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2009-2010 Bowl Projections
Non-BCS Bowls - May[/font] [font=verdana, arial, sans serif][size=-1]
- 2010 BCS Projections
[/size][/font] [font=verdana, arial, sans serif][size=-1]It's May, so let's get a few things out of the way before proceeding with the goofy but fun exercise to get the fires burning in the off-season.
First, this is a nearly-impossible puzzle to put together correctly in the first week of December with all the inside information possible, much less now, and there will be changes in the bowl tie-ins, the seedings, and the conference pecking order before the dust settles at the end of the season. Some of the bowls aren't even sure which teams from which conferences will be available to them, so while a slot might make sense, things get out of whack when bowls jump the gun with invites or go with geographical matchups over good football pairings. The goal here is to attempt to account for the self-interests of the bowls that'll want to sell tickets and generate publicity. More on that in a moment.
Second, remember that schedules mean everything. Some teams might be better than others but are predicted to go to lesser bowl games because their records might not be as strong as other possible choices. The best educated guess is taken at every turn.
Third, not everyone will get the call. There are only so many available slots, so several worthy teams, especially from the MAC and Sun Belt, might get shut out due to a lack of at-large bids available.
Finally, don't yell at us if you don't like where your team is predicted to go. This will all change this before the season starts and will be updated every week throughout the season. If it looks like some team that we have playing in December looks like a world-beater, it'll obviously be predicted to go to another bowl as the year goes on.
One more thing before kicking this off. There's a big, fat matzo ball hanging out there that'll determine most of the bowl selections: the economy.
With the concept of disposable income a distant memory for many college football fans, the bowls will be working extra hard to make sure that they can get at least one team with a fan base within driving distance. The BCS bowls will still try to get the best matchups possible, but for the mid-range bowls it'll likely be all about geography.[/size][/font]
MagicJack St. Petersburg Bowl
Dec. 19 / 8 p.m. ET St. Petersburg, Fl.
Tie-Ins: Big East vs. Conference USA
Way Too Early Projection: South Florida vs. Southern Miss
Top 5 Others Considered: 1) East Carolina, 2) UCF, 3) Tulsa, 4) Marshall, 5) Memphis
Champs Sports Bowl
Dec. 20 / 8:00 p.m. ET Orlando, Fla. ESPN
Tie-Ins: ACC No. 4 vs. Big Ten No. 4 or No. 5
Way Too Early Projection: Clemson vs. Illinois
Top 5 Others Considered: 1) Wisconsin, 2) Miami, 3) Florida State, 4) North Carolina, 5) Iowa
R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Dec. 20 / 8:15 p.m. ET New Orleans, La. ESPN
Tie-Ins: Sun Belt No. 1 vs. C-USA
Way Too Early Projection: Troy vs. Marshall
Top 5 Others Considered: 1) Middle Tennessee, 2) Arkansas State, 3) Florida Atlantic, 4) Memphis, 5) Rice
Maaco Bowl
Dec. 22 / 8 p.m. ET Las Vegas, Nev. ESPN
