Bowl Projections: Louisville Races to Top of Projections Heading Into Clash with Clemson

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 2.

Kyle Bonagura (ESPN): Louisville vs. Kansas State
David M. Hale (ESPN): Miami vs. Kansas State
Eric Single (Sports Illustrated): Miami vs. West Virginia
Jerry Palm (CBSSports.com): Louisville vs. TCU
Bill Bender (Sporting News): Louisville vs. Oklahoma State
Jason Kirk (SB Nation): Louisville vs. Kansas State
Brant Parsons (Orlando Sentinel): Virginia Tech vs. Oklahoma State
CollegeFootballNews.com: Florida State vs. West Virginia
Erick Smith (USA TODAY): Virginia Tech vs. Kansas State

• Louisville-Kansas State was the only matchup projected more than once
  • Both teams were the most common projection in their respective conferences this week
  • The two programs have met just twice before with Louisville winning both games, in 2006 and 2008
    • Hunter Cantwell started both games for the Cardinals squads, including a 2006 start in place of injured Heisman hopeful Brian Brohm
    • Former NFL starting quarterback Josh Freeman came off the bench in the 2006 game and started in 2008 for the Wildcats
  • Miami, Oklahoma State and West Virginia all received two projections each
    • Eric Single of Sports Illustrated projects a rematch of last year’s bowl game between West Virginia and Miami
      • While there have been several bowl rematches in back-to-back years — none more recent than last year’s National Championship rematch between Alabama and Clemson — not only has there never been a rematch in the Camping World Bowl in consecutive years, but there has yet to be a rematch of any of the 27 matchups in the game’s history at all
    • Sporting News’ Bill Bender kept his preseason projection the same through two weeks of action, sticking with the Cowboys and Cardinals.
      • The two programs have met only twice before — but not since 1982 — with each team earning a win
    • CollegeFootballNews.com has the Mountaineers and Seminoles squaring off in Orlando
      • The two schools have met three times previously, each game coming in the Gator Bowl (1982, 2005 and 2010)
        • The Seminoles were victorious in each matchup, including Bobby Bowden’s final game as head coach, in the 2010 game.
    • The Orlando Sentinel’s Brant Parsons stuck true to his initial projection of Virginia Tech and Oklahoma State for the third straight week
      • The two programs haven’t met since 1972, and each has a win in the two-game series
    • David M. Hale of ESPN projected a Miami-Kansas State matchup this week
      • The two programs met twice from 2011-12, with former Heisman finalist Collin Klein leading the Wildcats to victory in both games
    • USA Today’s Erick Smith tabbed the Hokies and Wildcats to play in the Camping World Bowl for the third consecutive week
      • The two teams last met in 1968, when Kansas State evened the series at one win apiece