Friday, December 20, 2013

College Football 2013 - Bowl Picks ATS and Confidence (aka Comic Relief)

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...Two ways each game is picked.  I am picking against the spread and then giving my straight-up confidence points.  I have no confidence in any games against the spread!!

Gildan New Mexico Bowl
Washington State (-6) 38, Colorado State 31
Confidence Points:  13

Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl
Fresno State (+6.5) 27, USC 24
Confidence Points:  3

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Buffalo (+1) 28, San Diego State 23
Confidence Points:  11

R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Tulane (-2.5) 27, Louisiana-Lafayette 17
Confidence Points:  15

Beef O'Brady's Bowl
East Carolina (-14) 41, Ohio 14
Confidence Points:  35

Sharaton Hawaii Bowl
Boise State (+3) 30, Oregon State 24
Confidence Points:  10

Little Caesars Bowl
Bowling Green (-5) 27, Pittsburgh 19
Confidence Points:  18

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
Utah State (+2.5) 27, Northern Illinois 24
Confidence Points:  5

Military Bowl
Marshall (-2.5) 34, Maryland 28
Confidence Points:  17

Texas Bowl
Minnesota (-5) 29, Syracuse 17
Confidence Points:  22

Fight Hunger Bowl
Washington (-3) 30, BYU 24
Confidence Points:  12

New Era Pinstripe Bowl
Notre Dame 31, Rutgers (+14) 20
Confidence Points:  31

Belk Bowl
Cincinnati (+3) 28, North Carolina 26
Confidence Points:  23

Russell Athletic Bowl
Miami, FL (+3.5) 24, Louisville 23
Confidence Points:  7

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl
Kansas State 38, Michigan (+3.5) 37
Confidence Points:  16

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl
Navy (-6) 35, Middle Tennessee 24
Confidence Points:  25

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl
Ole Miss (-3.5) 31, Georgia Tech 24
Confidence Points:  14

Valero Alamo Bowl
Oregon 38, Texas (+14) 28
Confidence Points:  29

National University Holiday Bowl
Arizona State (-14.5) 48, Texas Tech 24
Confidence Points:  33

Advocare V100 Bowl
Arizona 33, Boston College (+7.5) 31
Confidence Points:  24

Hyundai Sun Bowl
UCLA (-7.5) 26, Virginia Tech 17
Confidence Points:  28

AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Mississippi State 28, Rice (+7) 24
Confidence Points:  20

Chick-fil-A Bowl
Texas A&M 45, Duke (+13) 35
Confidence Points:  30

TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl
Georgia (-9) 37, Nebraska 24
Confidence Points:  27

Heart of Dallas Bowl
North Texas (-6.5) 31, UNLV 20
Confidence Points:  26

Outback Bowl
Iowa (+7) 26, LSU 23
Confidence Points:  2

Capital One Bowl
Wisconsin (pick 'em) 31, South Carolina 30
Confidence Points:  4

Rose Bowl presented by Vizio
Stanford 19, Michigan State (+6) 16
Confidence Points:  8

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
Baylor 38, UCF (+17) 33
Confidence Points:  19

All State Sugar Bowl
Alabama (-16) 45, Oklahoma 17
Confidence Points:  34

AT&T Cotton Bowl
Missouri (-1.5) 34, Oklahoma State 31
Confidence Points:  9

Discover Orange Bowl
Clemson (+2.5) 38, Ohio State 34
Confidence Points:  1

BBVA Compass Bowl
Houston (+3) 21, Vanderbilt 20
Confidence Points:  6

GoDaddy Bowl
Ball State (-9.5) 44, Arkansas State 28
Confidence Points:  32

Vizio BCS National Championship
Florida State (-7.5) 48, Auburn 31
Confidence Points:  21

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

College Basketball 2013-14 Field of 68 (December 18, 2013)

Still trying to combine what has happened with a reasonable expectation of what is to come.  Definitely some adjustments needed since the last update.

