College Football Bowl Projections: 10 Teams in Over Their Heads

Bowl season is a time of celebration in the world of college football. Teams from programs and conferences big and small are granted the opportunity to strut their stuff on national television as a reward for a season-long job well done.

Or rather, in the case of the abundance of schools with 6-6 records, an occasional job well done.

Undoubtedly, some schools will be well prepared for their prime time close-ups, while others will make deer in headlights look calm and composed.

Here are ten teams that fall into the latter category.

UConn

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EAST HARTFORD, CT - NOVEMBER 27: Head coach Randy Edsall of the Connecticut Huskies directs his players in the fourth quarter against the Cincinnati Bearcats on November 27, 2010 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut. The Huskies defeated the

This conversation could essentially begin and end with the UConn Huskies. 

Assuming Randy Edsall's squad takes care of business again South Florida on Saturday, the school so famed for its men's and women's basketball programs will likely be headed to the Fiesta Bowl.

The opponent? The winner of the Big 12 Championship game, i.e. Oklahoma.

In such a case, the Sooners would be the odds-on favorites, with a Vegas spread wider than the chasm of the Grand Canyon.

And while some may point to Oklahoma's loss to Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl as evidence of the

Sooners' susceptibility to an upset, others, like head coach Bob Stoops, will say that the experience taught Oklahoma to never underestimate an opponent in a bowl game, no matter how big or small the stage may be.

That being the case, best of luck to the Huskies.

They'll need it.

Washington

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SEATTLE - OCTOBER 30: Quarterback Jake Locker #10 of the Washington Huskies scrambles against the Stanford Cardinal on October 30, 2010 at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington. Stanford won 41-0. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

Speaking of Huskies, UConn's Pac-10 counterpart may also find itself in a world of hurt this bowl season.

Assuming Washington beats lowly Washington State on Saturday in the Apple Cup, Jake Locker and friends will likely be headed to San Antonio for the Alamo Bowl, where they will likely be confronted with the task of taking on 14th-ranked Oklahoma State.

Tough gig for the 6-6 Huskies.  The race to the bottom beneath Oregon and Stanford may yield a quality bowl game for Steve Sarkisian's squad, but it far from guarantees anything close to a win.

Arizona/Arizona State

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TUCSON, AZ - DECEMBER 02: Quarterback Nick Foles #8 of the Arizona Wildcats throws a pass under pressure from Junior Onyeali #97 of the Arizona State Sun Devils during the college football game at Arizona Stadium on December 2, 2010 in Tucson, Arizona.

Of course, the same could be said for Arizona (7-5) and Arizona State (6-6), whichever of the two gets the nod to play in the Holiday Bowl in San Diego, presumably against 12th-ranked Missouri.

The Sun Devil's stunning win in Tucson throws the Wildcats' candidacy into doubt, though Nick Foles and company still own the better overall record this season.

Regardless, whether it's Mike Stoops or Dennis Erickson leading his team onto the field at Qualcomm Stadium in December, someone is going to have a tough time coming up with a winning game plan against the Tigers.

Tulsa

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SOUTH BEND, IN - OCTOBER 30: Head coach Todd Graham of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane talks to his team including (L-R) Alan Dock #11, Milton Howell #19, Bryan Burnham #88 and Donnell Hawkins #43 during a game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Da

Congratulations to head coach Todd Graham and Tulsa for turning in a 9-3 regular season, including a 6-2 mark in Conference USA.

For its effort, the Golden Hurricane will be whipping its way across the Pacific to take on another 9-3 club–Hawaii–in (you guessed it!) the Hawaii Bowl.

As if that weren't bad enough, Tulsa's defense will be charged with the task of containing the Warriors' top-ranked passing attack.

And how exactly does the Hurricane secondary match up?

Not well; Tulsa ranks 100th against the pass this year.

Central Florida

Central Florida could end up getting mauled by the 'Dawgs in Memphis.

Switching divisions in Conference USA, Central Florida may have just as tough of a time as its western counterpart, if not more so.

George O'Leary's 9-3 Knights will presumably face Mark Richt's 6-6 Georgia Bulldogs for the Liberty Bowl crown in Memphis.

