State knocks off one of their elite conference neighbors and vaults up the polls. Northwestern struggles in the Big 10 and finishes sixth or seventh, unlikely, but possible.
Final Score: Kansas State 28, Northwestern 24. K-State's offense will be too much for Northwestern to handle.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Meineke Car Care Bowl: Virginia Tech Vs. Rutgers
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The Meineke Car Care Bowl has historically been a destination for overachieving mid-majors and underachieving BCS teams, but no longer. This New Year's Eve bowl take place at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. It pits the fifth-best ACC
Why Virginia Tech is Here: It's a disappointment for a Hokies' team who opened the year with darkhorse championship aspirations to wind up here, but that's what happens when you lose to James Madison. They'll finish third in the ACC, but will wind up here because no bowl takes the third-ranked ACC team before anyone, which means the Car Care Bowl could get a steal.
Why Rutgers is Here: The Scarlet Knights have looked strong thus far in 2010, compiling a 2-1 record. But they won't finish better than fourth in a mediocre Big East.
How it Could Change: The Hokies have recovered from their devastating 0-2 start, and could run the table in a subpar ACC in 2010. On the other hand, the Scarlet Knights could well discover that the Big East is a more foreboding place than they suspected, and slip down the ranks a bit.
Final Score: Virginia Tech 35, Rutgers 24
Konica Minolta Gator Bowl: Penn State Vs. Auburn
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The Gator Bowl is a classic who has seen it's talent fade in recent seasons. It pits the fourth or fifth-best Big Ten team against the sixth-best SEC squad, and takes place New Year's day, in Jacksonville, Florida.
Why Penn State is Here: The Nittany Lions have looked decent this year behind freshman quarterback Robert Bolden. But they've already got a loss to top-ranked Alabama, and nearly got beaten by lowly Temple last week. They won't win the conference, but should finish in the upper middle of the pack.
Why Auburn is Here: The Tigers looked awfully good against South Carolina on Saturday, but I feel like the rest of their schedule is going to hand them a loss or three, dropping them back in the pack.
What Could Change: Auburn is a team on the rise, and fifth seems pretty low for the Tigers. If they can keep the losses to a minimum, they'll pass the Gamecocks on the bowl totem.
Final Score: Auburn 21, Penn State 20.
AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic: Oklahoma Vs. Arkansas
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The Cotton Bowl pits the second-best team in the Big 12 against the third or fourth team in the SEC. It takes place on January 7, at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Why Oklahoma is Here: The Sooners haven't lost yet, but they've had three teams put a good scare into them. Their offense is good, but their schedule is too tough for Oklahoma to run the table in 2010.
Why Arkansas is Here: The Razorbacks proved they were almost legit on Saturday, matching top-ranked Alabama blow for blow in their clash before ultimately falling just short. They've got a good team, just not a great one.
What Could Change: Either of these teams could easily climb the bowl totems if they keep winning games. With a bit of luck, they could find themselves in the BCS bowl picture at the end of the season.
Final Score: Oklahoma 35, Arkansas 31, in a Big 8 Clash.
Valero Alamo Bowl: Arizona Vs. Texas
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The Alamo Bowl is one of the better early season bowl clashes, coming on December 29. It pits the second best Pac 10 team agains the third-best Big 12 team.
Why Arizona is Here: With the Ducks in the BCS, it's Arizona who get the honor of the Alamo Bowl. Quarterback Nick Foles and the Wildcats could win 9 or 10 games this year, but could still finish third in the Pac 10.
Why Texas is Here: The Longhorns are down but not out after their stunning upset at the hands of UCLA last weekend. They're still a talented team, though, and should finish third in the Big 12, and win 9 games.
What Could Change: Arizona could prove better than either the Cardinal or the Ducks, and move ahead of both of them in the BCS picture. Likewise, Texas hasn't lost in conference yet, and could finish higher than third.
Final Score: Arizona 42, Texas 38. A gunslinging battle befitting two of the better offenses in the country.
Chick-Fil-A Bowl: Florida State Vs. LSU
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The Chick-Fil-A Bowl is another long-standing bowl game, formerly the Peach Bowl. It pits the second-best ACC team against the fifth-best SEC squad, and takes place in Atlanta, Georgia on New Year's Day.
Why Florida State is Here: That loss to the Sooners sucked a lot of Florida State's hype from it's sails, but the Seminoles are still a strong team, fully capable of finishing in the top 2 of a weak ACC.
Why LSU is Here: The Tigers have looked fairly strong thus far in 2010, compiling a 4-0 record behind quarterback Jordan Jefferson and an excellent defense. But dates with Florida, Alabama, Auburn and Arkansas loom, and LSU doesn't have the weapons to escape that gauntlet unscathed.
What Could Change: The Tigers could easily end 2010 with just two losses, and pass either Auburn or Arkansas in the totem. If Florida State beats Miami, the ACC crown is their's, as is the BCS bid.
Final Score: LSU 28, Florida State 20.
Outback Bowl: Michigan Vs. South Carolina
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The Outback Bowl has historically been a thrilling contest. It pits the third-best Big Ten Team against the third-or-fourth best SEC school, and takes place on New Year's Day, in Tampa, Florida.
