2013-14 Bowl Projections- Week 5

This year, Penn St. is the only non-transitional FBS team on sanctions and ineligible for bowl games.

*** designates a conference being unable to fill its slot in a particular bowl game.


Gildan New Mexico Bowl: Wyoming (Mountain West #4) vs. Utah (Pac-12 #7)
Maaco Bowl Las Vegas: Boise St. (Mountain West #1) vs. Oregon St. (Pac-12 #5)
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl:  Illinois (Mountain West #6***) vs. Ohio (MAC #3)
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Louisiana-Lafayette (Sun Belt #1) vs. Rice (C-USA)
Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl St. Petersburg: Toledo (American #6***) vs. Middle Tennessee (C-USA)
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl:  Ball St. (Mountain West #5***) vs. Marshall (C-USA)
Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl:  Minnesota (Big Ten #8) vs. Northern Illinois (MAC #1)
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl: Utah St. (Mountain West #2) vs. Notre Dame (Army***)
Military Bowl: Duke (ACC #8) vs. Tulane (C-USA)
Texas Bowl: TCU (Big 12 #6) vs. Michigan St. (Big Ten #6)
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl: Arizona (Pac-12 #6) vs. BYU (BYU / ACC #9)
Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl: Texas Tech (Big 12 #4) vs. Nebraska (Big Ten #4)
New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Kansas St. (Big 12 #7) vs. Cincinnati (American #4)
Belk Bowl: Georgia Tech (ACC #5) vs. Houston (American #3)
Russell Athletic Bowl: Maryland (ACC #3) vs. Rutgers (American #2)
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl: Nevada (Mountain West #3) vs. Navy (Navy / C-USA)
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl: Pittsburgh (ACC #6) vs. Auburn (SEC #7)
Valero Alamo Bowl: Oklahoma St. (Big 12 #3) vs. Washington (Pac-12 #2)
Holiday Bowl: Texas (Big 12 #5) vs. UCLA (Pac-12 #3)
AdvoCare V100 Bowl: NC State (ACC #7) vs. Arkansas (SEC #10)
Hyundai Sun Bowl: Virginia Tech (ACC #4) vs. Arizona St. (Pac-12 #4)
AutoZone Liberty Bowl: East Carolina (C-USA #1) vs. Missouri (SEC #8)
Chick-fil-A Bowl: Miami (FL) (ACC #2) vs. Florida (SEC #5)
TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl: Wisconsin (Big Ten #5) vs. Ole Miss (SEC #6)
Heart of Dallas Bowl: Iowa (Big Ten #7) vs. USC (C-USA***)
Capital One Bowl: Northwestern (Big Ten #2) vs. South Carolina (SEC #2)
Outback Bowl: Michigan (Big Ten #3) vs. Texas A&M (SEC #4)
AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic: Oklahoma (Big 12 #2) vs. LSU (SEC #3)
BBVA Compass Bowl: UCF (American #5) vs. Vanderbilt (SEC #9)
GoDaddy.com Bowl: Bowling Green (MAC #2) vs. Western Kentucky (Sun Belt #2)

Rose Bowl Game: Ohio St. (Big Ten #1) vs. Stanford (Pac-12 #1)
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Baylor (Big 12 #1) vs. Louisville (BCS At-Large)
Allstate Sugar Bowl: Georgia (SEC #1) vs. Florida St. (BCS At-Large)
Discover Orange Bowl: Clemson (ACC #1) vs. Fresno St. (BCS At-Large)
VIZIO BCS National Championship Game: Alabama (BCS #1) vs. Oregon (BCS #2)

2013-14 Bowl projections- Week 4

Georgia's big win over South Carolina gets it right back in the title hunt.  I think that we may wind up with a de facto national semifinal in the SEC Championship, just like Alabama/Georgia was last year.  Miami notched a big win, but I still only consider them the #3 team in the ACC.  Florida was just a little overrated and is probably actually a little worse than Ole Miss.  Meanwhile, Baylor is my new projected Big 12 champion after Texas's loss to BYU.

