Bowl Projections

Breaking Down the Bowl Game schedule, and some potential match-ups

THE TITLE GAME:

1.7.10 - Citi BCS Championship Game (BCS #1 vs. BCS #2) Texas vs. Alabama - A very satisfying Championship: Two coaches with rings and 13-0 squads. What’s not to love?

THE BCS BOWLS:

1.1.10 - Rose Bowl presented by Citi (BCS/Big Ten Champ If Available vs. BCS/Pac-10 Champ If Available) Ohio State vs. Oregon - Only thing you’d need is Keith Jackson to make it complete.

1.1.10 - Allstate Sugar Bowl (BCS/SEC Champ If Available vs. BCS) Florida vs. Cincinnati - An undefeated Bearcats team could prove themselves to all the Big East haters out there by knocking off the SEC runner-up.

1.4.10 - Tostitos Fiesta Bowl (BCS/Big 12 Champ If Available vs. BCS) Boise State vs. Iowa - Some other candidates for this bowl game would be…Oklahoma State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Stanford or USC.

1.5.10 - FedEx Orange Bowl (BCS/ACC Champ If Available vs. BCS) Georgia Tech vs. TCU - Perhaps one of the most entertaining potential match-ups of any of the BCS games, it features pass rushers, quirky offenses and a galore of speedsters.

THE REST OF THE BOWL SCHEDULE:

12.19.09 - New Mexico Bowl (WAC vs. Mountain West) Nevada vs. Ohio - These are the glory years for Wolf Pack football…this would be their fourth consecutive bowl game.

12.20.09 - R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl (C-USA vs. Sun Belt) Southern Miss vs. Troy - The Troy Trojans have been sort of a dynasty in the Sun Belt.


12.19.09 - St. Petersburg Bowl (Big East vs. C-USA) South Florida vs. Central Florida - The winner will take home a trophy and an edge in the recruiting battle. Not to mention the right to talk smack all off-season.

12.22.09 - Las Vegas Bowl (Mountain West vs. Pac-10) Utah vs. Arizona - Could the Wildcats make it back-to-back Vegas Bowl wins?

12.23.09 - San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl (Mountain West vs. Pac-10 or WAC) BYU vs. California - Could feature two pre-season Heisman candidates in Max Hall and Jahvid Best. Get your scoreboard ready!

12.24.09 - Sheraton Hawaii Bowl (WAC vs. C-USA) Fresno State vs. East Carolina - Christmas Eve football is always fun.

12.26.09 - Meineke Car Care Bowl (Big East vs. ACC) North Carolina vs. Pittsburgh - Head Coaches Dave Wannstedt and Butch Davis once hooked up in the NFL when the Dolphins defeated in the Browns. One of the two will get their first bowl victory at their current school.

12.26.09 - Little Caesars Bowl (MAC vs. Big Ten) Central Michigan vs. Iowa State - There’s a chance a Big Ten team would be in this one, imagine Michigan? We can’t either…

12.26.09 - Emerald Bowl (Pac-10 vs. ACC) Boston College vs. Stanford - Two of the more surprising teams of the year.

12.27.09- Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl (ACC vs. SEC) Clemson vs. Auburn - Getting your money’s worth. These two teams could be ranked coming in.

12.28.09 - AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl (SEC vs. Big 12) South Carolina vs. Kansas State - Two coaches who’ve seen better days (Steve Spurrier and Bill Snyder).

12.29.09 - EagleBank Bowl (ACC vs. Army/Conference USA) Duke vs. Marshall - The Blue Devils are one win away from becoming eligible, an amazing turn around from 1-11 in 2007.

12.29.09 - Champs Sports Bowl - (ACC vs. Big Ten) Florida State vs. Michigan State - Could be Head Coach Bobby Bowden’s final game.

12.30.09 - Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl (WAC vs. Mountain West) Idaho vs. Middle Tennessee State - Idaho A.D. Rob Spear refused to fly on Horizon airlines because their planes featured Boise State colors (and logo), now his team is likely to play on the Smurf Turf. Can anyone offer him a ride?

12.30.09 - Texas Bowl (Big XII vs. Navy) Texas Tech vs. Navy – Would Coach Mike Leach be more likely to twitter on the sidelines or run Navy’s triple-option?

12.30.09 - Pacific Life Holiday Bowl (Pac-10 vs. Big XII) USC vs. Oklahoma - Pete Carroll vs. Bob Stoops.

12.31.09 - Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl (Mountain West vs. C-USA) Air Force vs. Southern Methodist – Classic contrast: Run and Shoot vs. Triple Option.

12.31.09 - Burt Sun Bowl (Pac-10 vs. Big 12/Big East/Notre Dame) Oregon State vs. Notre Dame - A Notre Dame coach once got fired right before a bowl game facing Oregon State. Tyrone Willingham right before the 2004 Insight Bowl.

12.31.09 - Insight Bowl (Big 12 vs. Big Ten) Missouri vs. Minnesota - Gophers looking to end their Insight Bowl woes – lost in both 2006 and 2008.

12.31.09 - Chick-Fil-A Bowl (SEC vs. ACC) Tennessee vs. Virginia Tech – Expect bigger things in 2011…

1.1.10 - Outback Bowl (Big Ten vs. SEC) Wisconsin vs. Georgia - Two underrated teams, two hardnosed running games.

1.1.10 - Capital One Bowl (SEC vs. Big Ten) LSU vs. Penn State - Daunting defenses and classic jerseys, however a potential one-sided match-up.

1.1.10 - Konica Minolta Gator Bowl (ACC vs. Big 12/Big East/Notre Dame) Nebraska vs. Miami (FL) - 1984, 2001, 2010?

1.2.10 - International Bowl (Big East vs. MAC) Rutgers vs. Temple - It used to be a battle for the basement in the Big East, now is a contest between programs on the rise.

1.2.10 - Papa John.com Bowl (Big East vs. SEC) West Virginia vs. Kentucky - Sounds more like this year’s Elite Eight in the NCAAs.

1.2.10 - AT&T Cotton Bowl (Big 12 - SEC) Oklahoma State vs. Ole Miss - Features two exciting quarterbacks in Jevan Snead and Zac Robinson. Remember, in the pre-season these two teams were considered to be national title sleepers…

1.2.10 - AutoZone Liberty Bowl (C-USA vs. SEC) Houston vs. Arkansas - Over/Under around 83?

1.2.10 - Valero Alamo Bowl (Big Ten vs. Big 12) Northwestern vs. Texas A&M - For only the second time in school history Northwestern will be heading to back-to-back Bowl games. Now can they get their first post-season win since 1948?

1.6.10 - GMAC Bowl (ACC or WAC) Northern Illinois vs. Wyoming - The Wyoming Cowboys are just one win away from being bowl eligible.

Photos Courtesy of SEC Sports Media, Jaren Wilkey/BYU, FSU Sports Information, Dave
Stluka/Wisconsin