Why Michigan is Here: The Wolverines have looked like contenders for the Big Ten crown in 2010, behind dynamic sophomore quarterback Denard Robinson. But dates with Wisconsin and Ohio State loom, and Michigan's defense hasn't exactly been lockdown. Fourth place seems reasonable, and a bump up from the boost
Why South Carolina is Here: The Gamecocks offense is one of the best in football. With freshman running back Marcus Lattimore and quarterback Stephen Garcia, South Carolina has a chance to finish near the top of the conference heap.
What Could Change: Michigan could finish anywhere from second to fifth in the Big Ten this season, altering their bowl fate. The Gamecocks' season is still wide open, and if they finish tied with Auburn, the Tigers beat them this year.
Final Score: Michigan 35, South Carolina 31.
Capital One Bowl: Iowa Vs. Florida
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The Capital One Bowl is essentially a BCS runner's up game in 2010. It pits the second ranked teams from both the SEC and Big Ten, meaning the game is typically a good one.
Why Iowa is Here: The Hawkeyes BCS hopes essentially hit the shredder with their loss to Arizona, but they're still a strong contender in the Big Ten. Look for them to win 10 games, but finish third in the conference.
Why Florida is Here: Will the Gators' offense ever click? Even if it doesn't, Florida has the talent to win 10 games and win the SEC East, before falling to Alabama in the championship.
What Could Change: Iowa's always a threat to pull an upset or two, and if they don't lose again, it could be roses for the Hawkeyes. Florida's another dangerous team who's fully capable of shocking an elite opponent.
Final Score: Iowa 36, Florida 35. Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi leads a heroic fourth-quarter comeback to give the Hawkeyes a nice consolation prize.
Rose Bowl Game: Stanford Vs. Wisconsin
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I don't think this game needs any introduction, so I'm not going to give it one. It historically pits the best teams from the Big Ten and Pac 10 against one another.
Why Stanford's Here: The Cardinal look like the class of the Pac 10 through four weeks. Quarterback Andrew Luck has looked extremely good, and Stanford's defense is one of the more underrated units in the country. 10 or 11 wins seems like a given.
Why Wisconsin's Here: The Badgers should finish the season as Big Ten runner-ups, making them the logical pick to play in Pasadena, since the conference champs will be otherwise engaged.
What Could Change: If teams start losing, these two could find themselves in the title game, but that seems incredibly unlikely.
Final Score: Stanford 24, Wisconsin 21.
Discover Orange Bowl: Oregon Vs. Miami
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The Orange Bowl takes place January 3, in Miami, Florida. Historically, it pits the ACC champion against a BCS Wild Card School.
Why Oregon is Here: The Ducks have looked unbeatable through four weeks, blowing through opponents like tissue paper. Their passing game behind quarterback Darron Thomas has been excellent, and the running game behind LaMichael James has been untouchable. But the Ducks' defense lacks the kind of fortitude to run the table this year.
Why Miami is Here: Because the Hurricanes should win the ACC. Otherwise, they wouldn't be here at all.
What Could Change: You could replace Miami with Florida State or even Virginia Tech, depending on how conference play works out.
Final Score: Oregon 42, Miami 21. The 'Canes can't hang with Oregon.
Tostito's Fiesta Bowl: Nebraska Vs. West Virginia
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The Fiesta Bowl has been one of the better bowl games in recent years, full of exciting finishes and Cinderella seasons. It'll take place on New Year's Day in Glendale, Arizona.
Why West Virginia is Here: Because someone from the Big East has to go to a BCS game, and the Mountaineers are the class of the conference.
Why Nebraska is Here: Is there anyone who can hang with the Cornhuskers in the Big 12? Maybe, but they haven't shown themselves yet. Freshman quarterback Taylor Martinez is a fantastic playmaker, and is tough to stop.
What Could Change: If some teams higher in the rankings drop off the map, Nebraska could find themselves in the BCS title game. But it would take some serious shaking up for that to happen.
Final Score: Nebraska 21, West Virginia 10.
Allstate Sugar Bowl: Alabama Vs. TCU
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The Sugar Bowl has been the landing spot for BCS title contenders who find themselves just outside the title game in recent years, and this year will be no exception.
Why Alabama is Here: The Crimson Tide looked unbeatable through the first three games of the year. But that near loss to Arkansas showed us that Alabama is beatable, and in the SEC, it's much more likely that Nick Saban's team will fall. When they do, they'll land here.
Why TCU is Here: If the Horned Frogs run the table, they'll finish the year ranked third in the country. But third isn't quite enough to get them to the title game, so, much like Alabama, they'll land in New Orleans.
What Could Change: If Alabama goes undefeated, they'll be playing in Glendale on January 10. TCU needs some teams to fall in front of them, but they've got the talent to contend for the national title.
Final Score: TCU 21, Alabama 20.
BCS National Championship Game: Boise State Vs. Ohio State
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The big game. The one for all the marbles. Two teams battling for that sparkly crystal football. Should be a fantastic game.
Why Boise State is Here: When Alabama loses, the Broncos are the heir apparent to the top 2 spot the Crimson Tide would vacate. They're deep, talented, and dangerous.
Why Ohio State is Here: I don't see anyone on Ohio State's schedule that can beat them. That means the Buckeyes will find themselves playing for the title in Glendale. With junior quarterback Terrelle Pryor running the offense, the Buckeyes look like the team to beat.
What Could Change: If either team loses, this game will have a decidedly different look, with either the Crimson Tide or the Horned Frogs filling the void.
Final Score: Boise State 24, Ohio State 21.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
