ACC--9 Bowl Games (Orange, Gator,
Peach, Champs Sports, Meineke, EagleBank, Music City, Emerald, Humanitarian)
Virginia Tech (6-4)--Home
Games against Duke and Virginia. ACC Championship Game (?)--Sagarin
Prediction 8-5, 5-3 in ACC, ACC Coastal Champion (Four-way tie reduced to North Carolina and Virginia Tech with 2-1 records vs. other teams; Virginia Tech wins
second tie-breaker by virtue of win over North Carolina.), loser to Wake Forest
in ACC Championship Game.
Florida State
(7-3)--Home Game against Florida, Road Game at Maryland. ACC
Championship Game (?)--Sagarin Prediction 8-4, 5-3
Miami of Florida (7-3)--Road Games at Georgia Tech and North Carolina State. ACC Championship Game (?)--Sagarin Prediction 8-4, 5-3
Boston College
(7-3)--Home Game vs. Maryland, Road Game at Wake Forest--Sagarin Prediction 8-4,
4-4
Georgia Tech (7-3)-Home Game vs. Miami of Florida, Road
Game against Georgia --Sagarin Prediction 8-4, 5-3
Maryland (7-3)--Home Game against Florida State, Road Game at
Boston College--Sagarin Prediction 7-5, 4-4
North Carolina (7-3)--Home Game vs. North Carolina State, Road
Game at Duke-Sagarin Prediction 9-3, 5-3
Wake Forest (6-4)--Home Games vs. Boston College and
Vanderbilt--Sagarin Prediction 9-4, 5-3, ACC Atlantic Champion, ACC Championship
winner over Virginia Tech and automatic BCS berth in Orange Bowl
Clemson (5-5)--Home Game vs. South Carolina, Road Game at
Virginia--Sagarin Prediction 7-5, 4-4
Virginia (5-5)--Home Game vs. Clemson, Road Game against
Virginia Tech--Sagarin Prediction 5-7, 3-5
North Carolina State (4-6)--Home Game against Miami of
Florida, Road Game at North Carolina--Sagarin Prediction 4-8, 2-6
Duke (4-6)--Home Game vs. North Carolina, Road Game at
Virginia Tech--Sagarin Prediction 4-8, 1-7
ACC Analysis: The amazing thing is all 12 league teams are still
eligible for bowls. Call it parity or a really bad year for the ACC, take
your pick. In any case, 10 ACC teams are expected to be bowl
eligible--they already have eight. Thus the ACC will have one team
available for at-large berths this year.
Big 10--8 Bowl Games (Sugar,
Capital One, Outback, Insight, Champs Sports, Alamo, Sun, Motor City)
Penn State
(10-1)--Home Game vs. Michigan State--Sagarin Prediction 11-1, 7-1, Big 10
Champion, Automatic BCS Berth in the Rose Bowl
Ohio State
(9-2)--Home Game vs. Michigan--Sagarin Prediction 10-2, 7-1 and possible BCS
Berth in the Fiesta Bowl or Sugar Bowl
Michigan State (9-2)--Road Game vs. Penn State--Sagarin
Prediction 9-3, 6-2
Minnesota (7-4)--Home Game vs. Iowa--Sagarin Prediction
7-5, 4-4
Northwestern (8-3)--Home Game vs. Illinois--Sagarin Prediction
9-3, 5-3
Iowa (7-4)--Road Game against Minnesota--Sagarin Prediction 8-4,
5-3
Wisconsin (6-5)--Home Game vs. Cal Poly--Sagarin Prediction 7-5,
3-5
Illinois (5-6)--Road Game at Northwestern--Sagarin Prediction
5-7, 3-5
Big 10 Analysis: The Big 10 has 8 bowl obligations, and may get a 9th if Penn
State and Ohio State both win this weekend and both get chosen in BCS
games. If this happens, the league will once again be two teams short of
fulfilling its obligations (seems to be a pattern with the Big 10...). If
the league only gets one team in, they will still be one team short of their
bowl obligations.
