College Football Predictions 2011: Who Will Play in All 35 Bowl Games?
Too early?
Nah...
College football season gets closer and closer, and even though personnel decisions remain to be made, teams have yet to finish spring practice and rosters have yet to be finalized, most fans can almost taste the upcoming season.
With conferences shifting and realigning at an alarming rate, the bowl landscape is going to be changing a little bit here and there, mainly in respect to conference affiliations and tie-ins.
Next season will be another great one, and the drama should be removed early from the BCS with Georgia taking out Non-AQ Boise State and Baylor handling TCU.
Take a few minutes, review the bowl predictions, then compare them to what actually happens.
Odds are, more than eighty percent of these will be off, but it sure was fun previewing next season.
Armed Forces Bowl: Air Force Falcons vs Temple Owls
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Air Force and its super effective run game will finish with an 8-4 record and find themselves facing a very tough Temple Owls squad out of C-USA in this game.
Temple will ride it's solid defense to another winning season, even without departed head coach Al Golden.
New Mexico Bowl: Louisiana Tech Bulldogs vs Colorado State Rams
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In this last matchup between MWC and WAC teams before the Pac 12 takes a bid, the Colorado State Rams will face off against the Bulldogs of La. Tech.
Tech should finish fourth in the Wac, while CSU will find themselves in possession of fifth place in the MWC.
Humanitarian Bowl: Fresno State Bulldogs vs Ohio Bobcats
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This is a showdown between the WAC and the MAC.
Pat Hill and his Bulldogs will finish second in the WAC, and travel to Boise for this showdown.
The Bobcats will finish at 7-5 and second in the MAC East for the second straight year.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
New Orleans Bowl: Troy Trojans vs Houston Cougars
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Houston's success this season hinges on the return of QB Case Keenum.
With him, the Cougars finish in a position to play in the post season, without him they will struggle.
Here's wishing him a speedy return, as Houston may be one of the most entertaining offenses in the country.
The Cougars will draw no easy task if they face the Troy Trojans.
Granted, the Trojans play in the Sun-Belt, not known for its powerhouse teams on a national level, but the Trojans will prove to be no pushover next season.
Beef O' Brady's Bowl: South Florida Bulls vs Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles
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BJ Daniels is a superior talent.
He is just not that great of a quarterback.
Still, Daniels will lead USF to a solid finish in the Big East, and they will have to take on a very good Golden Eagles team, that will finish near the top of C-USA.
Ticketcity Bowl: Iowa Hawkeyes vs East Carolina Pirates
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Iowa will be in a nose dive, and will run into a tough test in next season's bowl against a tough Pirates team led by QB Dominique Davis.
While Iowa loses several key players on both sides of the ball, a solid running game and some late season heroics by surprise starting quarterback AJ Derby are enough to pull the Hawkeyes ahead of Northwestern in the Big Ten standings and make the trip to Dallas.
East Carolina will finish the season with only four losses, courtesy of the aforementioned Mr. Davis and his athletic acumen.
Poinsettia Bowl: TCU Horned Frogs vs Nevada Wolf Pack
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Chris Ault vs Gary Patterson should be one of the bst coaching match-ups of the bowl season.
TCU will finish with losses to Boise State and Baylor, and finish second in the MWC, while Nevada will finish atop the WAC.
Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl: Northwestern Wildcats vs Northern Illinois Huskies
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Northwestern will finish in the lower half of the big ten, but find themselves in a bowl game for the third straight year due to the play of standout QB Dan Persa.
NIU features QB Chandler Harnish, a dual threat QB who will lead the Huskies to the top of the MAC anda trip to Ford Field.
Military Bowl: UTEP Miners vs Boston College Eagles
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UTEP will earn a berth out of C-USA, while BC will represent the ACC in this one.
QB Chase Rettig will lead the Eagles to a 6-6 season.
The Miners will also sneak in at 6-6, and find their way to RFK Stadium.
BBVA Compass Bowl: UConn Huskies vs Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
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The Blue Raiders will sneak into this game by virtue of a lack of ten bowl eligible teams from the SEC.
UConn lost it's leading rusher, head coach and starting quarterback, but the weakness of the Big East will allow them to get the six wins needed to make the trip to the Compass Bowl.
GoDaddy.com Bowl: Florida International Golden Panthers vs Miami (OH) Redhawks
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Miami(OH) will finish with a 8-5 record, and a loss to Northern Illinois in the MAC championship game.
That leaves them in this game, and they will face the FIU Golden Panthers.
The Golden Panthers will finish behind only Troy in the Sun Belt conference and earn a trip to watch Danica Patrick race during the half time festivities....
Gator Bowl: Michigan Wolverines vs Tennessee Volunteers
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In a battle of two teams on the rise, the Wolverines will face Dooley's boys.
While Denard Robinson may be the most exciting player to watch in football, the new system he will be in is going to give him some trouble, and Michigan's defense will continue to draw comparisons to a sieve, albeit not as often as last season.
Tennessee is still trying to recover from the fiasco that was Lane Kiffin, and with three all conference selections on the defense, the Vols will manage to pull out some unexpected victories.
