Bowl Projections: Virginia Tech and Texas Among Popular Picks After Wild Week 6

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 6.

Kyle Bonagura (ESPN): NC State vs. Oklahoma State
David M. Hale (ESPN): Virginia Tech vs. Texas
Eric Single (Sports Illustrated): Wake Forest vs. Texas Tech
Jerry Palm (CBSSports.com): Virginia Tech vs. Oklahoma
Bill Bender (Sporting News): Florida State vs. Oklahoma State
Jason Kirk (SB Nation): Florida State vs. Texas
Brant Parsons (Orlando Sentinel): Virginia Tech vs. Texas
CollegeFootballNews.com: NC State vs. West Virginia
Brett McMurphy: Notre Dame vs. West Virginia

NC State vs. Oklahoma State

• Programs have not met on the gridiron
• NC State has appeared in the Camping World Bowl five times — tied with Miami for the bowl record — and holds a 3-2 record in those games
• This would be Oklahoma State’s first appearance in the Camping World Bowl and fourth appearance in a Florida bowl game, including the 1976 Citrus Bowl — known at the time as the Tangerine Bowl. The Cowboys beat BYU 49-21 in that game.
  

  Oklahoma State has never played in the Camping World Bowl, but did appear in the Citrus Bowl in 1976, when it was still known as the Tangerine Bowl.

Virginia Tech vs. Texas

• The only repeat matchup in this week’s media projections
• Texas and Virginia Tech have only met once before, with Virginia Tech defeating the Longhorns in the 1995 Sugar Bowl
• Texas has traveled to Florida for three previous bowl games — the last was the 1974 Gator Bowl — and would be making its debut in the Camping World Bowl

Wake Forest vs. Texas Tech

• Programs met twice previously in the 1940s, with Texas Tech emerging victorious both times
• Wake Forest has yet to play in the Camping World Bowl, but made an appearance in the 1979 Citrus Bowl, where the Demon Deacons fell 34-10 to LSU
• Texas Tech’s only prior appearance in the bowl came in 2002, when current head coach Kliff Kingsbury led the Red Raiders to a 55-15 victory over Clemson, earning MVP honors

Virginia Tech vs. Oklahoma

• Programs have met one time previously, a 27-17 Sooners victory in September 1991
• Virginia Tech appeared in the 2012 Camping World Bowl, a 13-10 win over Rutgers, and also visited Orlando for the 2016 ACC Championship Game at Camping World Stadium, a 2000 road game against UCF and a 1991 neutral-site game against top-ranked Florida State
• Oklahoma also appeared once previously in the Camping World Bowl, losing 40-6 to Clemson in the 2014 edition

Florida State vs. Oklahoma State

• Florida State has won four of five previous meetings between the school
• Oklahoma State’s only win over the Seminoles was in the 1958 Bluegrass Bowl
• Their most recent matchup was in 2014, when the Cowboys opened their season against Jameis Winston and the reigning national champs at AT&T Stadium in Dallas; Florida State won, 37-31

Florida State vs. Texas

• The Seminoles and Longhorns have never squared off on the gridiron
• Florida State has made three prior appearances in the Camping World Bowl, their last visit coming in 2011, when they knocked off Notre Dame 18-14
  

  Notre Dame has made multiple visits to Camping World Stadium, including a 2000 trip for a neutral-site game against Navy.

NC State vs. West Virginia

• Rematch of our 2010 matchup, which saw a Russell Wilson-led NC State top West Virginia, 23-7
• All-time series tied 5-5; NC State has won past three meetings
• Mountaineers’ last victory in the series came in 1975 Peach Bowl
• West Virginia has made four appearances in the game, trailing only NC State and Miami

Notre Dame vs. West Virginia

• Notre Dame leads the all-time series 4-0, starting with a 34-21 win in the 1989 Fiesta Bowl
• The last time the programs met was in South Bend in 2001, a 34-24 victory for Notre Dame
• The Irish have appeared in the Camping World Bowl once, in 2011, and have also played a pair of neutral-site games at Camping World Stadium, most recently against Navy in 2000