By
Pete Fiutak
- 2007-2008
Way-Too-Early non-BCS Bowl Projections
It's late May, so let's get a few things out of the way before
proceeding.
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 some
bowls jump the gun, or go with geographical matchups over good
football pairings. We always attempt to account for the
self-interests of the bowls to sell tickets and generate publicity.
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. We're just taking our best educated guess here.
Third, not everyone will get the call. There are only so many
available slots, so teams like Kentucky, Cincinnati, Kansas,
Colorado, Vanderbilt, Middle Tennessee and San Jose State, who'll
all likely be worthy, 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. We'll change this before the season starts, and
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.
Rose Bowl presented
by Citi
Jan. 1 / 4:30 p.m. Pasadena, Calif. ABC
*BCS vs. BCS (Big Ten Champion vs. Pac 10 Champion, if
available)
Way Too Early Projection: Wisconsin
vs. UCLA
Top 5 Others Considered: 1) USC, 2) Michigan, 3) Penn
State, 4) Ohio State, 5) LSU
The call is for Wisconsin to win the tie-breaker with Michigan, and
come up with the wins needed, to get to Pasadena, but Penn State,
Ohio State, or even Iowa, who misses the Wolverines and the
Buckeyes, could slide in. With USC the call to go to New Orleans,
UCLA would be a dream choice to create a Big Ten/Pac 10 matchup. Of
course, if USC plays for the national title, the Rose would get the
first choice of at-large teams and might be interested in selling
out the place with LSU fans, if the Tigers aren't staying close to
home in early January.
Allstate Sugar Bowl
Jan. 1 / 8:30 p.m. New Orleans, La. FOX
*BCS vs. BCS (SEC Champion, if available)
Way Too Early Projection:
Michigan vs. Hawaii
Top 5 Others Considered: 1) LSU, 2) Florida, 3)
Georgia, 4) Louisville, 5) Tennessee
This is the toughest part of the puzzle to put together. Work with
us here. If the Sugar Bowl loses LSU to the national title, as
predicted, it'll get the second choice of available at-large teams
if USC is number one from pillar to post. While a slew of SEC teams
might be tempting, the opportunity to take Michigan would be too
intruiging to pass up (unless Florida is available, which we're
predicting won't be an option). The Fiesta, the dumping ground for
disrespected mid-major teams who earn a BCS slot, might appear to be
more of a natural tie-in for an unbeaten Hawaii (check out the
schedule and you'll see why this isn't so crazy), but it'll come up
with a high-octane matchup of its own. Feel free to flip-flop Hawaii
and Louisville.
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
Jan. 2 / 8 p.m. Phoenix, Ariz. FOX
*BCS vs. BCS (Big 12 Champion, if available)
Way Too Early Projection: Louisville
vs. Texas
Top 5 Others Considered: 1) Oklahoma, 2) Missouri, 3)
Nebraska, 4) Hawaii, 5) TCU
The winner of the Texas - Oklahoma game will likely be the Big 12
representative, but with one caveat. If Nebraska is fantastic
against USC, or pulls off the shocking upset, the entire landscape
dramatically changes. One major fly in the ointment will be if TCU
upsets Texas in Austin. If that happens, the Horned Frogs will
likely go unbeaten and cause a season-long debate over whether or
not they belong in the national championship. If Texas wins the Big
12 title, there won't be a TCU vs. Texas rematch in the Fiesta, so
the Sugar would most likely take Gary Patterson's club if it doesn't
end up in the BCS Championship game. Of course, Hawaii is the other
major option here if it goes unbeaten. Predicting that Louisville
and West Virginia will both end up getting BCS bids, the call is for
the Cardinals to either go to Phoenix or New Orleans.
FedEx Orange Bowl
Jan. 3 / 8 p.m. Miami, Fla. FOX
*BCS vs. BCS (ACC Champion, if available)
Way Too Early Projection: Virginia
Tech vs. West Virginia
Top 5 Others Considered: 1) Georgia Tech, 2)
Louisville, 3) Maryland, 4) Rutgers, 5) Wisconsin
The Hokies will be the sentimental choice to get into a BCS game,
and if they don't win the ACC title, but are eligible, they'll find
their way in somewhere. Throw Wisconsin, USC, Michigan, and anyone
else you can think of into the mix for the team to potentially play
the ACC champion, but Orange Bowl officials will fall all over
themselves to get the Mountaineers and their rabid fan base. The
game would sell out in about 14 seconds.
Allstate BCS National
Championship
Jan. 7 / 8 p.m. New Orleans, La. FOX
*BCS #1 vs. BCS #2
Way Too Early Projection: USC vs.
LSU
Top 5 Others Considered: 1) Virginia Tech, 2) West
Virginia, 3) Texas, 4) Louisville, 5) Florida
The storylines are just way too easy. The 2003 national title game
that never was. LSU comes full-circle after the Katrina disaster and
plays for the national championship in what would amount to a home
game. (You thought the 2004 Sugar Bowl sold out in a hurry?) The
2006 BCS game that should've happened, but didn't. Take your pick.
USC will be just about everyone's number one going into the season,
but the schedule isn't going to make it easy with five brutal road
trips to Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oregon, Cal and Arizona State (and
six if you think last year's Washington close-call wasn't a fluke).
LSU will hit a bump in the road, like almost all great SEC teams do,
but it'll be given the benefit of the doubt thanks to Florida's
performance in the last BCS National Championship. Don't count out
Virginia Tech. Talk about your storyline matchups, a rematch of the
Tigers vs. the Hokies, who face each other early in the year, would
get everyone in the sports world buzzing.
-
2007-2008 Way-Too-Early
non-BCS Bowl Projections