Bowl Projections: Predicting Which Bowl Game Notre Dame Will Go to

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish were expecting this season to be the one that put them back on top of the college football map. A team that has a rich history of winning and constantly being one of the top teams, the Irish have struggled for several years to continue that tradition.

Notre Dame was predicted to win possibly double-digit games for the first time since 2006 and reach a BCS Bowl. Instead, they have lost three games so far and have yet to get back into the rankings after losing the first two games of the season.

The Irish are currently sitting at a 5-3 record and the BCS is pretty much out of the question. They will probably finish with a 8-4 record, as they still have to play Stanford at the end of the year.

If the season ended today, it looks like Notre Dame will participate in the Champs Bowl which is held in Orlando.

Since 2010 the Champs Bowl gets a team from the Big East and every four seasons has the option of selecting Notre Dame to play. It looks like this will be the year if everything falls into place.

Who will they be playing?

Well, the bowl game also gets to select the No. 3 ACC team, which is looking more and more like the Florida State Seminoles.

This would actually make a pretty good bowl game as both teams have underachieved this season. They're both teams that are loaded with talent but couldn't seem to get the job done for different reasons.

Both programs are known for winning and if they play the way they're capable of, this could be one of the best matchups outside of the BCS Bowls.

Although Florida State would have the home field advantage since the location is just a car ride away from Tallahassee, Notre Dame should be up to the task. Despite the fact that Florida State has controlled the series as they are leading 4-2 with the last win coming in 2003.

This would be a big game for the Irish. A win would not only help fans forget about this season but also set the tone for next year.

Randy Chambers is a B/R Featured Columnist that covers College Football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail]

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