Neither team has been statistically overwhelming this season, suggesting this could be a closer game than expected.

However, with four losses to top 25 teams in the SEC this season, its tough not to think the 'Dawgs have it in them to send the Knights galloping back to Orlando following a failed crusade.

Miami

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MIAMI - NOVEMBER 20: Leonard Hankerson #85 of the Miami Hurricanes runs after a catch during a game against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Sun Life Stadium on November 20, 2010 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

To be fair, UCF is far from the only school in Florida with a tough task ahead.

Miami looks destined for a date with Notre Dame in the Sun Bowl, making for what would have been an incredible matchup back in the 90's.

Better late than never, at least for the Fighting Irish.

The Hurricanes will head to El Paso without a permanent head coach, following the somewhat shocking firing of Randy Shannon.

Once there, they'll face an Irish squad, under first-year head man Brian Kelly, on a three-game win streak, including the program's first win over rival USC since 2001.

The boys from South Bend will look to end their season on yet another high note.

As for the 'Canes? Well, if their performance against South Florida was any indication, they may be in for a long afternoon in December.

Michigan

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ANN ARBOR, MI - NOVEMBER 20: Head coach Rich Rodriguez of the Michigan Wolverines reacts while playing the Wisconson Badgers at Michigan Stadium on November 20, 2010 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Wisconsin won the game 48-28. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Ima

Of course, the Sun Bowl won't be the only game over the next month to feature two big time football programs that have fallen from grace.

Look no further than The U's home state, where Florida is expected to essentially host Michigan in the Gator Bowl.

Some might give the Wolverines a fighting chance on the Gators' de facto home turf, thanks to the dashing and dime-dropping of Denard Robinson.

Then again, that's about all Rich Rodriguez had coming into Ann Arbor, and look at how that's turned out.

Michigan State

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STATE COLLEGE, PA - NOVEMBER 27: Head coach Mark Dantonio of the Michigan State Spartans leads his team onto the field before a game against the Penn State Nittany Lions on November 27, 2010 at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania. The Spartans w

The Wolverines may not be the only team from Michigan hurting after bowl season.

With a top 10 ranking, an 11-1 record and a piece of the Big Ten pie, Michigan State seems set to face off against Alabama in the Capital One Bowl.

Give all the credit in the world to Mark Dantonio and his gutsy Spartans, but it's difficult to imagine them having much of a shot against Nick Saban's Crimson Tide, whose 9-3 record is blemished only by losses to top-ranked Auburn, SEC East champion South Carolina and 10th-ranked LSU.

Also, it just so happens that Orlando is quite a bit closer to Tuscaloosa than East Lansing, giving the well-traveled Tide fan base an excellent opportunity to turn this one into a home game of sorts for 'Bama.

Yikes!

Ohio

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COLUMBUS, OH - SEPTEMBER 18: Head Coach Frank Solich of the Ohio Bobcats watches his team play against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on September 18, 2010 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

If it's any consolation for football fans in Michigan, at least one team from the state of Ohio looks poised to get pounded in a bowl game.

Sorry, Wolverines fans, but it's not Ohio State.

Instead, it'll probably be the Ohio Bobcats on the wrong end of a whooping, this time administered by the Utah Utes.

Certainly, former Nebraska fall guy Frank Solich has done a terrific job turning the Ohio University football program into a winner in the Mid-American Conference.

However, the Bobcats won't find it easy keeping Kyle Whittingham's club from ending its tenure in the Mountain West with a bang.

Northern Illinois

Chad Spann and the Huskies will have a tough time keeping up with the Wolfpack.

Last but not least, the MAC will likely have not one, but two of its combatants cowering in defeat this bowl season.

Again, no disrespect to Northern Illinois, but Nevada just has the look of an overwhelming favorite in the Humanitarian Bowl after hanging tough with and coming out on top against former BCS National Championship contender Boise State.

Coincidentally, this game will be played on the Broncos' home Smurf Turf.

Chad Spann and the Huskies may just be the third of their kind to get mauled within the next month, this time with Colin Kaepernick and the Wolfpack as the aggressors.