The 1's - Arizona, Syracuse, Ohio State and Michigan State
The 2's - Wisconsin, Oklahoma State, Louisville and Villanova
The 3's - Florida, Baylor, Ortegon and Wichita State
The 4's - Kansas, North Carolina, Connecticut and Iowa State
The 5's - Duke, Memphis, Colorado, and Massachusetts
The 6's - Gonzaga, Iowa, Missouri and San Diego State
The 7's - Kentucky, UCLA, New Mexico and Creighton
The 8's - Harvard, Georgetown, St. Mary's and Dayton
The 9's - LSU, Pittsburgh, Texas and St. Louis
The 10's - BYU, George Washington, VCU and Stanford
The 11's - Minnesota, Michigan, Cincinnati and Xavier
The 12's - Boise State, Indiana, Virginia, Arkansas, Toledo and Southern Miss
The 13's - Drexel, North Dakota State, New Mexico State and Belmont
The 14's - Manhattan, UWGB, Louisiana-Lafayette and UCSB
The 15's - Davidson, Stephen F Austin, Mercer and Bucknell
The 16's - Bryant, NC Central, Jackson State, Stony Brook, Northern Colorado and Winthrop

This is still kind of a mess, but I feel it is rewarding the teams who have done their job in November and December while still keeping in mind there are a couple months left.  There is plenty of time for Kansas, Duke, Kentucky and Michigan to climb back up the ladder.  There also several other teams that will fall from grace after a hot start.  Let's go with this for now.  Bracket yet to come...

Thursday, December 5, 2013

College Basketball 2013-14 - Field of 68 (December 5, 2013 Update)

It is about a month into the 2013-14 College Basketball season and it seems like a good time to re-evaluate the Field of 68 to this point.  This is the hardest part of the year, as I have to combine what has happened with some realistic thoughts as to what is going to happen.  Some teams have played the meat of their non-conference schedule, while others have some tasty bits left to play.  Nobody has played a meaningful conference game.  So here is my best shot, with of course my random thoughts and insights...

