1. Clemson
2. Alabama
3. Oklahoma
4. Michigan State
5. Stanford
6. Iowa
7. Ohio State
8. Notre Dame
9. Florida State
10. TCU
11. Mississippi
Auto Qualifier: Houston
Orange: Clemson vs Michigan State
Cotton: Alabama vs Oklahoma
Peach: Florida State vs Houston
Fiesta: Ohio State vs Notre Dame
Rose: Stanford vs Iowa
Sugar: TCU vs Mississippi
Russell Athletic: North Carolina
Tier 1 bowls:
Taxslayer.com: Penn State
Music City: Louisville
Belk: Virginia Tech
Pinstripe: Miami
Sun: Pitt
Tier 2 bowls:
Military: NC State
Independence: Duke
The CFP is set. The only drama will be who gets the Rose Bowl. It goes to the highest ranked Big Ten team. Iowa is 12-1, Ohio State is 11-1. Both teams' only loss was a 3 point loss to Michigan State. Neither team has a lot of good victories. Ohio State has the best win @ Michigan. Iowa has the next 2, @ Wisky and @ NW. Its very very close but as a "tiebreaker," I'm going with Iowa since they won their division.
The Russell Athletic Bowl is set. UNC.
The Taxslayer.com Bowl is set. Their exec director flat out said they are picking Penn State if Florida State is available. The Music City would probably want them also but PSU fans seem to favor Jacksonville over Nashville.
The Music City seems set. Miami/Georgia could be an enticing matchup for them given the Richt factor. But, Louisville is only 2.5 hours north and you would figure have a ton of alumni in the Nashville area. They would sell far too many tickets to get turned down here.
After this, it gets dicey. I don't know what the Belk Bowl does. Normally, you'd figure that NC State would go here. They travel very well and won't have to leave the state. However, its Beamer's last game and VT fans would also travel well to see that. I have been saying NC State here all week and it wouldn't surprise me if that held true but I'm going to say that the Belk doesn't pass up the chance to host the last game of a legend and the pageantry that would go along with that.
Miami would be the top choice for both the Sun and Pinstripe but they'll choose NYC. Almost guaranteed.
The Sun Bowl would have no choice but to pick Pitt at 8-4 because we can't fall to Tier 2 with 6-6 VT in the Belk. Either way, I don't see any way we end up in a bowl other than the Sun. If the Belk picks NC State, the Sun would still pick us over Duke, who travels worse than we do and won't draw the TV ratings we would.
For the Tier 2 bowls, I'd guess that NC State is the top choice of both the Independence, Military , and Quick Lane Bowls but I don't think the SEC can fill the Independence unless 5-7 Kentucky ends up there so I think NC State will stay closer to home to play a really good Navy team instead of some CUSA or other AAC team or Kentucky in Shreveport. This would mean Duke to Shreveport. They are closer to Detroit but the Big Ten won't fill that game unless a 5-7 team takes it. I'd say Duke would rather play a 5-7 BT team in Detroit than Kentucky, a CUSA team or Sun Belt team.
Look for Pitt vs Utah in El Paso.
2. Alabama
3. Oklahoma
4. Michigan State
5. Stanford
6. Iowa
7. Ohio State
8. Notre Dame
9. Florida State
10. TCU
11. Mississippi
Auto Qualifier: Houston
Orange: Clemson vs Michigan State
Cotton: Alabama vs Oklahoma
Peach: Florida State vs Houston
Fiesta: Ohio State vs Notre Dame
Rose: Stanford vs Iowa
Sugar: TCU vs Mississippi
Russell Athletic: North Carolina
Tier 1 bowls:
Taxslayer.com: Penn State
Music City: Louisville
Belk: Virginia Tech
Pinstripe: Miami
Sun: Pitt
Tier 2 bowls:
Military: NC State
Independence: Duke
The CFP is set. The only drama will be who gets the Rose Bowl. It goes to the highest ranked Big Ten team. Iowa is 12-1, Ohio State is 11-1. Both teams' only loss was a 3 point loss to Michigan State. Neither team has a lot of good victories. Ohio State has the best win @ Michigan. Iowa has the next 2, @ Wisky and @ NW. Its very very close but as a "tiebreaker," I'm going with Iowa since they won their division.
The Russell Athletic Bowl is set. UNC.
The Taxslayer.com Bowl is set. Their exec director flat out said they are picking Penn State if Florida State is available. The Music City would probably want them also but PSU fans seem to favor Jacksonville over Nashville.
The Music City seems set. Miami/Georgia could be an enticing matchup for them given the Richt factor. But, Louisville is only 2.5 hours north and you would figure have a ton of alumni in the Nashville area. They would sell far too many tickets to get turned down here.
After this, it gets dicey. I don't know what the Belk Bowl does. Normally, you'd figure that NC State would go here. They travel very well and won't have to leave the state. However, its Beamer's last game and VT fans would also travel well to see that. I have been saying NC State here all week and it wouldn't surprise me if that held true but I'm going to say that the Belk doesn't pass up the chance to host the last game of a legend and the pageantry that would go along with that.
Miami would be the top choice for both the Sun and Pinstripe but they'll choose NYC. Almost guaranteed.
The Sun Bowl would have no choice but to pick Pitt at 8-4 because we can't fall to Tier 2 with 6-6 VT in the Belk. Either way, I don't see any way we end up in a bowl other than the Sun. If the Belk picks NC State, the Sun would still pick us over Duke, who travels worse than we do and won't draw the TV ratings we would.
For the Tier 2 bowls, I'd guess that NC State is the top choice of both the Independence, Military , and Quick Lane Bowls but I don't think the SEC can fill the Independence unless 5-7 Kentucky ends up there so I think NC State will stay closer to home to play a really good Navy team instead of some CUSA or other AAC team or Kentucky in Shreveport. This would mean Duke to Shreveport. They are closer to Detroit but the Big Ten won't fill that game unless a 5-7 team takes it. I'd say Duke would rather play a 5-7 BT team in Detroit than Kentucky, a CUSA team or Sun Belt team.
Look for Pitt vs Utah in El Paso.
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