Tie-Ins: Mountain West No. 1 vs. Pac-10 No. 4
Way Too Early Projection: TCU vs. Arizona State
Top 5 Others Considered: 1) Utah, 2) BYU, 3) Oregon, 4) California, 5) Oregon State
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
Dec. 23 / 8 p.m. ET San Diego, Calif. ESPN
Tie-Ins: Mountain West vs. Pac 10
Way Too Early Projection: BYU vs. UCLA
Top 5 Others Considered: 1) Utah, 2) TCU, 3) Arizona, 4) Arizona State, 5) Oregon State
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl
Dec. 24 / 8 p.m. ET Honolulu, Hawaii ESPN
Tie-Ins: Conference USA vs. WAC
Way Too Early Projection: Tulsa vs. Hawaii
Top 5 Others Considered: 1) East Carolina, 2) Southern Miss, 3) Houston, 4) Memphis, 5) Marshall
Motor City Bowl
Dec. 26 / 7:30 p.m. ET Detroit, Mich. ESPN
Tie-Ins: Big Ten No. 7 vs. MAC
Way Too Early Projection: Michigan vs. Central Michigan
Top 5 Others Considered: 1) Minnesota, 2) Western Michigan, 3) Northern Illinois, 4) Illinois, 5) Michigan State
Emerald Bowl
Dec. 26 / 8:00 p.m. ET San Francisco, Calif. ESPN
Tie-Ins: ACC No. 7 vs. Pac-10 No. 5
Way Too Early Projection: Boston College vs. Oregon State
Top 5 Others Considered: 1) Arizona State, 2) Arizona, 3) California, 4) Florida State, 5) NC State
Meineke Car Care Bowl
Dec. 26 / 4:30 p.m. ET Charlotte, N.C. ESPN
Tie-Ins: ACC No. 6 vs. Big East
Way Too Early Projection: Florida State vs. Rutgers
Top 5 Others Considered: 1) North Carolina, 2) NC State, 3) Cincinnati, 4) Connecticut, 5) Boston College
Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl
Dec. 27 / 8:15 p.m. ET Nashville, Tenn. ESPN
Tie-Ins: ACC vs. SEC No. 5
Way Too Early Projection: Miami vs. Tennessee
Top 5 Others Considered: 1) Vanderbilt, 2) Clemson, 3) Georgia Tech, 4) Auburn, 5) Alabama
New Mexico Bowl
TBA Albuquerque, N.M. ESPN
Tie-Ins: Mountain West vs. WAC
Way Too Early Projection: Colorado State vs. Nevada
Top 5 Others Considered: 1) Air Force, 2) Fresno State, 3) Louisiana Tech, 4) BYU, 5) New Mexico
Independence Bowl
Dec. 28 / 5 p.m. ET Shreveport, La. ESPN
Tie-Ins: Big 12 No. 7 vs. SEC No. 8
Way Too Early Projection: Colorado vs. Vanderbilt
Top 5 Others Considered: 1) Kansas, 2) Texas A&M, 3) South Carolina, 4) Auburn, 5) Tennessee
EagleBank Bowl
Dec. 29 / 4:30 p.m. ET Washington, D.C.ESPN
Tie-Ins: Army or C-USA vs. ACC No. 8
Way Too Early Projection: Memphis vs. Maryland
Top 5 Others Considered: 1) Marshall, 2) Tulsa, 3) NC State, 4) Wake Forest, 5) Boston College
Pacific Life Holiday Bowl
Dec. 30 / 8 p.m. ET San Diego, Calif. ESPN
Tie-Ins: Big 12 No. 3 vs. Pac-10 No. 2
Way Too Early Projection: Nebraska vs. Oregon
Top 5 Others Considered: 1) California, 2) Oklahoma State, 3) Oklahoma, 4) Texas, 5) Arizona State
Texas Bowl
Dec. 30 / 8 p.m. NFL Network
Tie-Ins: Houston, Texas
Big 12 vs. Navy (or C-USA)
Way Too Early Projection: Texas A&M vs. Navy
Top 5 Others Considered: 1) Texas Tech, 2) Colorado, 3) Kansas, 4) Missouri, 5) Houston
Roady's Humanitarian Bowl
TBA Boise, Idaho ESPN2
Tie-Ins: ACC No. 8 vs. WAC
Way Too Early Projection: NC State vs. Fresno State
Top 5 Others Considered: 1) Boise State, 2) Nevada, 3) Boston College, 4) Wake Forest, 5) Florida State
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl
Dec. 31 Fort Worth, Texas ESPN
