First, the NY6 bowls:
Peach: Alabama vs Texas A&M
Fiesta: Clemson vs Michigan
Orange: Louisville vs Wisconsin
Sugar: Auburn vs Oklahoma
Rose: Ohio State vs Washington
Cotton: Nebraska vs Western Michigan
Citrus: Florida State
Russell Athletic: Virginia Tech
Tier 1
Music City: NC State
Belk: North Carolina
Pinstripe: Miami
Sun: Pitt
Tier 2
St. Petersburg: Georgia Tech
Independence: Wake Forest
Military: Syracuse
Quick Lane: Boston College
- There are 2 wildcards for Pitt: Notre Dame getting to 6-6 so they can jump Pitt and all other 7-5 teams for a Tier 1 bowl.....and the Big Ten getting the Orange Bowl which is why I bring up Penn State
- With the current rankings, Wisconsin would get the Orange Bowl as the highest ranked B10/SEC team not in the Rose, Sugar, or CFP. However, that is misleading because Texas A&M will not go to the CFP over undefeated P12 champ Washington. Washington is not a conference champion yet so if they win it, heck even with a loss at 12-1, they get the spot over A&M. This knocks the Aggies to the Sugar and makes Auburn, Florida, and LSU available for the Orange. Still with me? With Nebraska looking at a few more losses and Wisconsin with at least another loss in the B10 champ game, the ACC's best hope for the Citrus Bowl is for #12 Penn State to beat Iowa, Rutgers, IU, and MSU to finish 10-2 with a ranking between 7-9 probably. There is a better chance that Nebraska or Wisconsin take some losses and get jumped by Auburn, Florida, or LSU. PSU is probably the safest B10 bet for the Orange Bowl right now.
- Pitt really needs PSU or another B10 team to get the Orange so the ACC gets the Citrus and a Tier 1 spot opens.
- Even if the ACC gets the Citrus, Pitt better go 8-4 because if they go 7-5 and ND goes 3-1 down the stretch (wins over Navy, Army, and either VT or USC), 6-6 ND is jumping ANY 7-5 ACC team for Tier 1.
- So, in a nutshell, Pitt's best hope for a Tier 1 bowl is probably 2 more wins and a 4-0 finish for Penn State. If PSU loses a game, chances are better an SEC team gets the Orange, and we head to Detroit.
Peach: Alabama vs Texas A&M
Fiesta: Clemson vs Michigan
Orange: Louisville vs Wisconsin
Sugar: Auburn vs Oklahoma
Rose: Ohio State vs Washington
Cotton: Nebraska vs Western Michigan
Citrus: Florida State
Russell Athletic: Virginia Tech
Tier 1
Music City: NC State
Belk: North Carolina
Pinstripe: Miami
Sun: Pitt
Tier 2
St. Petersburg: Georgia Tech
Independence: Wake Forest
Military: Syracuse
Quick Lane: Boston College
- There are 2 wildcards for Pitt: Notre Dame getting to 6-6 so they can jump Pitt and all other 7-5 teams for a Tier 1 bowl.....and the Big Ten getting the Orange Bowl which is why I bring up Penn State
- With the current rankings, Wisconsin would get the Orange Bowl as the highest ranked B10/SEC team not in the Rose, Sugar, or CFP. However, that is misleading because Texas A&M will not go to the CFP over undefeated P12 champ Washington. Washington is not a conference champion yet so if they win it, heck even with a loss at 12-1, they get the spot over A&M. This knocks the Aggies to the Sugar and makes Auburn, Florida, and LSU available for the Orange. Still with me? With Nebraska looking at a few more losses and Wisconsin with at least another loss in the B10 champ game, the ACC's best hope for the Citrus Bowl is for #12 Penn State to beat Iowa, Rutgers, IU, and MSU to finish 10-2 with a ranking between 7-9 probably. There is a better chance that Nebraska or Wisconsin take some losses and get jumped by Auburn, Florida, or LSU. PSU is probably the safest B10 bet for the Orange Bowl right now.
- Pitt really needs PSU or another B10 team to get the Orange so the ACC gets the Citrus and a Tier 1 spot opens.
- Even if the ACC gets the Citrus, Pitt better go 8-4 because if they go 7-5 and ND goes 3-1 down the stretch (wins over Navy, Army, and either VT or USC), 6-6 ND is jumping ANY 7-5 ACC team for Tier 1.
- So, in a nutshell, Pitt's best hope for a Tier 1 bowl is probably 2 more wins and a 4-0 finish for Penn State. If PSU loses a game, chances are better an SEC team gets the Orange, and we head to Detroit.