Big 12--8 Bowl Games (Fiesta,
Cotton, Alamo, Holiday, Independence, Insight, (Sun), Texas)
Texas (10-1)--Home Game
vs. Texas A & M--Sagarin Prediction 11-1, 7-1
Texas Tech (10-0)--Home
Game vs. Baylor, Road Game against Oklahoma--Sagarin Prediction 11-1, 7-1
Oklahoma (9-1)--Home Game against Texas Tech, Road Game at
Oklahoma State--Sagarin Prediction 12-1, 7-1, Big 12 South Division Champion by
virtue of higher BCS ranking between Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech, Big 12
Conference Champion and berth in National Championship Game.
Oklahoma State (9-2)-- Home Games vs. Oklahoma--Sagarin
Prediction 9-3,5-3
Missouri (9-2)--Home Game vs. Kansas--Sagarin Prediction 10-3,
6-2, Big 12 North Division Champion
Nebraska (7-4)-- Home Game vs. Colorado--Sagarin Prediction 8-4,
5-3
Kansas (6-5)--Road Game at Missouri--Sagarin Prediction 6-6,
3-5
Colorado (5-6)--Road
Game vs. Nebraska--Sagarin Prediction 5-7, 2-6
Big 12 Analysis: The Big 12 will be two teams short of fulfilling its bowl
obligations. Perhaps a bowl or two should open those negotiations to
include conferences that can make the bowls each year. The Big 12 will
have 7 bowl eligible teams for its 8 bowl games. Add to that the guarantee
that the league will have two BCS teams and they will be two short.
Big East--6 Bowl Games (BCS,
Gator, Meineke, Papajohns.com, International, St. Petersburg)
Cincinnati (8-2)--Home Games vs. Pittsburgh and Syracuse, Road
Game at Hawai'i- --Sagarin Prediction 10-3, 6-1, Big East Champion and Automatic
Berth in BCS Bowl (Orange).
West Virginia
(6-3)--Home Game against South Florida, Road Games vs. Louisville and Pittsburgh--Sagarin
Prediction 8-4, 5-2
South Florida (6-4)--Home Game vs. Connecticut, Road Game at
West Virginia--Sagarin Prediction 6-6, 2-6
Connecticut (7-3)--Home Game vs. Pittsburgh, Road Game at South
Florida--Sagarin Prediction 9-3, 5-2
Pittsburgh (7-2)-Home Game against West Virginia, -Road Games
at Cincinnati and Connecticut--Sagarin Prediction 8-3, 4-3
Rutgers
(5-5)--Home Games vs. Louisville and Army--Sagarin Prediction 7-5, 5-2
Louisville (5-5)-- Home Game against West Virginia, Road Game
at Rutgers--Sagarin Prediction 5-7, 1-6
Big East Analysis: The Big East has 6 bowl games, and should have seven
eligible teams including Notre Dame. One team might be available for at-large berths.
Conference USA-- 6 Bowl Games (Liberty,
GMAC, Armed Forces, Texas, New Orleans and St. Petersburg )
Tulsa (8-2)--Home Game vs. Tulane, Road Game at
Marshall--Sagarin Prediction 10-2, 7-1
Houston (6-4)--Home Game against UTEP, Road Game at Rice--Sagarin Prediction
8-4, 7-1, East Division Champion, Winner of Conference USA Championship Game
over East Carolina and automatic berth in Liberty Bowl.
East Carolina (6-4)--Home Game against UTEP, Road Game at UAB-Sagarin Prediction
8-4, 6-2, West Division Champion
Rice (7-3)--Homes Games vs. Marshall and Houston--Sagarin
Prediction 8-4, 6-2
Southern Mississippi (5-6)--Road Game at SMU--Sagarin Prediction
6-6, 4-4
Memphis (5-5)--Home Game
vs. UTEP, Road Game at UAB--Sagarin
Prediction 7-5, 5-3
UTEP
5-5)--Road Games at Houston and East Carolina--Sagarin Prediction 5-7,
4-4
Marshall (4-6)--Home Game vs. Tulsa, Road Game at
Rice--Sagarin Prediction 4-8, 3-5
Conference USA Analysis: This conference (along with the WAC) is consistently
one of the best in meeting its bowl obligations. They have six bowl games this
year and should be able to meet all six.