Tie-Ins: Mountain West vs. Conference USA
Way Too Early Projection: Utah vs. East Carolina
Top 5 Others Considered: 1) Houston, 2) TCU, 3) Tulsa, 4) BYU, 5) Colorado State
Sun Bowl
Dec. 31 / 2 p.m. ET. El Paso, Texas CBS
Tie-Ins: Big 12/Big East/Notre Dame vs. Pac-10 No. 3
Way Too Early Projection: Kansas vs. California
Top 5 Others Considered: 1) Texas Tech, 2) Oregon, 3) Nebraska, 4) Oregon State, 5) Missouri
Chick-fil-A Bowl
Dec. 31 / 7:30 p.m. ET Atlanta, Ga. ESPN
Tie-Ins: ACC No. 2 vs. SEC
Way Too Early Projection: North Carolina vs. Kentucky
Top 5 Others Considered: 1) Virginia Tech, 2) Alabama, 3) Georgia Tech, 4) LSU, 5) Ole Miss
Insight Bowl
Dec. 31 / 6 ET Tempe, Ariz. NFL Network
Tie-Ins: Big Ten No. 6 vs. Big 12 No. 6
Way Too Early Projection: Minnesota vs. Missouri
Top 5 Others Considered: 1) Kansas, 2) Illinois, 3) Northwestern, 4) Michigan, 5) Texas Tech
Outback Bowl
Jan. 1 / 11 a.m. ET Tampa, Fla. ESPN
Tie-Ins: Big Ten No. 3 vs. SEC
Way Too Early Projection: Iowa vs. LSU
Top 5 Others Considered: 1) Ole Miss, 2) Georgia, 3) Penn State, 4) Michigan State, 5) Alabama
Capital One Bowl
Jan. 1 / 12 p.m. ET Orlando, Fla. ABC
Tie-Ins: Big Ten No. 2 vs. SEC No. 2
Way Too Early Projection: Michigan State vs. Georgia
Top 5 Others Considered: 1) Penn State, 2) Ohio State, 3) Wisconsin, 4) Iowa, 5) Florida
Konica Minolta Gator Bowl
Jan. 1 / 1 p.m. ET Jacksonville, Fla. CBS
Tie-Ins: ACC No. 3 vs. Big 12/Big East/Notre Dame
Way Too Early Projection: Georgia Tech vs. Notre Dame
Top 5 Others Considered: 1) Miami, 2) Florida State, 3) North Carolina, 4) Virginia Tech, 5) Clemson
International Bowl
Jan. 2 / 12 p.m. ET Toronto, Canada ESPN2
Tie-Ins: Big East vs. MAC No. 4 or 5
Way Too Early Projection: Cincinnati vs. Western Michigan
Top 5 Others Considered: 1) Connecticut, 2) Louisville, 3) Northern Illinois, 4) Bowling Green, 5) Temple
PapaJohn's.com Bowl
Jan. 2 / 1 p.m. ET Birmingham, Ala. ESPN
Tie-Ins: Big East vs. SEC
Way Too Early Projection: Pitt vs. Auburn
Top 5 Others Considered: 1) Connecticut, 2) Cincinnati, 3) Arkansas, 4) South Carolina, 5) Rutgers
AT&T Cotton Bowl
Jan. 2 / 2 p.m. ET Dallas, Texas FOX
Tie-Ins: Big 12 No. 2 vs. SEC
Way Too Early Projection: Oklahoma State vs. Alabama
Top 5 Others Considered: 1) Texas, 2) Texas Tech, 3) LSU, 4) Florida, 5) Georgia
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Jan. 2 / 4:30 p.m. ET Memphis, Tenn. ESPN
Tie-Ins: C-USA No. 1 vs. SEC No. 6
Way Too Early Projection: Houston vs. Arkansas
Top 5 Others Considered: 1) Tennessee, 2) Southern Miss, 3) East Carolina, 4) Auburn, 5) South Carolina
Alamo Bowl
Jan. 2 / 9 p.m. ET San Antonio, Texas ESPN
Tie-Ins: Big Ten No. 4 or No. 5 vs. Big 12 No. 4
Way Too Early Projection: Wisconsin vs. Texas Tech
Top 5 Others Considered: 1) Iowa, 2) Michigan State, 3) Illinois, 4) Nebraska, 5) Oklahoma State
GMAC Bowl
TBA Mobile, Ala. ESPN
Tie-Ins: Sun Belt vs. MAC/WAC
Way Too Early Projection: Arkansas State vs. Louisiana Tech
Top 5 Others Considered: 1) Troy, 2) Florida Atlantic, 3) Middle Tennessee, 4) Central Michigan, 5) Western Michigan [font=verdana, arial, sans serif][size=-1]
- 2010 BCS Projections[/size][/font]
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