The 1's - Arizona, Syracuse, Ohio State and Kansas
On the #1 line, I am giving recognition to those that have achieved thus far.  Arizona has been very impressive and is giving the PAC 12 a realistic top seed for the first time in years.  With a solid PAC 12 that is a bit on the rise this year, it is not out of the question that the Wildcats can maintain this lofty seed and have the SOS #'s to back it up.  Syracuse leads the way in the ACC and has nice victories over Minnesota, California, Baylor and Indiana.  Ohio State takes over for Michigan State as the Big Ten representative on this line, although I still think Sparty is the better overall team.  The Buckeyes are still unbeaten though and have an early RPI in the Top 10, enough to give them credit with a #1 seed.  The Final spot goes to once-blemished Kansas, but the loss to Villanova is nothing to sneeze at.  The Big 12 rates out as the top conference to date and Kansas currently rates out slightly higher than OK State.
The 2's - Michigan State, Kentucky, Oklahoma State and Louisville
Here is where the what I realistically think will happen part comes in.  All four of these teams have one loss.  None of the 4 have a bad loss (2 to North Carolina, one to Michigan State and one to Memphis).  I believe all four of these teams will be competing for a #1 seed all season long.  Louisville is the least-worthy of this spot.  I am not sure what kind of non-conference schedule the defending champs thought they were trotting out there, but it isn't good.  Kentucky has upcoming games against Baylor, Boise State, North Carolina and Louisville that will tell us a lot about the young cats.
The 3's - Wisconsin, Villanova, Memphis and Connecticut
Wisconsin might have the best group of wins (Florida, Virginia, St. Louis, St. John's, West Virginia) of any team thus far.  It isn't always pretty, but a victory over Marquette Saturday will almost assure a 13-0 non-conference season.  Combine that with Bo Ryan's history of Top 4 finishes in the Big Ten and Wisconsin should be here at season's end.  Villanova's win over Kansas is huge notch for the new Big East front-runners.  That win over Iowa is a nice one too.  Same for Memphis who gained a split with Oklahoma State, giving them a top win on their resume.  Connecticut grabs the last spot, with victories over Florida and Indiana supporting an unbeaten start for the Huskies.
The 4's - Duke, North Carolina, New Mexico and Iowa State
Duke's two losses are to Kansas and Arizona.  The Michigan win is a start and I fully expect Duke to challenge for the ACC Title and a high seed.  Based on wins against Louisville and Michigan State, the same can be expected of North Carolina.  Losses to Belmont and UAB indicate that the resume of the Tar Heels will be one of the most challenging of the 2013-14 season.  I am sticking with recent history that suggests this kind of seeding for the Mountain West champ.  The loss to UMass looks better by the day.  I am giving the Cyclones the current edge over Baylor for three reasons.  Current RPI's aside, I think BYU and Michigan are slightly better victories than Colorado and Dayton.  Plus Baylor has a loss.  Finally, Baylor has to quit playing teams like Hardin-Simmons.
The 5's - Baylor, Wichita State, UCLA and Florida
Baylor does fit in on the 5's, with a solid early season resume.  Last year's cinderella is taking care of business this season.  The only mark on Wichita State is that the MVC will be down a little minus Creighton, so this might be the ceiling seed-wise barring a 1 or 2 loss season for the Shockers.  The Bruins are off to a solid start, but it would be nice to pick-off either Missouri or Duke to give them a nice non-conference win to hang their hat on come Selection Sunday.  The Gators are an early season mystery.  Losses to Wisconsin and Connecticut aren't bad, but with all the injuries, it is tough to gauge yet how good this team really is.  They get Kansas and Memphis in the next two, so the potential resume boost is available.
The 6's - Gonzaga, Iowa, Oregon and Massachusetts
It is time to reward Massachusetts for their great start to the season.  This is right around the spot the Atlantic 10 champion will fall, which I still think will be VCU, but the Minutmen deserve it for now.  Gonzaga will also flirt with this area all season and it appears both St. Mary's and BYU are formidable enough to give the WCC enough juice.  Oregon has the nice win over Georgetown, but will need more.  Finally, my early season viewing has Iowa establishing themselves as the 4th best team in the Big Ten, not Michigan or Indiana who you will see later on this list.
The 7's - VCU, Virginia, San Diego State and Colorado
The Rams have been a little erratic to start the season, but wins over Virginia and Belmont are still solid.  As for the Cavaliers, losses to VCU and Wisconsin aren't terrible, they just need some better wins as the season progresses.  San Diego State's win in the Old Spice classic got them wins over Creighton and Marquette, notching them above conference-mate Boise State who really hasn't played anybody.  Colorado is off to a very good start and I am slotting them 4th in the PAC 12 at this point, but it should be a good race behind Arizona.
The 8's - Michigan, Cincinnati, Boise State and Creighton
Michigan is a mess right now.  I will call it Post-TreyBurke Syndrome.  They are getting this spot only on the premise that things will get better.  Cincinnati is off to their usual beat nobody start.  At least Xavier and Pittsburgh loom in the coming weeks.  Same for Boise State, who has the look of a Mountain West contender, but Utah? is their best win.  Let's see how they do at Kentucky and against St. Mary's.  Creighton should be better and somebody has to be 2nd best in the Big East.
The 9's - Indiana, Missouri, Georgetown and Dayton
Dayton has victories over Gonzaga and Cal and Baylor is their only loss.  The trick will be to avoid bad losses in the A-10.  Indiana is doing about what they should, so I am still trusting the masses that say this team is talented enough to make the tournament.  Georgetown has a nice win over VCU and gets Kansas and Michigan State down the line to improve the resume.  Missouri hasn't lost, but hasn't beaten anyone of consequence yet either.  They play West Virginia, UCLA, Illinois and NC State before the SEC season starts, so we should know more soon.
The 10's - Harvard, Marquette, St. Louis and Pittsburgh
Harvard won the Great Alaska Shootout and only has lost to Baylor.  Marquette has disappointed, but I still expect them to come around in the new Big East.  St. Louis looks tough and hard-nosed as usual, which should play well in the Atlantic 10.  Pittsburgh hasn't lost and has decent wins in Stanford and Penn State.
The 11's - BYU, Notre Dame, Ole Miss and Arizona State
It starts to open up right around this area.  I gave BYU the edge over St. Mary's for now, with wins over Stanford and Texas who are both in my first teams out at this point.  Notre Dame is getting in based on gut, while Ole Miss hasn't lost and looks like they might hold up in the SEC.  Arizona State has a couple of nice wins and will be on the bubble for the balance of the season.
The 12's - St. John's, St. Mary's, Tennessee, George Washington, Belmont and Southern Miss
The Red Storm and the Volunteers are in based on talent, but they have both disappointed some to start the year.  St. Mary's is doing their usual bubble dance and the Colonials grab another bid out of the A-10 with a nice win over Creighton.  Texas, Oklahoma, California, Stanford, LSU among others haven't impressed quite enough to this point.
The 13's - Towson, North Dakota State, New Mexico State and Toledo
The 14's - Iona, UWGB, Louisiana-Lafayette and UCSB
The 15's - Davidson, Oral Roberts, Florida Gulf Coast and Stony Brook
The 16's - Bryant, NC Central, Texas Southern, Boston U., Eastern Washington and Winthrop