This year, Penn St. is the only non-transitional FBS team on sanctions and ineligible for bowl games.

*** designates a conference being unable to fill its slot in a particular bowl game.
***!! designates the necessity to place a 5-7 team in a bowl game.  5-7 teams are taken in APR order, and Duke is the top potential 5-7 team in APR.

Gildan New Mexico Bowl: San Jose St. (Mountain West #4) vs. Arizona (Pac-12 #7)
Maaco Bowl Las Vegas: Boise St. (Mountain West #1) vs. Oregon St. (Pac-12 #5)
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl:  Duke (Mountain West #6***!!) vs. Ohio (MAC #3)
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Louisiana-Lafayette (Sun Belt #1) vs. Louisiana Tech (C-USA)
Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl St. Petersburg: Toledo (American #6***) vs. East Carolina (C-USA)
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl:  Ball St. (Mountain West #5***) vs. Marshall (C-USA)
Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl:  South Alabama (Big Ten #8***) vs. Northern Illinois (MAC #1)
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl: Utah St. (Mountain West #2) vs. Notre Dame (Army***)
Military Bowl: Virginia Tech (ACC #8) vs. Tulane (C-USA)
Texas Bowl: TCU (Big 12 #6) vs. Michigan St. (Big Ten #6)
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl: USC (Pac-12 #6) vs. BYU (BYU / ACC #9)
Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl: Texas Tech (Big 12 #4) vs. Nebraska (Big Ten #4)
New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Kansas St. (Big 12 #7) vs. Houston (American #4)
Belk Bowl: North Carolina (ACC #5) vs. Cincinnati (American #3)
Russell Athletic Bowl: Georgia Tech (ACC #3) vs. Rutgers (American #2)
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl: Wyoming (Mountain West #3) vs. Navy (Navy / C-USA)
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl: Virginia (ACC #6) vs. Florida (SEC #7)
Valero Alamo Bowl: Oklahoma St. (Big 12 #3) vs. Washington (Pac-12 #2)
Holiday Bowl: Texas (Big 12 #5) vs. UCLA (Pac-12 #3)
AdvoCare V100 Bowl: Pittsburgh (ACC #7) vs. Missouri (SEC #10)
Hyundai Sun Bowl: Maryland (ACC #4) vs. Arizona St. (Pac-12 #4)
AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Middle Tennessee (C-USA #1) vs. Vanderbilt (SEC #8)
Chick-fil-A Bowl: Miami (FL) (ACC #2) vs. Ole Miss (SEC #5)
TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl: Michigan (Big Ten #5) vs. Auburn (SEC #6)
Heart of Dallas Bowl: Illinois (Big Ten #7) vs. Arkansas St. (C-USA***)
Capital One Bowl: Northwestern (Big Ten #2) vs. Texas A&M (SEC #2)
Outback Bowl: Wisconsin (Big Ten #3) vs. South Carolina (SEC #4)
AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic: Oklahoma (Big 12 #2) vs. Texas A&M (SEC #3)
BBVA Compass Bowl: UCF (American #5***) vs. Arkansas (SEC #9)
GoDaddy.com Bowl: Bowling Green (MAC #2) vs. Western Kentucky (Sun Belt #2)

Rose Bowl Game: Ohio St. (Big Ten #1) vs. Stanford (Pac-12 #1)
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Baylor (Big 12 #1) vs. Louisville (BCS At-Large)
Allstate Sugar Bowl: LSU (SEC #1) vs. Florida St. (BCS At-Large)
Discover Orange Bowl: Clemson (ACC #1) vs. Fresno St. (BCS At-Large)
VIZIO BCS National Championship Game: Alabama (BCS #1) vs. Oregon (BCS #2)

2013-14 Bowl Projections- Week 2

Georgia's big win over South Carolina gets it right back in the title hunt.  I think that we may wind up with a de facto national semifinal in the SEC Championship, just like Alabama/Georgia was last year.  Miami notched a big win, but I still only consider them the #3 team in the ACC.  Florida was just a little overrated and is probably actually a little worse than Ole Miss.  Meanwhile, Baylor is my new projected Big 12 champion after Texas's loss to BYU.