Independent
Notre Dame (6-4)--Home Game against Syracuse, Road Game at USC--Sagarin
Prediction 7-5
Navy (6-4)--Road Games at Northern Illinois and at Army--Sagarin Prediction
7-5
Mid-American--3 Bowl Games (Motor
City, International, GMAC)
Ball State (11-0)--Home Game vs. Western Michigan--Sagarin Prediction 12-0,
8-0, West Division Champion and Winner of Mid-American Championship Game over
Buffalo.
Western Michigan
(9-2)-- Road Game vs. Ball State--Sagarin Prediction 9-3, 6-2
Central Michigan (8-3)--Road Game at East Michigan--Sagarin
Prediction 9-3, 7-1
Buffalo (7-4)--Home Game vs. Kent State--Sagarin Prediction 8-4, 6-2, East
Division Champion
Bowling Green (5-6)--Road Game at Toledo--Sagarin Prediction
6-6, 4-4
Akron
(5-5)--Road Games at Ohio and Temple--Sagarin
Prediction 6-6, 4-4
Northern Illinois (6-5)--Home Game vs. Navy--Sagarin Prediction
7-5, 5-3
Mid-American Analysis: With only 2 bowl games, the MAC should once again
easily fulfill its commitments and have 3 eligible teams for possible at-large
berths in open bowl games.
Mountain West--4 Bowl Games (Las
Vegas, Armed Forces, New Mexico, Poinsettia)
BYU (10-1)--Road Game vs.
Utah--Sagarin Prediction 10-2, 6-2
Utah (11-0)--Home Game at BYU--Sagarin Prediction 12-0, 8-0
and Automatic Berth in BCS Bowl (Sugar)
TCU (9-2)--Home Game vs.
Air Force--Sagarin Prediction 10-2, 7-1
Air Force (8-3)--Road Game at TCU--Sagarin Prediction 8-4, 5-3
Colorado State (5-6)--Road Game at Wyoming--Sagarin Prediction
6-6, 4-4
UNLV (5-6)--Road Game at San Diego State--Sagarin Prediction
6-6, 3-5
Mountain West Analysis: The league has usually fallen short in bowl
requirements. They have four bowl games plus one if Utah wins over BYU and
is the higihest-rated non-AQ. They should have six eligible teams, meaning
they will have one extra this year.
PAC-10--7 Bowl Games (Rose or
Fiesta, Holiday, Sun, Insight, Las Vegas, Emerald, Poinsettia)
USC (9-1)--Home Game vs.
Notre Dame, Road Game at UCLA--Sagarin Prediction 11-1, 8-1, Pac-10 Champion and Automatic Berth in Rose Bowl.
Oregon State (7-3)--Home Game at Oregon, Road Game at
Arizona--Sagarin Prediction 8-4, 7-2
Oregon (8-3)--Road Game
at Oregon State--Sagarin Prediction 8-4, 6-3
California (6-4)--Home Games vs. Stanford and Washington--Sagarin Prediction
8-4, 6-3
Arizona (6-4)--Home Games vs. Oregon State and Arizona State--Sagarin Prediction 8-4, 6-3
Stanford (5-6)--Road Game at California--Sagarin
Prediction 5-7, 4-5
Arizona State (4-6)--Home Game against UCLA, Road Game at
Arizona--Sagarin
Prediction 5-7, 4-5
UCLA (4-6)--Home Game vs. USC, Road Game at Arizona State--Sagarin Prediction
4-8, 3-6
PAC-10 Analysis--The PAC-10 has been short the last couple of years with the
dominance of USC. They have seven bowl games but once again should fall two
short.