Week 6 Bowl Projections: NC State and TCU popular picks in media polls
The 29th Camping World Bowl is still more than two 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 after Week 6:
Kyle Bonagura (ESPN): NC State vs. Texas Tech
Mitch Sherman (ESPN): NC State vs. TCU
Eric Single (Sports Illustrated): Miami vs. TCU
Jerry Palm (CBS Sports): Miami vs. Iowa State
Bill Bender (SportingNews): Syracuse vs. Oklahoma State
Jason Kirk (SBNation): NC State vs. TCU
Brant Parsons (Orlando Sentinel): NC State vs. TCU
CollegeFootballNews.com: NC State vs. TCU
Erick Smith (USA Today): Miami vs. Oklahoma
Brett McMurphy (Stadium): Miami vs. TCU
Brad Crawford (247 Sports): Miami vs. Iowa State
Kerry Miller (Bleacher Report): Miami vs. Texas Tech
NC State vs. Texas Tech
• The Wolfpack and the Red Raiders have met on the gridiron five times previously; NC State leads the series 4-1.
• This would be Texas Tech’s second appearance in the Camping World Bowl; its first came in 2002, when it defeated Clemson 55-15.
• In the Red Raiders first appearance, current head coach Kliff Kingsbury was named game MVP after completing 32 of 43 passes for 375 yards and three touchdowns.
NC State vs. TCU
• This would be the first matchup between the programs.
• TCU has never played in the Camping World Bowl, but NC State is tied with Miami for the most appearances in history with five.
• NC State boasts the nation’s seventh-best passing offense (335.4 yards per game) but would be up against a TCU defense that has been holding opponents to an average of 178 passing yards per game.
Miami vs. TCU
• Miami is 6-3 all-time against TCU; their first meeting came in 1946, a 20-12 Miami win.
• The programs have not faced each other since the 1992 season, when Miami defeated the Horned Frogs 45-10 at the Orange Bowl.
• Miami (237.3 yards per game) and TCU (303.6) both rank in the Top 12 nationally in total defense, at No. 2 and No. 12, respectively.
Miami vs. Iowa State
• There have been no previous matchups between the teams.
• Miami has played in the Camping World Bowl five times before, but this would be Iowa State’s first appearance in Orlando.
• This would not only be the Cyclones’ first bowl game in Orlando, but their first-ever bowl game in the state of Florida.
Syracuse vs. Oklahoma State
• The programs have never squared off on the gridiron.
• Syracuse’s last Camping World Bowl appearance came in 2004, a 51-14 loss to Georgia Tech in what was known at the time as the Champs Sports Bowl.
• Oklahoma State made its first appearance in the game last season with a 30-21 win over Virginia Tech.
• Both Syracuse (43 points per game) and Oklahoma State (44) rank in the Top 15 in the nation in scoring, at No. 14 and No. 13, respectively.
Miami vs. Oklahoma
• This would be the eighth all-time matchup between the Hurricanes and the Sooners; Miami leads the series 4-3, including a 20-14 win in the 1988 Orange Bowl which earned them the national championship title.
• Oklahoma has played in the Camping World Bowl once before, a 40-6 loss to Clemson in the 2014 game, known as the Russell Athletic Bowl.
• Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray has the second-best passing efficiency in the nation (227.8), however a matchup with Miami would pit him against a defense that currently ranks third in the nation in passing yards allowed (137.3).
Miami vs. Texas Tech
• Teams have met five times previously, Miami leads the record 4-1.
• The last meeting was a 45-10 Miami victory in 1990 in Lubbock, Texas.
• Miami has an all-time record of 3-2 in the Camping World Bowl and tied with NC State for most appearances
Click here to check out weekly projections from earlier this season.