 Preview Schedule Preview Info ACC Preview Big East Preview Big Ten Preview Big XII Preview Conference USA Preview Independents Preview MAC Preview Mountain West Preview PAC 10 Preview SEC Preview Sun Belt Preview WAC Preview Team Rankings…. 1-10 | 11-30 | 31-50 Must-See Games All-America Teams Bowl Projections Conference Rankings Q & A Toughest OOC Schedules Toughest Stretches ESPN Weekday Ratings Pick ‘Em Contest Info Email Jonathan |
A few notes on the bowl projections....  The
Rose Bowl normally matches the Big Ten champion versus the PAC 10 champion unless
it’s the year for the National Championship Game to be hosted in Pasadena. Although
that game was held there last season, I don’t think it will be a PAC 10/Big Ten matchup
this season. Why? I projected that Washington State would win the PAC 10, and Ohio
State would win the Big Ten, setting up a WSU/OSU Rose Bowl game. But these teams
meet each other in Columbus in September. Since I doubt the Rose Bowl would want a
rematch of a game from just a few months ago, I moved Ohio State to the Sugar Bowl,
where they were geographically closer than WSU. Colorado took the Buckeye’s spot in
the Rose Bowl since they were the next closest team geographically to Pasadena. What
would happen if this scenario actually happened? I have no idea.Although Auburn would probably have gotten the Peach Bowl bid ahead of
Mississippi, the Rebels took that slot because Auburn played North Carolina in Atlanta
last year.Cincinnati should probably be in a better bowl game, most likely the game in
Hawaii. But since I am projecting Hawaii to play in the bowl game in their home state,
Cincy could not play there since the two teams are playing each other in November.Some
may wonder why Texas Tech was not projected to go the bowl in Houston in their home
state. I originally projected the Red Raiders to do just that but since Iowa State played
Alabama in the Independence Bowl last season, I moved ISU to the Houston bowl and
Texas Tech to Shreveport.When
all of the conference tie-ins were filled, there were four spots left in the twenty-eight bowl
games. The Big East slot in the San Francisco Bowl was not able to be filled, leaving an
empty spot. The Motor City Bowl also has a TBD slot. The last two empty slots are the
At-Large positions in the Humanitarian and Silicon Valley bowls. I picked thirteen teams
that I thought would have a chance to contend for those four spots because they have
winning records: North Texas, Notre Dame, BYU, Fresno State, TCU, UCF, Miami (OH), Kent State, Northern Illinois, Ball State, Iowa, Arizona, and
Mississippi State. Immediately, I crossed these six teams out on my list: North Texas,
UCF, Miami (OH), Kent State, Northern Illinois, and Ball State. Notre Dame, BYU,
Fresno State, TCU, Iowa, Arizona, and Mississippi State now each had better than a 50% chance at going bowling. The final spots went to Notre Dame (because they’re ND
and will likely be selected if at all possible), BYU (because the Cougars have a fairly tough
OOC schedule and are predicted to finish above .500 in the Mountain West), Mississippi
State (because the Bulldogs are an SEC member which automatically gives them an edge
over the likes of ECU and TCU), and Iowa (because the Hawkeyes are projected to win
seven games and finish .500 in the Big Ten).Southern College Sports |