2011 Bowl Projections: Breaking Down Every Potential New Year's Eve Bowl Game

Nothing's better than watching college football on New Year's Eve, at least until the party starts.

This year there will be several flavorful matchups on the Dec. 31 slate that should not only please football fans, but will also help provide a sense of conclusion to the 2011 season.

Last year's national champion, the Auburn Tigers, are likely headed to a Chick-fil-A Bowl berth (Dec. 31), and teams like Georgia Tech, UCLA and Vanderbilt could all be on display before 2011 ends.

Here's how it all breaks down:

Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas

Projection: Iowa (7-5) vs. Texas A&M (6-6)

The Aggies waved goodbye to head coach Mike Sherman following a disappointing finish to the regular season, in which Texas A&M dropped four of their last five games. The Aggies blew out Robert Griffin III and Baylor this season, but fell early to Oklahoma State and Arkansas by a combined five points.

Iowa won on the road just once in the regular season, edging Purdue on Nov. 19. The Hawkeyes' signature win of the year came against the BCS-bound Michigan Wolverines at home. Iowa went four up and four down in the Big Ten this season, and would be a decent underdog in this game despite their record.

Hyundai Sun Bowl

Projection: Georgia Tech (8-4) vs. Utah (7-5)

The Yellow Jackets started the season with BCS promise at 6-0, but quickly came back down to earth, losing four of their next six and dropping out of the ACC race. Their solid 5-3 conference mark was overshadowed by their disappointing defeat to Georgia in the final game of the season. 

The nation's third-best rushing attack will provide problems for whatever defense it faces this bowl season, as it's averaging well over 300 yards per game.

Utah won four of its last five games to become bowl eligible. Signature wins for the Utes include at Pittsburgh and a win at home over Pac-12 South champs UCLA. It's all about defense for Utah, though, as their scoring D ranks 18th in the nation. 

AutoZone Liberty Bowl

Projection: Louisville (7-5) vs. Vanderbilt (6-6)

It's all about how you start, if you're Vanderbilt. The Commodores kicked off the season 3-0, but then lost six out of their last nine games to finish with bowl eligibility, barely. Despite a dismal conference record of just 2-6, Vanderbilt could be playing later than some more worthy programs—perhaps even later than Penn State, who went 9-3 this season.

At 7-5, the Cardinals are slightly more deserving of a New Year's Eve bowl game than the Commodores. The Big East representatives boast one of the nation's best defenses in 2011, allowing fewer than 20 points per game and ranking 14th nationally.

Louisville won five of six games to end the season strong. 

Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl

Projection: Temple (8-4) vs. UCLA (6-7)

The Owls have had a fantastic year under first-year head coach Steve Addazio, who came over from Florida. Earlier this season, Temple blasted Maryland on the road and fell just short of upsetting Penn State, losing 14-10 in a nail-biter. The Owls boast the nation's seventh-best rushing attack and third-top scoring D. 

UCLA has parted with head coach Rick Neuheisel, but despite a losing record, the Bruins are still bowl bound with six wins on the year thanks to an NCAA waiver. They were blasted by USC to end the year, and were then rolled by the Oregon Ducks in the Pac-12 Championship Game.

There is nothing pretty about this team, other than the fact that they pulled off a solid win over Arizona State mid-season.

Chick-fil-A Bowl

Projection: Florida State (8-4) vs. Auburn (7-5)

It was a rough year for the defending national champions, who suffered five losses more than they did all of last season. The Tigers failed to put a win streak of more than two games together all year long, and claimed their biggest win of the year at South Carolina on Oct. 1.

The Tigers were blown out by SEC West rivals LSU and Alabama, proving just how big a difference Cam Newton made under center.

Like Auburn, 2011 was hardly the year the Seminoles had planned for, either.

After starting the year 2-0, three straight losses ended any hopes of a NC in Tallahassee. Still, FSU won six of its last seven games to become bowl eligible, and help represent the ACC this winter.

A dominant scoring defense, ranked fourth in the country, has been blanking opposing offenses as of late, and will look to continue that success in postseason play.