2011 Bowl Game Predictions: Which Teams Are Likely to Pull the Next Upset?

Upsets are one of the things that makes college football so special. Any team can find a way to win, and it's always great seeing an underdog pull out a shocking victory.

With the first three of 35 bowl games finished, there was already an upset when Louisiana-Lafayette upset the San Diego Aztecs. It was one of two exciting bowl games last weekend.

But which teams will find a way to pull out an upset next?

Here are some that have a chance.

Arizona State

Depending on what Sun Devils team wants to show up, they will have a shot to upset the Boise State Broncos. We've seen this team beat USC this season and compete with Oregon. When the defense wants to play, they can be very tough to move the ball on.

Quarterback Brock Osweiler is very capable of keeping up with the Broncos' high-scoring offense. Arizona State's passing game is ranked 11th in the country.

And Boise State really hasn't been that impressive ever since they lost to TCU.

I'm still picking the Broncos to win this game but wouldn't be socked if Arizona State keeps it close or possibly pulls off the upset.

Nevada

Nevada lost five games this season but have one of the most balanced offenses in the country, one that averages over 32 points per game. With that offensive production, you have a chance to stay in any game.

Sure, Southern Miss played extremely well against Houston when they won the C-USA. But this is the same team that lost to Marshall and UAB as well.

The Wolf Pack have four players that have over 400 rushing yards on the year.

Don't sleep on the team from the WAC.

Notre Dame

Oddsmakers have the Irish as three-point underdogs to the Florida State Seminoles, but I think Notre Dame pulls off the minor upset.

Statistically, Notre Dame can compete with any team in the country, as they average over 400 total yards on offense. The only thing that's killed them all year are the 26 turnovers.

The Seminoles have been extremely inconsistent all season long and really haven't beaten a good team at all this year. Their offense is also extremely one-dimensional, which isn't good going up against a tough Irish defense.

If Notre Dame can hold onto the football, look for them to win.

Virginia

The Virginia Cavaliers have been a surprise team all year long, and that's why it wouldn't surprise me if they upset the Auburn Tigers.

Auburn is an extremely young team and hasn't had much success on either side of the ball all year long. The one bright spot they had on offense, running back Michael Dyer, won't participate in this game.

Virginia is a team that may not be as talented, but they find ways to get the job done and play better than they really are. Coach Mike London has done a fabulous job with this group of players.

The Cavaliers have the third-best defense and fourth-best offense in the ACC.

Auburn may end this horrible season with another loss.

Penn State

Despite everything that's going on at Penn State, you have to give them a shot to knock off the Houston Cougars.

Houston hasn't played anybody all year long and looked horrible against a decent defense in Southern Miss the last game of the year.

Penn State may struggle to score points, but they have a great defense, which should make things difficult for the Cougars to score. They only give up 300 total yards a game and have sacked the quarterback 29 times this season.

The Nittany Lions are going to want to end their season on a positive note, and I wouldn't bet against them.

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