Bowl Projections: Dream Matchups for Non-BCS Bowls

With only 10 BCS bowl bids to go around, it’s a sure bet that some of the nation’s most talented teams will be left out of the big-money pool. That’s bad news for the unlucky squads, but good news for fans who could see showdowns like these in second-tier bowl games:

Capital One Bowl: Arkansas vs. Nebraska

Taylor Martinez and the Huskers’ ground game have piled up yards almost at will, but the same can be said for Tyler Wilson’s aerial attack at Arkansas. Both defenses have had their impressive moments—Arkansas held Auburn to 14 points, Nebraska locked down Michigan State 21-3—but this game will almost certainly be a high-scoring affair.

Neither team has faced an offense quite like this before, but look for the Huskers to have more trouble with the Hogs’ SEC speed in a shootout loss.

Outback Bowl: Georgia vs. Michigan State

Georgia took a couple of tough losses to start the season (against Boise State and a full-strength South Carolina team) but has ripped off eight straight wins since. QB Aaron Murray and freshman RB Isaiah Crowell have given the Bulldogs much-needed offensive balance.

Michigan State’s physical defense, led by DT Jerel Worthy, will be a worthy challenge, and the Spartans’ offense—with a senior QB in Kirk Cousins and two tough runners of its own in Le’Veon Bell and Edwin Baker—can make some plays in its own right.

Cotton Bowl: Kansas State vs. Auburn

The Wildcats have featured in some of the most exciting games of the season, including a 36-35 win over Baylor and last week’s 53-50 win over Texas A&M in four overtimes. Collin Klein’s run-heavy offense will have its hands full with the speedy Auburn D.

Kansas State’s own defense, meanwhile, will need to be at the top of its game to slow down Auburn’s rushing tandem of Michael Dyer and Onterio McCalebb.

Chick-fil-A Bowl: Virginia Tech vs. South Carolina

Even without uber-back Marcus Lattimore, the Gamecocks are a team to be reckoned with after going 8-2 to date through the SEC gauntlet. WR Alshon Jeffery will face a likely future NFL opponent in Hokies corner Jayron Hosley.

On the other side of the ball, a tough South Carolina D led by another NFL-bound CB (Stephon Gilmore) will be as tough as any opponent Logan Thomas and the Hokies have faced all season.