THE BRACKET

 
EAST (New York)
MIDWEST (Indy)
SOUTH (Arlington)
WEST (Anaheim)
(1)
Syracuse
Ohio State
Kansas
Arizona
(16)
Boston U./Texas So.
Bryant
NC Central/Winthrop
Eastern Washington
 
Buffalo, NY
Buffalo, NY
St. Louis, MO
San Diego, CA
(8)
Michigan
Creighton
Boise State
Cincinnati
(9)
Missouri
Dayton
Indiana
Georgetown
 
 
 
 
 
(5)
UCLA
Baylor
Wichita State
Florida
(12)
Toledo*
Tennessee/St. Mary’s
Southern Miss
Belmont
 
Spokane, WA
San Antonio, TX
Spokane, WA
San Diego, CA
(4)
Iowa State
Duke
North Carolina
New Mexico
(13)
UCSB*
Towson
New Mexico State
North Dakota State
 
 
 
 
 
(6)
Massachusetts
Iowa
Oregon
Gonzaga
(11)
Mississippi
Notre Dame
BYU
Arizona State
 
Raleigh, NC
Orlando, FL
Orlando, FL
Milwaukee, WI
(3)
Villanova
Memphis
Connecticut
Wisconsin
(14)
UWGB
Louisiana-Lafayette
St. John’s/Geo. Wash.*
Iona
 
 
 
 
 
(7)
San Diego State
Colorado
VCU
Virginia
(10)
Harvard
Marquette
Pittsburgh
St. Louis
 
St. Louis, MO
Raleigh, NC
Milwaukee, WI
San Antonio, TX
(2)
Louisville
Kentucky
Michigan State
Oklahoma State
(15)
Florida Gulf Coast
Stony Brook
Davidson
Oral Roberts

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

College Football 2013 - Week 15 Jabesblog Picks

Season Record:  317-270-8 (ATS)  451-144 (Straight-Up)
Last Week: 28-30-1 (ATS)  39-20 (Straight-Up)

Season Record when taking points:  136-123-4
Season Record when giving points:  177-145-4
Season Record in pick 'em games:  4-2-0

An ugly week 14 but one more chance to end the 2013 regular season on a high note.

WEEK 15 PICKS

MAC (Season Record 37-30-2 coming onto this week in games involving a MAC team)
Northern Illinois (-3) 28, Bowling Green 20
 
My record ATS for each MAC team through Week 14:  Western Michigan 7-3, Northern Illinois 7-3, Massachusetts 7-3, Ball State 7-2-1, Miami, OH 7-2-1, Kent State 6-4, Buffalo 5-4, Bowling Green 5-4, Akron 4-6, Ohio 4-4-1, Central Michigan 5-4-1, Eastern Michigan 5-5, Toledo 3-6

AAC (Season Record 35-20)
Cincinnati (+3.5) 34, Louisville 30
Connecticut (pick 'em) 20, Memphis 13
Rutgers 19, South Florida (+5.5) 17
UCF 34, SMU 17 (OFF)

My record ATS for each AAC team through Week 14:  UCF 7-2, Houston 8-2, Memphis 7-1, Rutgers 6-3, South Florida 6-3, Louisville 6-3, Connecticut 6-4, Temple 5-4, SMU 5-4, Cincinnati 4-4

Conference USA (Season Record 48-36)
Marshall (-4.5) 38, Rice 24

My record ATS for each C-USA team through Week 14:  Louisiana Tech 9-1, Marshall 8-2, Southern Miss 6-4, UTSA 7-3, Rice 8-3, Tulsa 7-3, Tulane 7-3, Florida Atlantic 6-4, East Carolina 6-4, North Texas 5-5, UTEP 6-5, Florida International 3-6, Middle Tennessee 2-7, UAB 2-7

