Bowl Projections
How the 35 postseason games are shaping up
Streeter Lecka / Getty ImagesReady for a LSU-Alabama rematch in the BCS title game?
LIBERTY BOWL
Southern Miss (C-USA No. 1) vs. Vanderbilt (SEC No. 8/9-Big East)
Dec. 31, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
At Memphis, Tenn.
Comment: Vanderbilt got it done against Wake Forest to clinch the program’s second bowl bid since 1982. Southern Miss will take what is normally Conference USA’s top prize, while Houston rockets to a BCS bowl.
Liberty Bowl tickets
KRAFT FIGHT HUNGER BOWL
UCLA (Pac-12 No. 6) vs. Wyoming (Army/ACC)
Dec. 31, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
At San Francisco
Comment: UCLA gets to a bowl game with a 6-7 record after receiving a waiver from the NCAA. Questions, questions: Will the fans even care? Will the interim coaching staff have adequate time for job-hunting between bowl practices? Will the players perform like they are auditioning for the new head coach?
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl tickets
SUN BOWL
Georgia Tech (ACC No. 4) vs. California (Pac-12 No. 4)
Dec. 31, 2 p.m. ET, CBS
At El Paso, Texas
Comment: Georgia Tech’s 6-0 start was offset by four losses in its past six games. Califonia finished strong with three victories in its past four games. The defeat was 31-28 against Stanford.
Sun Bowl tickets
MEINEKE CAR CARE BOWL
Texas (Big 12 No. 6) vs. Iowa (Big Ten No. 6)
Dec. 31, Noon ET, ESPN
At Houston
Comment: The Longhorns can achieve an 8-4 finish by defeating Baylor and would be a big draw in the Houston-based bowl. Iowa beat Michigan, but was otherwise the picture of mediocrity in the Big Ten Conference.
Meineke Car Care Bowl tickets
INSIGHT BOWL
Texas A&M (Big 12 No. 4) vs. Penn State (Big Ten No. 4/5)
Dec. 30, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN
At Tempe, Ariz.
Comment: It’s Texas A&M’s last Big 12 bowl trip before shuffling off to the SEC. Penn State normally would go higher in the Big Ten’s bowl rotation, but this has been anything but a normal finish for the Nittany Lions. It’s not fair to the current players, but bowl games are eager to showcase feel-good stories and excited fan bases — neither of which exist at Penn State right now.
Insight Bowl tickets
MUSIC CITY BOWL
Virginia (ACC No. 6) vs. Mississippi State (SEC No. 7)
Dec. 30, 6:40 p.m. ET, ESPN
At Nashville, Tenn.
Comment: Whew! Mississippi State (6-6) just squeaked in by defeating rival Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl. Vanderbilt might have been a fit here, but it prefers a trip to the Liberty Bowl and Mississippi State never has qualified for the Nashville-based bowl. Virginia climbed into ACC contention with a late-season four-game winning streak, but was soundly beaten by Virginia Tech for the ACC Coastal Division title.
Music City Bowl tickets
Jim Rogash / Getty Images The nation grieved for those hurt, killed and affected by the Boston Marathon bombings. After one of the suspects was caught on Friday — following a day-long lockdown and manhunt — sports returned to Boston over the weekend. |
PINSTRIPE BOWL
Missouri (Big 12 No. 7) vs. Rutgers (Big East No. 4)
Dec. 30, 3:20 p.m. ET, ESPN
At New York
Comment: Missouri seems ready to ring in the New Year with its impending jump from the Big 12 to the SEC, so why not a trip to the Big Apple? Rutgers is a natural choice from the Big East, although the Scarlet Knights blew a chance to contend for the league’s BCS bid with Saturday’s crushing loss against Connecticut.
Pinstripe Bowl tickets
ARMED FORCES BOWL
Brigham Young (BYU) vs. Tulsa (C-USA)
Dec. 30, Noon ET, ESPN
At Fort Worth, Texas
Comment: Tulsa was unbeaten in the Conference USA’s West Division, but it settled for this consolation prize after running into Houston to close the regular season. Brigham Young has eight victories, but none of them resonate.