Liberty Bowl: SMU Mustangs vs Auburn Tigers
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June Jones has coached SMU back into the national consciousness, and with the emergence of talented quarterback Kyle Padron, SMU will find themselves the champs of C-USA next season.
Auburn will have a rough season next year after the departures of so many, and finish ninth in an extremely competitive SEC.
Texas Bowl: Penn State Nittany Lions vs Kansas State Wildcats
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K-State will ride a defense loaded with seniors and juniors to a bowl appearance, while Joe Pa and his boys will have a tough time in the Big Ten(12), but emerge bowl eligible.
The Nittany Lions will have some controversy at the quarterback position, but once that little brouhaha is settled, they will end up with a 7-5 record.
Pinstripe Bowl: Pittsburgh Panthers vs Missouri Tigers
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Even with the loss of Dion Lewis, and receiver Jon Baldwin, Pitt will find a way finish with seven wins, and a trip to Yankee Stadium.
Missouri, minus Blaine Gabbert, looks to step up and fill the void at the top of the Big 12 left by the departure of Nebraska.
With the talented James Franklin starting at QB, the Tigers will finish with seven wins as well, and make the trip to chilly New York.
Las Vegas Bowl: Boise State Broncos vs Washington Huskies
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Washington will be led by new quarterback Nick Montana, and with WR Jermaine Kearse and RB Chris Polk, the Huskies will have a more potent offense than last season.
BSU, coming off a disappointing one-loss season, will wonder why they didn't schedule Oregon State again instead of Georgia, even as they romp through their conference schedule.
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl: Utah Utes vs Army Black Knights
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Due to Army's bowl tie-in next season, they will get a bid to this one with a 7-5 season, while the Utes make it by virtue of a sixth place finish in the Pac-12.
Utah will have a tough transition into their new conference home, but should manage a 7-5 record.
Independence Bowl: Maryland Terrapins vs San Diego State Aztecs
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Maryland finished the season at 6-6, while Aztec RB Ronnie Hillman garners Heisman consideration, and the Aztecs finish third in the MWC.
SDSU quarterback Ryan Lindley is going to be worth keeping an eye on next season.
Music City Bowl: Clemson Tigers vs Arkansas Razorbacks
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Clemson will be without QB Kyle Parker.
Arkansas will be without QB Ryan Mallett.
Tigers record: 8-4
Arkansas record: 8-4
Meineke Car Care Bowl: Cincinnati Bearcats vs North Carolina State Wolfpack
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Cincinnati running back Isaiah Pead will receive consideration for Big East Player of the Year, and QB Zach Collaros will lead the Bearcats to the Meineke Car Care Bowl to face the NC State Wolfpack out of the ACC.
Even without quarterback Russell Wilson, the Wolfpack will have a solid season, and not regress as far as predicted.
Hawaii Bowl: Hawii Warriors vs Tulsa Golden Hurricanes
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Highest scoring bowl game of the year.
Bryant Moniz will lead the Warriors to an 11-2 season and home to Hawai'i for this game.
Champs Sports Bowl: Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Virginia Tech Hokies
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Virginia Tech running back David Wilson is going to make Hokie fans forget about last season's backs.
Wilson is very quick, and his elusiveness and speed will help lead the Hokies to the Champs Sports Bowl to take on a Michael Floyd-less Notre Dame.
Should Floyd be allowed back, this may alter ND's bowl bid chances, but without him, and with the uncertainty at QB, here is where they will end up.
Insight Bowl: Texas Longhorns vs Illinois Fighting Illini
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Texas will certainly not have a repeat of last season's 5-7 record, but don't expect a leap to the top of the conference.
Garrett Gilbert is extremely overrated, and best the 'Horns will be able to do next season will be an Insight Bowl appearance.
Illinois lost stellar running back Mikel LeShoure, bu they still have an excellent talent in QB Nathan Scheelhaase.
Along with a decent conference schedule, the Illini will have no trouble getting to a bowl game against the likes of Arkansas State and South Dakota State.
Sun Bowl: Syracuse Orange vs Washington State Cougars
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QB Jeff Tuel did not have much help last season at WSU, but with the emergence of receiver Marques Wilson at the end of the year, the Cougars have found the most explosive receiver in the Pac-12.
Syracuse will take a step forward after a solid year last season, even with the suspension of weak side linebacker Brice Hawkes.
As QB Ryan Nassib goes, so will go the Orange.
In every game the Orange lost last season, he had at least as many interceptions as touchdowns...
Holiday Bowl: Arizona Wildcats vs Texas Tech Red Raiders
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Arizona has an incredibly dynamic duo in Nick Foles and Juron Criner, and any other season they may be the cream of the Pac-12 crop.
However, the Wildcats face a pretty tough conference schedule, and will suffer a late season stumble at Arizona State to go with losses to Stanford, Oregon and USC.
Texas Tech is an explosive offensive teams, and should the Red Raiders find some consistency on the defensive side of the ball, this may be a low bowl pick for them.
But for now, TTU will be facing AU in one of the highest scoring bowl games in recent memory.
