My Bowl Predictions - Who's Going Where? (Maybe)

From top to bottom, here come my bowl picks for the 2005 season, including what teams are likely to fill slots for those conferences that can't meet all their expectations. Starting with the big game . . .

1. Rose Bowl - Texas vs. USC
While there's a chance either team might stumble, opening up a place for PSU or LSU (if it wins out), neither has managed to do it yet. USC faces one more potential stumble against UCLA, while Texas should rout both A&M and Colorado, its likely Big 12 championship game opponent.

2. Orange Bowl - Penn State vs. Va Tech
24 hours ago, this would have been Penn State-Miami, but Miami has likely lost its ACC championship game slot to Va Tech, with the loss to Ga Tech last night. While the Orange Bowl has its choice of the ACC champ and the Big East champ, Va Tech probably gets the edge on WVU, assuming of course they take care of business against UNC and FSU first. Unless the Fiesta Bowl snags the Lions with their first pick (for losing Texas to the Rose Bowl), the Orange Bowl will snag them, as demonstrated by their presence at the PSU-MSU game yesterday.


3. Sugar Bowl - LSU vs. West Virginia
Why aren't the Tigers undefeated right now? Les Miles has to be hoping that not too many people are wondering how he managed to lose to a Tennessee team that not only isn't going bowling, but lost to Vandy yesterday. Expect LSU to beat Georgia to win the SEC (after beating Arkansas to get there), and WVU to win out and take the Big East.


4. Fiesta Bowl - Notre Dame vs. Oregon
The all at-large bowl. As long as Notre Dame wins out, they'll be in the top 12 of the BCS rankings, and the Fiesta Bowl is likely to scoop them up with their first pick. While there will be other highly ranked teams available (Ohio State, Auburn), expect a loud noise from the West Coast if a one-loss Oregon isn't slotted in. With all the other remaining one-loss teams (if UCLA does lose to USC) likely to have wrapped up their conference championships, the BCS faces rebelliong from the Pac 10 if the Ducks don't go to Tempe.


5. Capital One Bowl - Ohio State vs. Auburn

6. Gator Bowl - Miami vs. South Florida

7. Outback Bowl - Wisconsin vs. Alabama

8. Cotton Bowl - Texas Tech vs. Georgia

9. Liberty Bowl - Central Florida vs. TCU
While the MWC champ no longer has a guaranteed slot in the Liberty Bowl, TCU is likely to be the biggest draw available to the Liberty Bowl, not locked up in a bowl committment.


10. Houston Bowl - Oklahoma vs. Navy
The SEC won't have enough bowl eligible teams to fill this bid, so expect Navy to move in for its third consecutive bowl.


11. Meineke Car Care Bowl - FSU vs. Louisville


12. Peach Bowl - Boston College vs. South Carolina


13. Music City Bowl - Florida vs. Iowa


14. Independence Bowl - Missouri vs. Virginia
Virginia takes the SEC slot.


15. Sun Bowl - Northwestern vs. California

16. Holiday Bowl - UCLA vs. Colorado

17. Emerald Bowl - Colorado State vs. Western Michigan
Western Michigan fills a Pac 10 slot.


18. Alamo Bowl - Iowa State vs. Michigan


19. MPC Computers Bowl - Boise State vs. Clemson


20. Insight Bowl - Houston vs. Rutgers
Houston fills in for a Pac 10 shortfall.


21. Champs Sports Bowl - Ga Tech vs. Nebraska


22. Motor City Bowl - Toledo vs. Minnesota


23. Hawaii Bowl - Tulsa vs. Fresno State


24. Fort Worth Bowl - Southern Miss vs. La Tech
La Tech takes the Big 12 slot here.

25. Poinsettia Bowl - New Mexico vs. NC State


26. Las Vegas Bowl - BYU vs. Arizona State


27. GMAC Bowl - UTEP vs. Bowling Green


28. New Orleans Bowl - ULa-Mo vs. Memphis