Armed Forces Bowl tickets
ALAMO BOWL
Kansas State (Big 12 No. 3) vs. Utah (Pac-12 No. 2)
Dec. 29, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN
At San Antonio, Texas
Comment: Kansas State, which could rise to 10-2 by defeating Iowa State on Saturday, will contend for a BCS bowl at-large spot, but probably will land here (if Oklahoma grabs the Cotton Bowl bid). Utah was rolling with a five-game winning streak in its first Pac-12 season, but Friday’s upset loss against Colorado cost the Utes the league’s South Division championship.
Alamo Bowl tickets
CHAMPS SPORTS BOWL
Notre Dame (Big East No. 2) vs. Florida State (ACC No. 3)
Dec. 29, 5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
At Orlando
Comment: The Champs Sports can take Notre Dame in place of a Big East team (provided the Fighting Irish are 7-5 or better) once in a four-year cycle, so the time is right. Florida State, once ranked in the national top five, could use a marquee victory to erase the taste of a bitter season, although the Seminoles are feeling good about their second straight victory against the Florida Gators.
Champs Sports Bowl tickets
HOLIDAY BOWL
Washington (Pac-12 No. 3) vs. Baylor (Big 12 No. 5)
Dec. 28, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
At San Diego
Comment: Baylor QB Robert Griffin III is an attraction all to himself. It’s a supreme test for Washington’s defense, which allowed an average of 44.4 points in its five losses.
Holiday Bowl tickets
MILITARY BOWL
North Carolina (ACC No. 8) vs. Air Force (replacement pick for Navy)
Dec. 28, 4:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
At Washington, D.C.
Comment: Navy was sunk by a 27-24 defeat against San Jose State, preventing it from becoming bowl eligible, so Air Force makes for an appropriate replacement. North Carolina (6-6) is just happy to be here after dropping four of its past six games.
Military Bowl tickets
BELK BOWL
Louisville (Big East No. 3) vs. N.C. State (ACC No. 5)
Dec. 27, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
At Charlotte, N.C.
Comment: Louisville goes into the weekend with a shot at the Big East’s BCS bowl bid, but barring some upsets, the Cardinals probably will lose the tiebreaker. The trip to Birmingham might be viewed as a comedown, but in the bigger picture, coach Charlie Strong’s Cardinals rallied for a postseason berth and a share of the Big East’s regular-season title after a 2-4 start. Not bad. Talk about finishing with a flourish. N.C. State routed Clemson 37-13, then rallied from a 27-point second-half deficit to stun Maryland 56-41.
Belk Bowl tickets
LITTLE CAESARS BOWL
Toledo (MAC No. 2) vs. Northwestern (Big Ten No. 8)
Dec. 27, 4:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
At Detroit
Comment: Christmas in Detroit? After a five-game losing streak at midseason, Northwestern is OK with that. The Wildcats must slow down Toledo’s scoring machine. It’s also not often that a team scores 60 points – and loses! But you can look it up. Northern Illinois 63, Toledo 60. The Rockets were so angered that they promptly beat Western Michigan 66-63.
Little Caesars Bowl tickets
INDEPENDENCE BOWL
Iowa State (Mountain West No. 3) vs. Wake Forest (ACC No. 7)
Dec. 26, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN2
At Shreveport, La.
Comment: This would’ve been the slot for the Miami Hurricanes, but the school turned down a bowl bid as part of its NCAA penance. Miami was certainly worthy. Five of its losses were by a combined 24 points. Wake Forest is the ACC’s fallback option. Meanwhile, the Big 12 Conference’s Iowa State Cyclones, who jump-started the BCS chaos with that Friday upset of Oklahoma State, step into the Mountain West bowl slot.
Independence Bowl tickets
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More newsDPS: Alabama head coach Nick Saban was recently trash-talked by colleagues, and he tells Dan Patrick he wishes he was spoken to in private prior to the insults.
