Bowl Predictions 2012: Predicting the Biggest Non-BCS Bowl Matchups

The college football bowl season is just a few weeks away. Things should get interesting as teams try to make their final push to position themselves for a better bowl.

Most people are talking about the BCS Bowl games and who will play where but in years past a lot of the non-BCS games provide some of the best action. You can't forget about the other 30 bowl games that will host some quality teams.

Here are five of the best non-BCS bowl games and predicting the matchups.

AutoZone Liberty: Houston vs Vanderbilt

How I got this matchup: The C-USA champion goes here and I believe Vanderbilt could pick it up against a sub-par schedule to reach this bowl game.

This would be a solid matchup against a fantastic Houston offense against a Vanderbilt defense that is underrated and forces a lot of turnovers. The only problem is how the Commodores would score points themselves but it could be an interesting matchup.

Champs Sports: Notre Dame vs Florida State

How I got this matchup: Champs Sports Bowl gets the No.3 ACC team which would be Florida State and they also get the option of Notre Dame every four years.

This would be a great game of two teams with rich histories that have underachieved this season. Although they have struggled this year they both have loads of talent on both sides of the ball and should provide an entertaining matchup. 

The winner of this game would carry a lot of momentum and optimism heading into next season.

Cotton Bowl: Texas vs Georgia

How I got this matchup: Big-12 No.2 goes here which will likely be Texas and an SEC team that would probably be Georgia considering LSU and Alabama will make a BCS Bowl.

Two teams that haven't exactly played bad this season, just not to the standards that everybody has for these great programs. While both teams have a lot of youth, they are still very talented. This game could show us which program is closer to returning to form.

Meineke Car Care: Ohio State vs Missouri

How did I get this matchup: The No.6 teams out of the Big Ten and the Big 12 go here and as of right now this is what you'd probably get.

This would make a great game as the Ohio State Buckeyes are finally playing decent football and the Missouri Tigers are always a feisty team. The Tigers balanced offense against the Buckeyes above average defense would be fun to watch.

Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl: Baylor vs Washington

How did I get this matchup: The Pac-12 No.3 team and the Big 12 No.5 team matchup in this bowl game.

I hope you're a fan of offense because this game could go over 100 points combined. Neither team plays defense at all as they both rank at the bottom in points allowed. They also have offenses that score over 30 points.

Besides, anytime you're able to watch Robert Griffin and Chris Polk you have to take advantage of it. This time you'll get them in the same game.

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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