This year, Penn St. is the only non-transitional FBS team on sanctions and ineligible for bowl games.

*** designates a conference being unable to fill its slot in a particular bowl game.

Gildan New Mexico Bowl: San Diego St. (Mountain West #4) vs. USC (Pac-12 #7)
Maaco Bowl Las Vegas: Fresno St. (Mountain West #1) vs. Arizona (Pac-12 #5)
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl:  NC State (Mountain West #6***) vs. Ball St. (MAC #3)
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Louisiana-Lafayette (Sun Belt #1) vs. Louisiana Tech (C-USA)
Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl St. Petersburg: Ohio (American #6***) vs. East Carolina (C-USA)
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl: Wyoming (Mountain West #5) vs. Marshall (C-USA)
Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl:  Kent St. (Big Ten #8***) vs. Northern Illinois (MAC #1)
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl: Boise St. (Mountain West #2) vs. Notre Dame (Army***)
Military Bowl: Virginia (ACC #8) vs. Tulane (C-USA)
Texas Bowl: West Virginia (Big 12 #6) vs. Illinois (Big Ten #6)
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl: Oregon St. (Pac-12 #6) vs. BYU (BYU / ACC #9)
Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl: Texas (Big 12 #4) vs. Nebraska (Big Ten #4)
New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Texas Tech (Big 12 #7) vs. Houston (American #4)
Belk Bowl: Virginia Tech (ACC #5) vs. Cincinnati (American #3)
Russell Athletic Bowl: Georgia Tech (ACC #3) vs. Rutgers (American #2)
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl: Utah St. (Mountain West #3) vs. Navy (Navy / C-USA)
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl: Duke (ACC #6) vs. Vanderbilt (SEC #7)
Valero Alamo Bowl: Oklahoma St. (Big 12 #3) vs. Arizona St. (Pac-12 #2)
Holiday Bowl: TCU (Big 12 #5) vs. Washington (Pac-12 #3)
AdvoCare V100 Bowl: Maryland (ACC #7) vs. Auburn (SEC #10)
Hyundai Sun Bowl: North Carolina (ACC #4) vs. UCLA (Pac-12 #4)
AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Middle Tennessee (C-USA #1) vs. Arkansas (SEC #8)
Chick-fil-A Bowl: Miami (FL) (ACC #2) vs. Ole Miss (SEC #5)
TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl: Michigan St. (Big Ten #5) vs. Florida (SEC #6)
Heart of Dallas Bowl: Minnesota (Big Ten #7) vs. Rice (C-USA)
Capital One Bowl: Wisconsin (Big Ten #2) vs. Georgia (SEC #2)
Outback Bowl: Northwestern (Big Ten #3) vs. South Carolina (SEC #4)
AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic: Oklahoma (Big 12 #2) vs. Texas A&M (SEC #3)
BBVA Compass Bowl: Troy (American #5***) vs. Tennessee (SEC #9)
GoDaddy.com Bowl: Bowling Green (MAC #2) vs. Western Kentucky (Sun Belt #2)

Rose Bowl Game: Michigan (Big Ten #1) vs. Stanford (Pac-12 #1)
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Baylor (Big 12 #1) vs. Louisville (BCS At-Large)
Allstate Sugar Bowl: LSU (SEC #1) vs. Florida St. (BCS At-Large)
Discover Orange Bowl: Clemson (ACC #1) vs. Ohio St. (BCS At-Large)
VIZIO BCS National Championship Game: Alabama (BCS #1) vs. Oregon (BCS #2)

2013-14 Bowl Projections- Week 1

It can be challenging to find the right balance between judging teams based on Week 1 and not doing so.  However, some teams did impress me, while others did not.  As far as Top Ten teams go, I was only extremely impressed by Clemson.  Georgia actually played fairly well, but losing Malcolm Mitchell will hurt them.  I still have Alabama-Oregon for the title, as Ohio St. actually disappointed me.  Also, teams that lost to or struggled with FCS teams may see their rankings slip.  Also, this assumes that Pittsburgh will give Florida St. a slight challenge but that Florida St. will have the game pretty much wrapped up by the end of the 3rd quarter.