Mountain West (Season Record 34-37-2)
Fresno State (-3.5) 35, Utah State 27

My record ATS for each MWC team through Week 14:  New Mexico 7-1-1, Air Force 6-4, Utah State 4-4, UNLV 5-4, San Jose State 5-5, Colorado State 4-6, Hawaii 3-5-1, Nevada 4-5, San Diego State 3-7, Boise State 4-6, Fresno State 3-5, Wyoming 2-7

Big Ten (Season Record 29-33)
Ohio State 30, Michigan State (+5.5) 27

My record ATS for each Big 10 team through Week 14:  Illinois 6-3, Purdue 6-4, Michigan State 6-3, Iowa 6-3, Ohio State 4-5, Nebraska 4-5, Northwestern 5-4, Indiana 4-5, Wisconsin 2-3, Minnesota 3-5, Penn State 2-8, Michigan 1-9

ACC (Season Record 45-33-3)
Florida State (-28.5) 51, Duke 14

My record ATS for each ACC team through Week 14:  Florida State 8-2, Maryland 6-4, Duke 7-3, Virginia Tech 7-3, Virginia 7-1-1, Miami, FL 6-3, Clemson 5-4, NC State 6-4, Wake Forest 6-4, Georgia Tech 5-4-1, Syracuse 4-4-1, Boston College 4-6, Pittsburgh 2-6-2, North Carolina 2-7

SEC (Season Record 44-34-2)
Missouri (+2) 31, Auburn 27

My record ATS for each SEC team through Week 14:  Missouri 9-1, Kentucky 7-2, Alabama 6-4, Florida 6-2-1, Auburn 5-4, Vanderbilt 6-4, Tennessee 7-3, Arkansas 6-4, LSU 5-3-1, Georgia 3-4-2, Ole Miss 4-6, Mississippi State 4-6, South Carolina 2-7, Texas A&M 4-6

Sun Belt (Season Record 22-26)
LA-Lafayette (+3) 27, South Alabama 24

My record ATS for each Sun Belt team through Week 14:  Georgia State 6-3, ULM 5-5, Texas State 6-4, Arkansas State 4-6, Troy 5-5, Western Kentucky 3-6, South Alabama 3-6, ULL 2-6

Independents (Season Record 25-25-1)
Navy 42, Army 21 (Next Week)

My record ATS for each Independent team through Week 14:  New Mexico State 7-2, Army 5-3-1, BYU 4-4, Idaho 5-4, Navy 3-6, Notre Dame 3-7

PAC-12 (Season Record 32-38)
Arizona State (-3) 33, Stanford 24

My record ATS for each PAC-12 team through Week 14:  Oregon 6-4, Washington State 6-3, Arizona State 5-6, Oregon State 5-5, Washington 5-5, UCLA 4-7, Stanford 5-6, California 4-6, Colorado 4-5, Arizona 3-7, Utah 5-5, USC 3-8

Big 12 (Season Record 33-22)
Baylor 45, Texas (+15.5) 38
Oklahoma State 37, Oklahoma (+9.5) 35

My record ATS for each Big 12 team through Week 14:  Kansas 8-3, Texas Tech 9-1, Texas 7-2, West Virginia 6-4, Baylor 6-3, TCU 6-4, Iowa State 5-6, Oklahoma State 3-5, Oklahoma 3-6, Kansas State 3-7



Tuesday, December 3, 2013

College Football Bowl Projections - December 3, 2013

It is Championship Game Week, sprinkled with bedlam and a few other meaningful games.  Speculating on bowl destinations is commonplace and I am always willing to put my spin on things.  I am going to provide 4 sets of projections, just so one can see how it might play out.  In all projections, I am assuming a Florida State victory over Duke.  I am also going on record picking Missouri to win the SEC Championship, Arizona State to win the PAC 12 Championship and Oklahoma State to win Bedlam.

PROJECTION #1 (Ohio State wins, Northern Illinois wins and Michigan State stays in Top 14)

BCS National Championship Game:  Florida State Seminoles vs Ohio State Buckeyes
Rose Bowl:  Arizona State Sun Devils vs Michigan State Spartans
Sugar Bowl:  Missouri Tigers vs UCF Golden Knights
Orange Bowl:  Clemson Tigers vs Alabama Crimson Tide
Fiesta Bowl:  Oklahoma State Cowboys vs Northern Illinois Huskies

The Orange Bowl will be silly not to pick Alabama to replace Florida State in all scenarios. The Rose will take Michigan State if they are in the Top 14. Finally, I believe the Orange will stay true to their ACC tie and take a very good 2-loss Clemson team.