Alamo Bowl: Baylor Bears vs Stanford Cardinal
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From BCS game winners to Alamo Bowl competitors, that is where the Cardinal will find themselves next bowl season.
Even with the best QB in the nation in Andrew Luck, the Cardinal will be adjusting to a new head coach, and suffered some key losses.
Baylor features another uber athletic quarterback, Robert Griffin III, who has not quite lived up to his potential.
While Baylor will have a shot at Oklahoma at home, they have to face both Texas A&M and Oklahoma State on the road, leaving them sitting at fourth in the Big 12.
Chik-Fil-a Bowl: Miami Hurricanes vs Florida Gators
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In a battle to play second fiddle to Florida State, the 'Canes find themselves facing a rejuvenated John Brantley.
Brantley, who had less than spectacular numbers last season, should flourish in a new system with linemen who have gained a year of experience.
The Gators will finish the season behind South Carolina and Georgia in the SEC East.
Meanwhile, a team with so much potential, but not much performance on the field finds it's way to this game in the Miami Hurricanes.
QB Jacory Harris may be the worst starting QB in college football, and the 'Canes are transitioning under new head coach Al Golden...
Cotton Bowl: Mississippi State Bulldogs vs Texas A&M Aggies
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MSU quarterback Chris Relf is one of the most athletic quarterbacks in the country, and the Bulldogs have the team to finish near the top of the SEC next season.
Texas A&M will be very good next season, but not quite good enough to win the new Big 12, and instead earn a trip to Arlington.
Outback Bowl: Georgia Bulldogs vs Ohio State Buckeyes
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The Buckeyes have not missed a BCS game for a very long time.
However, with the suspension of several skill position players that were supposed to start and the controversy surrounding their head coach, the Buckeyes will find some tough sledding within the conference.
Nebraska and Wisconsin will both beat the Buckeyes, and Michigan State pulls out a victory over OSU in overtime, leaving the Buckeyes with three losses on the season and a place in the Outback Bowl.
Georgia's Mark Richt is starting to feel some heat after his squads have underperformed the last few seasons, and this season, quarterback Aaron Murray and co. will be so close to breaking through, but not quite make it this year, finishing fourth in the SEC.
Capitol One Bowl: Michigan State Spartans vs South Carolina Gamecocks
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For the second year in a row, South Carolina will find themselves on the outside looking in at the BCS as the runner-up in the SEC.
While they will once again be at the top of he heap in the SEC East, inconsistent play by mercurial quarterback Stephen Garcia will lead to a bad loss or two, and the Gamecocks will be stuck facing Michigan State.
The Spartans look to have a very dangerous offense, similar to South Carolina, but lost too much on defense to finish on top of the Big Ten.
Sugar Bowl: LSU Tigers vs Wisconsin Badgers
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Wisconsin will be the runner-up in the Big Ten Championship game, and earn a spot in the Sugar Bowl as an at-large bid.
Even with the departure of John Clay, expect the Badgers to have one of the best running games in the nation, and a solid defense, lead by linebacker Chris Borland.
The Tigers suffer their one loss of the season at the hands of Alabama, and just miss a shot at the SEC championship, but make it to a BCS bowl as a consolation prize.
If there are any doubts that the Tiger's less than consistent quarterbacks can lead them to a BCS game, remember that Matt Mauck led them to a title...
Orange Bowl: West Virginia Mountaineers vs Florida State Seminoles
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Geno Smith is explosive.
His penchant for making big plays will leave the Montaineers atop the messy heap that is the Big East, and in the Orange Bowl.
Unfortunately for them, they will have to face the Seminoles, champs of the ACC.
The 'Noles are starting to get it together, and while their schedule is a little rough for a perfect season, they will escape with one loss, and find themselves in the Orange Bowl.
Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma State Cowboys vs Oregon Ducks
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Oregon simply has a tougher road than ASU.
The Ducks travel to Stanford and Arizona, and face LSU in the first game of the season.
That is why the Ducks find themselves squaring off against the Cowboys in the Fiesta Bowl.
OSU has some firepower of their own, in seniors Justin Blackmon and Brandon Weeden, and other than a loss to the Sooners, Okie Lite will finish the season unscathed, earning a trip to the Fiesta Bowl.
That is, if it is still around next year.
Rose Bowl: Arizona State Sun Devils vs Nebraska Cornhuskers
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While Oregon is the trendy pick to win the new Pac-12, the Sun Devils may have something to say about that.
Led by hard-hitting linebacker Vontaze Burfict, ASU will find it's way to the Rose Bowl.
The Cornhuskers, new to the Big Ten, win the conference in their first season.
The race for the Big Ten championship is wide open, and Bo Pelini and co. take advantage.
BCS Championship: Alabama Crimson Tide vs Oklahoma Sooners
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Oklahoma boasts one of the most potent passing games in recent memory, while Alabama has speed all over the field.
The Sooners have the experience, talent and coaching to make it through their schedule unscathed.
The Tide face the stiffest competition this season, playing in the SEC, but should emerge with only one loss as the champs of the conference to face OU in the NC game.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
