Sports Illustrated College Bowl Projections

My national championship and other BCS bowl projections will likely garner the most interest, but some of the most intriguing issues for me this year deal with the bottom of the bowl pecking order.

For one thing, this season's rash of ineligible teams (Ohio State, North Carolina, Penn State and possibly UCF, pending appeal) creates a very real possibility of not having enough six-win teams. The NCAA has already devised a contingency plan for this very scenario. However, much to my surprise, I still wound up with 73 eligible teams for 70 spots. Maybe I'm forecasting too much parity in some conferences (like the Big 12, where nine of 10 teams reached six wins).

Some other surprises you may find on this list: The Duke Blue Devils, ending an 18-year bowl drought; Mike Leach restoring Washington State to the realm of .500 (and drawing a postseason date with Boise State); and Notre Dame, which has no contracted bowl partner this year if it fails to reach the BCS, making a return trip to Hawaii for Christmas Eve. (It was that or the Military Bowl.)

A quick refresher:

• After the No. 1 and 2 teams are slotted and replaced, the BCS at-large selection order this year is: 1) Fiesta, 2) Sugar and 3) Orange. The highest-ranked champion from a non-automatic qualifier is guaranteed a BCS berth if it finishes in the top 12 or in the top 16 and ahead of an AQ-conference champion.

• Most bowls are not obligated -- I repeat, NOT OBLIGATED -- to choose in exact order of conference standings. For instance, "Big 12 No. 3" means "third selection of Big 12 teams," not "the Big 12's third-place team."

DATE PREDICTED MATCHUP
Jan. 1 Rose: Michigan State (Big Ten champ) vs. USC (BCS at-large)
Jan. 1 Orange: Florida State (ACC champ) vs. Louisville (Big East champ)
Jan. 2 Sugar: Alabama (BCS at-large) vs. Texas (BCS at-large)
Jan. 3 Fiesta: Oklahoma (Big 12 champ) vs. Wisconsin (BCS at-large)
Jan. 7 BCS Championship: LSU (BCS No. 1) vs. Oregon (BCS No. 2)

DATE PREDICTED MATCHUP
Dec. 15 New Mexico: Fresno State (MWC No. 4) vs. Washington (Pac-12 No. 7)
Dec. 15 Idaho Potato: Louisiana Tech (WAC) vs. Northern Illinois (MAC No. 3)
Dec. 20 Poinsettia: Nevada (MWC No. 2) vs. BYU (BYU)
Dec. 21 Beef 'O' Brady's: East Carolina (C-USA) vs. Arkansas State (Big East*)
Dec. 22 New Orleans: Louisiana Lafayette (Sun Belt No. 1) vs. Tulsa (C-USA)
Dec. 22 Maaco: Boise State (MWC No. 1) vs. Washington State (Pac-12 No. 5)
Dec. 24 Hawaii: Wyoming (MWC) vs. Notre Dame (C-USA*)
Dec. 26 Little Caesars: Toledo (MAC) vs. Western Kentucky (Big Ten No. 8*)
Dec. 27 Belk: Rutgers (Big East No. 3) vs. Georgia Tech (ACC No. 5)
Dec. 27 Military: Iowa State (ACC No. 8*) vs. Bowling Green (Army*)
Dec. 27 Holiday: Stanford (Pac-12 No. 3) vs. TCU (Big 12 No. 5)
Dec. 28 Independence: Duke (ACC No. 7) vs. Texas A&M (SEC No. 10)
Dec. 28 Meineke Texas: Purdue (Big Ten No. 6) vs. Texas Tech (Big 12 No. 6)
Dec. 28 Russell Athletic (1): USF (Big East No. 2) vs. Clemson (ACC No. 3)
Dec. 29 Pinstripe: Pittsburgh (Big East No. 4) vs. Baylor (Big 12 No. 7)
Dec. 29 Buffalo Wild Wings (2): Oklahoma State (Big 12 No. 4) vs. Illinois (Big Ten No. 5)
Dec. 29 Alamo: Utah (Pac-12 No. 2) vs. Kansas State (Big 12 No. 3)
Dec. 29 Armed Forces: Houston (C-USA) vs. Air Force (MWC)
Dec. 29 Kraft f!ght Hunger: Cal (Pac-12 No. 6) vs. Navy (Navy)
Dec. 31 Music City: Virginia (ACC No. 6) vs. Arkansas (SEC)
Dec. 31 Sun: NC State (ACC No. 4) vs. UCLA (Pac-12 No. 4)
Dec. 31 Liberty: UCF** (C-USA No. 1) vs. Mississippi State (SEC No. 8/9)
Dec. 31 Chick-fil-A: Virginia Tech (ACC No. 2) vs. Tennessee (SEC No. 5)
Jan. 1 TicketCity: Northwestern (Big Ten No. 7) vs. Southern Miss (C-USA)
Jan. 1 Capital One: Georgia (SEC No. 2) vs. Michigan (Big Ten No. 2)
Jan. 1 Outback: Nebraska (Big Ten No. 3) vs. South Carolina (SEC)
Jan. 1 Gator: Iowa (Big Ten No. 4) vs. Florida (SEC No. 6)
Jan. 4 Cotton: West Virginia (Big 12 No. 2) vs. Auburn (SEC)
Jan. 5 BBVA Compa#s: Cincinnati (Big East) vs. Missouri (SEC No. 8/9)
Jan. 6 GoDaddy.com: Ohio (MAC) vs. FIU (Sun Belt No. 2)

Read more: LSU-Oregon title game headlines preseason bowl projections - Stewart Mandel - SI.com

UGA vs Michigan [pic] that would be a great national championship game

Does anyone ever go out on a limb with this !! or just stick to the basic stuff that everyone is predicting

Pretty much just look at the elite teams with the easiest schedules... LSU, Oregon, Alabama, USC, Oklahoma and Florida State all have realistic shots of getting there on paper...

I'm not really sold on Oregon being a lock to make it though, and I'm pretty sure only once has a QB younger than a junior won the BCS championship so I'm a little [pic] if we do...

I feel the same way, I'd be surprised if we went undefeated. If my life was on the line all BS aside I'd say we split with USC and it would be very hard to see a 1-loss pac-12 team getting in, especially given how weak our ooc schedule is this year. Next year though...

If there is only one or none undefeated teams, it could happen. Ivan Maisel had a pretty good rational for it and he picked a rematch between Oregon and LSU too.

I mean, I don't think LSU was this highly touted last year? Or Kansas State. Or Clemson. Or Wisconsin and they all ended in big Bowls.

I understand it is easier to just pick the favorites to make it, because you will probably get at least half right, but how about a shocking pick from one of these analysts [pic]

New Mexico Bowl [pic][pic][pic]


[pic]

weren't they ranked like #2 to start the season?

Last year LSU was ranked like #4 to start the season, so they weren't exactly slept on. I don't think anyone would've predicted two SEC teams in the same BCS game... Wisconsin made it to where they were predicted to... There's always surprises, but Kansas State and Clemson still weren't championship caliber teams

SI doesn't know !! [pic]

Jan. 3 Fiesta: Oklahoma (Big 12 champ) vs. Wisconsin (BCS at-large)


Ehh... not so sure about that.

They got FSU winning the ACC [pic]

We coming for your !![..] team junior g aka I love rondo.[pic]

SI knows the deal.

[pic]

[pic]

Oregon next year..

Junior G will not be satisfied with FSU going to the Orange Bowl [pic]

Beating the !! outta texas again? lol i like it....