PROJECTION #2 (Ohio State loses, Northern Illinois wins)

BCS National Championship Game: Florida State Seminoles vs Missouri Tigers
Rose Bowl: Arizona State Sun Devils vs Michigan State Spartans
Sugar Bowl:  Ohio State Buckeyes vs UCF Golden Knights
Orange Bowl: Clemson Tigers vs Alabama Crimson Tide
Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma State Cowboys vs Northern Illinois Huskies

 The only change in these two scenarios is the flip between Ohio State and Missouri (or Auburn for those that disagree with me on the SEC result).  The rest of the bowls could shake-out like this for both of these Projections...

Capital One Bowl:  Auburn Tigers vs Wisconsin Badgers
Cotton Bowl:  Texas A&M Aggies vs Baylor Bears
Alamo Bowl:  Oregon Ducks vs Oklahoma Sooners
Outback Bowl:  South Carolina Gamecocks vs Iowa Hawkeyes
Russell Athletic Bowl:  Louisville Cardinals vs Miami Hurricanes
Chick Fil-A Bowl:  LSU Tigers vs Duke Blue Devils
Holiday Bowl:  Stanford Cardinal vs Kansas State Wildcats
Sun Bowl:  UCLA Bruins vs Virginia Tech Hokies
Gator Bowl:  Georgia Bulldogs vs Michigan Wolverines
Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl:  Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Texas Longhorns
Music City Bowl:  Ole Miss Rebels vs Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Belk Bowl:  North Carolina Tar Heels vs Cincinnati Bearcats
Advocare V100 Bowl:  Boston College Eagles vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Pinstripe Bowl:  Rutgers Scarlett Knights vs Maryland Terrapins
Military Bowl:  East Carolina Pirates vs Pittsburgh Panthers
Liberty Bowl:  Vanderbilt Commodores vs Marshall Thundering Herd
Las Vegas Bowl:  USC Trojans vs Fresno State Bulldogs
Texas Bowl:  Minnesota Golden Gophers vs Texas Tech Red Raiders
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl:  BYU Cougars vs Washington Huskies
New Mexico Bowl:  Arizona Wildcats vs Boise State Broncos
Armed Forces Bowl:  Navy Midshipmen vs Utah State Aggies
Poinsettia Bowl:  San Diego State Aztecs vs Toledo Rockets
Hawaii Bowl:  Rice Owls vs UNLV Running Rebels
Heart of Dallas Bowl:  North Texas Mean Green vs Syracuse Orange
Beef O'Brady's Bowl:  Middle Tennesse State Blue Raiders vs Ohio Bobcats
New Orleans Bowl:  Tulane Green Wave vs Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns
Little Caesars Bowl: Bowling Green Falcons vs Washington State Cougars
GoDaddy.com Bowl: Ball State Cardinals vs Arkansas State Red Wolves
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl:  Buffalo Bulls vs Colorado State Rams
BBVA Compass Bowl:  Houston Cougars vs Mississippi State Bulldogs

PROJECTION #3 (Ohio State wins, Northern Illinois wins, Michigan State falls out of top 14)

BCS National Championship Game: Florida State Seminoles vs Ohio State Buckeyes
Rose Bowl: Arizona State Sun Devils vs Baylor Bears
Sugar Bowl: Missouri Tigers vs UCF Golden Knights
Orange Bowl: Clemson Tigers vs Alabama Crimson Tide
Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma State Cowboys vs Northern Illinois Huskies

The Rose Bowl will be left to choose between Baylor and Clemson if the Orange snatches up Alabama, leaving an odd Rose Bowl match-up.  I am not sure Michigan State can fall 5 spots, but it is has a trickle-down effect if it does...including a possible change for Notre Dame.  The Irish would prefer a warm weather destination, and the Holiday Bowl might be willing to negotiate a deal to take them over Texas Tech with other Big 12 ties left in the hopper. 

