Russell Athletic Bowl Projections Round-Up, Week 12

Phil Steele (Phil Steele’s College Football Preview) – Notre Dame vs. Kansas State

Brett McMurphy (ESPN) – Notre Dame vs. Oklahoma

Mark Schlabach (ESPN) – Duke vs. Oklahoma

David M. Hale (ESPN ACC Blog)/Jake Trotter (Big 12 Blog) – Notre Dame vs. Oklahoma

Jerry Palm (CBSSports) – Duke vs. Oklahoma

Bill Bender (Sporting News) – Louisville vs. Oklahoma

Brant Parsons (Orlando Sentinel) – Duke vs. Oklahoma

Following its loss to Arizona State last weekend, Notre Dame found its way back into the Russell Athletic Bowl projections. The loss caused three media members to select them after being left out of the bowl’s projections since week 6.

Oklahoma has become the favorite in the Big 12 to visit Orlando following its 48-14 loss to Baylor over the weekend. The Sooners have not played in an Orlando bowl game since the 1989 Citrus Bowl where they were upended 13-6 by Clemson. Phil Steele was the only person not to take Oklahoma, instead choosing Kansas State following its loss to TCU.

Duke remains popular in the projections following their 27-10 victory over Syracuse, earning the picks of Mark Schlabach, Jerry Palm and Brant Parsons. The Blue Devils lead the ACC Coastal Division over Georgia Tech and can clinch a spot in the ACC Championship Game with a win and Yellow Jackets loss this weekend.

Louisville rounds out the ACC’s representatives this week with its lone projection coming from Bill Bender. The Cardinals made their first trip to the Russell Athletic Bowl last season and would become only the third team to make repeat appearances in the game since its inception in 1990.