This year, Penn St. is the only non-transitional FBS team on sanctions and ineligible for bowl games.

*** designates a conference being unable to fill its slot in a particular bowl game.

Gildan New Mexico Bowl: Utah St. (Mountain West #4) vs. Oregon St. (Pac-12 #7)
Maaco Bowl Las Vegas: Fresno St. (Mountain West #1) vs. Arizona (Pac-12 #5)
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Wyoming (Mountain West #6) vs. Kent St. (MAC #3)
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Louisiana-Lafayette (Sun Belt #1) vs. Louisiana Tech (C-USA)
Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl St. Petersburg: Toledo (American #6***) vs. East Carolina (C-USA)
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl: Hawaii (Mountain West #5) vs. Marshall (C-USA)
Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl:  UCF (Big Ten #8***) vs. Northern Illinois (MAC #1)
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl: San Diego St. (Mountain West #2) vs. Notre Dame (Army***)
Military Bowl: Maryland (ACC #8) vs. Tulane (C-USA)
Texas Bowl: West Virginia (Big 12 #6) vs. Michigan St. (Big Ten #6)
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl: Arizona St. (Pac-12 #6) vs. Virginia (BYU / ACC #9)
Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl: Oklahoma St. (Big 12 #4) vs. Nebraska (Big Ten #4)
New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Texas Tech (Big 12 #7) vs. Houston (American #4)
Belk Bowl: Virginia Tech (ACC #5) vs. Rutgers (American #3)
Russell Athletic Bowl: Georgia Tech (ACC #3) vs. Cincinnati (American #2)
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl: Boise St. (Mountain West #3) vs. Navy (Navy / C-USA)
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl: Duke (ACC #6) vs. Arkansas (SEC #7)
Valero Alamo Bowl: Baylor (Big 12 #3) vs. UCLA (Pac-12 #2)
Holiday Bowl: TCU (Big 12 #5) vs. Washington (Pac-12 #3)
AdvoCare V100 Bowl: NC State (ACC #7) vs. Tennessee (SEC #10)
Hyundai Sun Bowl: North Carolina (ACC #4) vs. USC (Pac-12 #4)
AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Middle Tennessee (C-USA #1) vs. Vanderbilt (SEC #8)
Chick-fil-A Bowl: Miami (FL) (ACC #2) vs. Georgia (SEC #5)
TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl: Indiana (Big Ten #5) vs. Ole Miss (SEC #6)
Heart of Dallas Bowl: Arkansas St. (Big Ten #7***) vs. Rice (C-USA)
Capital One Bowl: Wisconsin (Big Ten #2) vs. LSU (SEC #2)
Outback Bowl: Northwestern (Big Ten #3) vs. Florida (SEC #4)
AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic: Oklahoma (Big 12 #2) vs. Texas A&M (SEC #3)
BBVA Compass Bowl: Louisiana-Monroe (American #5***) vs. Missouri (SEC #9)
GoDaddy.com Bowl: Bowling Green (MAC #2) vs. Western Kentucky (Sun Belt #2)

Rose Bowl Game: Michigan (Big Ten #1) vs. Stanford (Pac-12 #1)
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Texas (Big 12 #1) vs. Louisville (BCS At-Large)
Allstate Sugar Bowl: South Carolina (SEC #1) vs. Florida St. (BCS At-Large)
Discover Orange Bowl: Clemson (ACC #1) vs. Ohio St. (BCS At-Large)
VIZIO BCS National Championship Game: Alabama (BCS #1) vs. Oregon (BCS #2)