Capital One Bowl: Auburn Tigers vs Michigan State Spartans
Cotton Bowl: Texas A&M Aggies vs Texas Longhorns
Alamo Bowl: Oregon Ducks vs Oklahoma Sooners
Outback Bowl: South Carolina Gamecocks vs Wisconsin Badgers
Russell Athletic Bowl: Louisville Cardinals vs Miami Hurricanes
Chick Fil-A Bowl: LSU Tigers vs Duke Blue Devils
Holiday Bowl:  UCLA Bruins vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Sun Bowl:  Stanford Cardinal vs Virginia Tech Hokies
Gator Bowl: Georgia Bulldogs vs Iowa Hawkeyes
Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl: Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Kansas State Wildcats
Music City Bowl: Ole Miss Rebels vs Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Belk Bowl: North Carolina Tar Heels vs Cincinnati Bearcats
Advocare V100 Bowl: Boston College Eagles vs Washington State Cougars
Pinstripe Bowl: Rutgers Scarlett Knights vs Maryland Terrapins
Military Bowl: East Carolina Pirates vs Pittsburgh Panthers
Liberty Bowl: Vanderbilt Commodores vs Marshall Thundering Herd
Las Vegas Bowl: USC Trojans vs Fresno State Bulldogs
Texas Bowl:  Michigan Wolverines vs Texas Tech Red Raiders
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl: BYU Cougars vs Washington Huskies
New Mexico Bowl: Arizona Wildcats vs Boise State Broncos
Armed Forces Bowl: Navy Midshipmen vs Utah State Aggies
Poinsettia Bowl: San Diego State Aztecs vs Toledo Rockets
Hawaii Bowl: Rice Owls vs UNLV Running Rebels
Heart of Dallas Bowl: North Texas Mean Green vs Minnesota Golden Gophers
Beef O'Brady's Bowl: Middle Tennesse State Blue Raiders vs Ohio Bobcats
New Orleans Bowl: Tulane Green Wave vs Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns
Little Caesars Bowl: Bowling Green Falcons vs Syracuse Orange
GoDaddy.com Bowl: Ball State Cardinals vs Arkansas State Red Wolves
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Buffalo Bulls vs Colorado State Rams
BBVA Compass Bowl: Houston Cougars vs Mississippi State Bulldogs

PROJECTION #4 (Ohio State wins, Northern Illinois loses, Michigan State stays in Top 14)

BCS National Championship Game: Florida State Seminoles vs Ohio State Buckeyes
Rose Bowl: Arizona State Sun Devils vs Michigan State Spartans
Sugar Bowl: Missouri Tigers vs Baylor Bears
Orange Bowl: Clemson Tigers vs Alabama Crimson Tide
Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma State Cowboys vs UCF Golden Knights

Similar in concept, Baylor is once again added to the mix.  If the Bears lose to Texas, Oregon becomes the next best option in this scenario.

Capital One Bowl: Auburn Tigers vs Wisconsin Badgers
Cotton Bowl: Texas A&M Aggies vs Texas Longhorns
Alamo Bowl: Oregon Ducks vs Oklahoma Sooners
Outback Bowl: South Carolina Gamecocks vs Iowa Hawkeyes
Russell Athletic Bowl: Louisville Cardinals vs Miami Hurricanes
Chick Fil-A Bowl: LSU Tigers vs Duke Blue Devils
Holiday Bowl:  UCLA Brunis vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Sun Bowl:  Stanford Cardinal vs Virginia Tech Hokies
Gator Bowl: Georgia Bulldogs vs Michigan Wolverines
Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl: Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Kansas State Wildcats
Music City Bowl: Ole Miss Rebels vs Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Belk Bowl: North Carolina Tar Heels vs Cincinnati Bearcats
Advocare V100 Bowl: Boston College Eagles vs Oregon State Beavers
Pinstripe Bowl: Rutgers Scarlett Knights vs Maryland Terrapins
Military Bowl: East Carolina Pirates vs Pittsburgh Panthers
Liberty Bowl: Vanderbilt Commodores vs Marshall Thundering Herd
Las Vegas Bowl: USC Trojans vs Fresno State Bulldogs
Texas Bowl: Minnesota Golden Gophers vs Texas Tech Red Raiders
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl: BYU Cougars vs Washington Huskies
New Mexico Bowl: Arizona Wildcats vs San Diego State Aztecs
Armed Forces Bowl: Navy Midshipmen vs Utah State Aggies
Poinsettia Bowl:  Boise State Broncos vs Northern Illinois Huskies
Hawaii Bowl: Rice Owls vs UNLV Running Rebels
Heart of Dallas Bowl: North Texas Mean Green vs Syracuse Orange
Beef O'Brady's Bowl: Middle Tennesse State Blue Raiders vs Toledo Rockets
New Orleans Bowl: Tulane Green Wave vs Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns
Little Caesars Bowl: Buffalo Bulls vs Washington State Cougars
GoDaddy.com Bowl: Bowling Green Falcons vs Arkansas State Red Wolves
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Ball State Cardinals vs Colorado State Rams
BBVA Compass Bowl: Houston Cougars vs Mississippi State Bulldogs

