Mid-Season Bowl Projections: A Burnt Orange and Crimson Championship Game

We have reached the middle of the college football season.  It's sad, but true.

At the halfway point we know several things:  Texas, Alabama, and Penn State are the best of the remaining undefeated teams, but all face tough tests in the coming weeks.  More than likely, at least one half of our National Championship game will come from this trio.

The other half of the National Championship game could come from a host of other great football teams.  In fact the whole football season essentially boils down to about 10 games.  A de-facto playoff, if you will, to decide who will play for the championship.

We also know that it will be very difficult for a team to go undefeated this season.  We have already seen the mighty fall in great numbers this season.

Pre-season favorites including USC, Georgia, Ohio State, Missouri, Florida, Oklahoma, and BYU have all dropped a game this season.

Anything can happen in this crazy game, as we have all learned, but at the midway point in the season the follwing projections are how I believe the bowl selections might go.

The projected winners are in bold.

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
Tie-Ins: Mountain West vs. Pac 10
Mid-Season Projection: Air Force vs. Stanford

New Mexico Bowl 
Tie-Ins: Mountain West vs. Pac 10
Mid-Season Projection: BYU vs. New Mexico State

Congressional Bowl
Tie-Ins: ACC vs. Army or Navy
Mid-Season Projection: Clemson vs. Navy

Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl
Tie-Ins: Mountain West vs. Pac-10
Mid-Season Projection: Utah vs. Oregon

St. Petersburg Bowl
Tie-Ins: Big East vs. C-USA
Mid-Season Projection: Louisville vs. Marshall

R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Tie-Ins: Sun Belt No. 1 vs. C-USA
Mid-Season  Projection: Troy vs. Rice

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl
Tie-Ins: Pac 10 vs. WAC
Mid-Season Projection: Arizona State vs. San Jose State

Motor City Bowl
Tie-Ins: Big Ten vs. MAC
Mid-Season Projection: Iowa vs. Central Michigan

Champs Sports Bowl
Tie-Ins: ACC vs. Big Ten
Mid-Season Projection: Georgia Tech vs. Wisconsin

Emerald Bowl
Tie-Ins: ACC vs. Pac-10
Mid-Season Projection: Boston College vs. Oregon State

Meineke Car Care Bowl
Tie-Ins: ACC vs. Big East
Mid-Season Projection: North Carolina vs. West Virginia

Texas Bowl
Tie-Ins: Big 12 vs. Big East (in even years, C-USA in odd years)
Mid-Season Projection: Western Michigan* vs. Pitt
*There's no Big 12 team projected to be available.

PapaJohn’s.com Bowl
Tie-Ins: Big East vs. SEC
Mid-Season Projection: Cincinnati vs. Arkansas State*
*There's no SEC team projected to be available.

PetroSun Independence Bowl
Tie-Ins: Big 12 vs. SEC
Mid-Season Projection: Nebraska vs. Auburn

Alamo Bowl
Tie-Ins: Big Ten vs. Big 12
Mid-Season Projection: Illinois vs. Kansas

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl
Tie-Ins: Big 12 vs. Pac-10
Mid-Season Projection: Oklahoma State vs. California

Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl
Tie-Ins: ACC vs. WAC
Mid-Season Projection: Duke vs. Fresno State

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl
Tie-Ins: Mountain West vs. Conference USA
Mid-Season Projection: TCU vs. East Carolina

Sun Bowl
Tie-Ins: Big 12/Big East/Notre Dame vs. Pac-10
Mid-Season Projection: Texas Tech vs. Arizona

Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl
Tie-Ins: ACC vs. SEC
Mid-Season Projection: Maryland vs. Ole Miss

Chick-fil-A Bowl
Tie-Ins: ACC vs. SEC
Mid-Season Projection: Virginia Tech vs. South Carolina

Insight Bowl
Tie-Ins: Big Ten vs. Big 12
Mid-Season Projection: Northwestern vs. Colorado

Outback Bowl
Tie-Ins: Big Ten vs. SEC
Mid-Season Projection: Minnesota vs. Vanderbilt

Konica Minolta Gator Bowl
Tie-Ins: ACC No. 3 vs. Big 12/Big East/Notre Dame
Mid-Season Projection: Florida State vs. Notre Dame 

Capital One Bowl
Tie-Ins: Big Ten vs. SEC
Mid-Season Projection: Michigan State vs. Georgia

AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Tie-Ins: C-USA vs. SEC
Mid-Season Projection: Tulsa vs. Kentucky

AT&T Cotton Bowl
Tie-Ins: Big 12 vs. SEC
Mid-Season Projection: Missouri vs. LSU

International Bowl
Tie-Ins: Big East vs. MAC
Mid-Season Projection: Connecticut vs. Bowling Green

GMAC Bowl
Tie-Ins: C-USA No. 2 vs. MAC/WAC
Mid-Season Projection: Houston vs. Ball State

BOWL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Rose Bowl presented by Citi
*BCS vs. BCS (Big Ten Champion vs. Pac 10 Champion, if available)
Mid-Season Projection: Ohio State vs. USC

Allstate Sugar Bowl
*BCS vs. BCS (SEC Champion, if available)
Mid-Season Projection: Florida vs. Penn State

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
*BCS vs. BCS (Big 12 Champion, if available)
Mid-Season Projection: Oklahoma vs. Boise State

FedEx Orange Bowl
*BCS vs. BCS (ACC Champion, if available)
Mid-Season Projection: Wake Forest vs. South Florida

FedEx BCS National Championship
*BCS #1 vs. BCS #2
Mid-Season Projection: Texas vs. Alabama