Preview 2010 - Way Early Bowl Picks, Part 2

The ridiculously early look at the 2010-2011 bowl matchups, part 2

Preview 2010

Way-Early Bowl Picks, Part 2   
 
- Part One (most of the 2010 bowls) 

December 31, 2010 Charlotte, NC
Meineke Car Care Bowl 12:00 pm ESPN
Big East No. 3 vs. ACC No. 5
Way Too Early Projection: Pitt vs. Florida State
WHY? UConn's record should be just good enough to get the call over Cincinnati if Pitt isn't here. Florida State could end up in Orlando in the Champs Sports Bowl and Clemson or NC State could play relatively close to home.

December 31, 2010 Memphis, TN
AutoZone Liberty Bowl 3:30 pm ESPN
C-USA No. 1 vs. SEC No. 6 or No. 7 (Big East if no SEC team)
Way Too Early Projection: Houston vs. Tennessee
WHY? Case Keenum and the Cougars should run away with the Conference USA title, while Tennessee would be a great fit for an in-state bowl. South Carolina or Kentucky could be here.

December 31, 2010 Tempe, AZ
Insight Bowl
Big Ten No. 4 or 5 vs. Big 12 No. 4
Way Too Early Projection: Northwestern vs. Oklahoma State
WHY? Purdue, Michigan, or even Indiana could represent the Big Ten, while Kansas, Colorado, or the Texas Tech/Texas A&M loser could be the Big 12's team.

December 31, 2010 Atlanta, GA
Chick-fil-A Bowl 7:30 pm ESPN
ACC No. 2 vs. SEC No. 3, 4 or 5
Way Too Early Projection: North Carolina vs. South Carolina
WHY? This would be a fun matchup. The Tar Heels will have to come up with a few big road wins to earn the No. 2 spot, but the UNC defense vs. Steve Spurrier's offense would close out 2010 with a great game.

January 1, 2011 Tampa, FL
Outback Bowl 1:00 pm ABC
Big Ten No. 3 vs. SEC No. 3, 4 or 5
Way Too Early Projection: Penn State vs. Florida
WHY? Iowa might be here, but since Penn State went to the Capital One last year, it should be JoePa vs. the Florida/Georgia loser with the Hawkeyes going to Orlando.

January 1, 2011 Orlando, FL
Capital One Bowl 1:00 pm ABC
Big Ten No. 2 vs. SEC No. 2
Way Too Early Projection: Iowa vs. LSU
WHY? LSU is back after losing a heartbreaker to Penn State last year, and it could be a rematch. Iowa or Wisconsin will battle for the No. 2 spot behind Ohio State with the better of the two off to the BCS and the other to Orlando.

January 1, 2011 Jacksonville, FL
Gator Bowl 1:30 pm ESPN2
Big Ten No. 4 or 5 vs. SEC No. 6
Way Too Early Projection: Michigan State vs. Auburn
WHY? It wouldn't be a stunner if Penn State, Wisconsin, or Iowa takes MSU's spot. Auburn, South Carolina, and Arkansas are the most likely options from the SEC.

January 1, 2011 Dallas, TX
Dallas Football Classic 11:30 am ESPNU
Big Ten No. 6 vs. Big 12 No. 7 (C-USA No. 7 if no Big Ten or Big 12, MAC is the second backup)
Way Too Early Projection: Tulsa vs. Texas Tech
WHY? There's no way the inaugural Jerry Jones Bowl doesn't have a Texas team (or at least someone close by). It'll be either Tech or A&M, but Oklahoma State will be an option. Tulsa could make geographic sense in Houston isn't available.

January 2, 2011 Arlington, TX
AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic 8:00 pm FOX
Big 12 No. 2 vs. SEC No. 3, 4, or 5
Way Too Early Projection: Oklahoma vs. Arkansas
WHY? The Texas-Oklahoma loser will almost certainly be here, and both teams are in the BCS, put Nebraska in. Arkansas, LSU, or Auburn could be the SEC's team.

January 6, 2011 Mobile, AL
GMAC Bowl 8:00 pm ESPN
MAC No. 2 vs. Sun Belt
Way Too Early Projection: Northern Illinois vs. Troy
WHY? If not NIU, it'll likely be Temple here from the MAC. Troy might be third, at best, from the Sun Belt, but it makes geographic sense.

January 8, 2011 Birmingham, AL
PapaJohns.com Bowl 12:00 pm ESPN
Big East No. 4 vs. SEC (or MAC if no Big East or SEC)
Way Too Early Projection: Connecticut  vs. Kentucky
WHY? Kentucky, Tennessee, or Ole Miss are SEC options, while Rutgers, Cincinnati, and UConn are the top three Big East candidates.

January 9, 2011 San Francisco, CA
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl 9:00 pm ESPN
Pac 10 No. 6 vs. WAC
Way Too Early Projection: Stanford vs. Fresno State
WHY? It's all about geography. The former Emerald Bowl loves to have Bay Area teams, making Cal attractive, while Fresno State would travel close by.

BCS BOWLS

January 1, 2011 Pasadena, CA
Rose Bowl 4:30 pm ABC
Big Ten No. 1 vs. Pac 10 No. 1
Way Too Early Projection: USC vs. Wisconsin
WHY? The Pac 10 will be wild and crazy with several teams in the hunt for Pasadena until the end, but USC has the best schedule with most of the big games at home. Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Iowa are the Big Ten's most likely options with the call being an 11-1 Badger team.

January 1, 2011 Glendale, AZ
Fiesta Bowl 8:00 pm ABC
Big 12 No. 1 vs. BCS
Way Too Early Projection: Texas vs. West Virginia
WHY? The Fiesta will get the second pick of the at-large teams (after the BCS makes its picks), and will love to take a West Virginia program that travels well. The Texas/Oklahoma winner will likely play Nebraska for the Big 12 title.

January 3, 2011 Miami, FL
Orange Bowl 8:00 pm ABC
ACC No. 1 vs. BCS at-large
Way Too Early Projection: Virginia Tech vs. Georgia
WHY? Georgia has the right schedule and the returning talent to slip through to win the East over a rebuilding Florida. The Orange would snap up the Dawgs getting the first pick of at-large teams (after the Rose). Virginia Tech will most likely survive the ACC wars to get to Miami for the third time in four years.

January 4, 2011 New Orleans, LA
Sugar Bowl 8:00 pm ABC
SEC No. 1 vs. BCS at-large
Way Too Early Projection: Alabama vs. Nebraska
WHY? This could very, very easily be Florida, Georgia, or LSU if Alabama ends up playing for the national title. The Sugar would love to have the Big 12 championship loser in a mega-matchup that would be among the best of the BCS games and flip a coin on whether or not this will end up being the BCS Championship matchup over ...

January 10, 2011 Glendale, AZ
BCS Championship 8:00 pm ABC
BCS No. 1 vs. BCS No. 2
Way Too Early Projection: Ohio State vs. TCU
WHY? Here's the call (and remember, it's May ... don't get mad if and when we flip-flop before the season). The SEC champion will have two losses, but if it's undefeated or has one loss, it's in Glendale over an unbeaten TCU/Utah winner. The ACC, Pac 10, Big East, and Big 12 champions will also have two losses, Ohio State will lose once, to either Wisconsin or Iowa, and will have the best record among BCS teams. The other out-of-left-field call is Nebraska, who has the right schedule and gets Texas at home. Basically, if there are two BCS teams with one loss or, of course, are unbeaten, TCU is out.

- Part One (most of the 2010 bowls)