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

College Football 2013 - Bowl Projections (as of November 26, 2013)

With one regular week and a week of Championship games plus miscellaneous finales remaining, the Bowl picture has started to take shape.  There are only a few teams that can still become bowl-eligible, so the pool of teams is solidifying itself.  My estimate is that 75 teams will be bowl-eligible, meaning 5 of those teams will be left out of the mix.  Below is my conjecture as to where teams might be playing around the Holidays.

BCS National Championship Game:  Alabama Crimson Tide vs Florida State Seminoles
Rose Bowl:  Ohio State Buckeyes vs Arizona State Sun Devils
Sugar Bowl:  Auburn Tigers vs UCF Golden Knights
Orange Bowl:  Clemson Tigers vs Wisconsin Badgers
Fiesta Bowl:  Oklahoma State Cowboys vs Fresno State Bulldogs

Obviously a lot could change here with an upset or two, but if the favorites take care of business, this is what I see for the BCS.  Arizona State might be the biggest surprise, but a win over Arizona puts them at home for the PAC-12 Championship Game and they have been the conference's best team of late as is.

Capital One Bowl:  Missouri Tigers vs Michigan State Spartans
Cotton Bowl:  LSU Tigers vs Baylor Bears
Alamo Bowl:  Oregon Ducks vs Oklahoma Sooners
Outback Bowl:  Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Texas A&M Aggies
Russell Athletic Bowl:  Duke Blue Devils vs Louisville Cardinals
Chick Fil-A Bowl:  Miami Hurricanes vs South Carolina Gamecocks
Holiday Bowl:  Stanford Cardinal vs Texas Tech Red Raiders
Sun Bowl:  USC Trojans vs Virginia Tech Hokies
Gator Bowl:  Minnesota Golden Gophers vs Georgia Bulldogs
Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl:  Iowa Hawkeyes vs Texas Longhorns
Music City Bowl:  Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs Ole Miss Rebels
Belk Bowl:  North Carolina Tar Heels vs Houston Cougars
Advocare V100 Bowl:  Boston College Eagles vs Northern Illinois Huskies
Pinstripe Bowl:  Cincinnati Bearcats vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Military Bowl:  Pittsburgh Panthers vs East Carolina Pirates
Liberty Bowl:  Vanderbilt Commodores vs Marshall Thundering Herd
Las Vegas Bowl:  UCLA Bruins vs Utah State Aggies
Texas Bowl:  Michigan Wolverines vs Kansas State Wildcats
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl:  BYU Cougars vs Washington Huskies
New Mexico Bowl:  Arizona Wildcats vs Colorado State Rams
Armed Forces Bowl:  Navy Midshipmen vs Boise State Broncos
Poinsettia Bowl:  San Diego State Aztecs vs Arkansas State Red Wolves
Hawaii Bowl:  Rice Owls vs UNLV Running Rebels
Heart of Dallas Bowl:  North Texas Mean Green vs Oregon State Beavers
Beef O'Brady's Bowl:  Middle Tennesse State Blue Raiders vs Ohio Bobcats
New Orleans Bowl:  Tulane Green Wave vs Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns
Little Caesars Bowl:  Ball State Cardinals vs Maryland Terrapins
GoDaddy.com Bowl:  Buffalo Bulls vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl:  Toledo Rockets vs Washington State Cougars
BBVA Compass Bowl:  Rutgers Scarlett Knights vs Bowling Green Falcons

Bowl-Eligible teams not selected:  UTSA, Florida Atlantic, Central Michigan, Troy and Texas State