Bowl Projections: A 2010 Rematch, Big East Reunion and Two Texan Teams On Track to Make Orlando Debut After Three Weeks
The 28th Camping World Bowl is still a few months away, but it’s never too early to start predicting which ACC and Big 12 teams might be headed to Orlando. Here’s a round-up of projections from around the college football media world through Week 3.
Kyle Bonagura (ESPN): Miami vs. Kansas State
David M. Hale (ESPN): Miami vs. Kansas State
Eric Single (Sports Illustrated): NC State vs. West Virginia
Jerry Palm (CBSSports.com): Louisville vs. TCU
Bill Bender (Sporting News): Louisville vs. West Virginia
Jason Kirk (SB Nation): Louisville vs. West Virginia
Brant Parsons (Orlando Sentinel): Virginia Tech vs. Texas
CollegeFootballNews.com: Florida State vs. West Virginia
Erick Smith (USA TODAY): Virginia Tech vs. Kansas State
Brett McMurphy: Virginia Tech vs. Kansas State
- Three separate matchups — Miami-Kansas State, Louisville-West Virginia and Virginia Tech-Kansas State — were projected by more than one media member this week
- Miami and Kansas State have only met twice prior, with Kansas State winning both games (2006 and 2008)
- It’s been almost a half-century since Kansas State and Virginia Tech met on the gridiron, when the two split a home-and-home series in 1967-68
- A Louisville-West Virginia game would pit former Big East conference foes against one another for the second straight season; last season saw West Virginia meet Miami
- The Mountaineers and Cardinals haven’t met since they left the Big East for the Big 12 and ACC, respectively, but West Virginia leads the all-time series 10-3
- If Miami or West Virginia reached the game, either would become only the second team to make repeat appearances in the game, joining NC State, which played in the 2000 and 2001 games
- The game moved to Orlando from Miami after the 2000 game, so despite playing in the bowl two consecutive seasons, NC State did not appear in Orlando two years in a row
- On the topic of NC State, the Wolfpack are projected to face the Mountaineers in a rematch of the 2010 Camping World Bowl (then-Champs Sports Bowl) according to Eric Single (Sports Illustrated)
- NC State won that bout 23-7 to even the series at five game apiece
- West Virginia and Kansas State lead all teams, appearing in four projections this week; Louisville appeared in three
- Jerry Palm’s projected matchup of Louisville and TCU would see the two meet for the fifth time. TCU won three of four matchups with the Cardinals from 2001-2004
- Brant Parsons of the Orlando Sentinel changed his projection for the first time this season, replacing Oklahoma State with Texas on the Big 12 side
- Texas and Virginia Tech have only met once before, with Virginia Tech defeating the Longhorns in the 1995 Sugar Bowl
- CollegeFootballNews.com stood firm this week, once again picking Florida State and West Virginia to meet for the fourth time ever and first time outside of the Gator Bowl
- Bobby Bowden’s final game as head coach came in the two teams’ last meeting, a 33-21 victory in 2010