WVU Bowl Projections – Week of 11/16/2015

[WVex-pat in GA]

UNC, Ole Miss & Tennessee are the new favorites as an opponents across four different Bowl Games.


SI - Advocare 100 Texas Bowl - 12/29 – Houston,TX - vs. UGA

SB Nation/ - Cactus Bowl - 1/2/16 – Tempe, AZ - vs. USC

CFB News - Autozone Liberty Bowl - 1/2/16 – Memphis, TN - vs. Tennessee

Athlon Sports - Autozone Liberty Bowl - 1/2/16 – Memphis, TN - vs. Tennessee

Sporting News -Autozone Liberty Bowl - 1/2/16 – Memphis, TN - vs. Ole Miss

ESPN (Mark Schlabach) - Russell Athletic Bowl - 12/29 – Orlando, FL - vs. UNC

ESPN (Brett McMurphy) – Russell Athletic Bowl - 12/29 – Orlando, FL - vs. UNC

CBS Sports - Advocare 100 Texas Bowl - 12/29 – Houston,TX - vs. Ole Miss

 

[GoWVU]

It seems like Liberty v. Tennessee was the most common projection around this same time last year, and I recall being very grateful that last-minute shifts resulted in a different opponent.

Still want no part of the Volunteers in their home state, and North Carolina in Orlando might be an even worse matchup.

A lower-octane SEC foe or one of the Arizona schools are games we have far better chances to win.

 

[WVex-pat in GA]

I think the Liberty Bowl is very likely for WVU but probably against Ole Miss or Arkansas. Tennessee has a good likelihood to win out and be higher ranked when the SEC selects teams. Tennessee has Missouri this week and games they should win to end at 8-4. They will get rewarded with a better bowl than Liberty.

Arkansas may not get past Miss St this weekend and end up 7-5 with a win over Missouri next week. Ole Miss and Miss St could both end up 8-4, so who knows. But I'd think Ole Miss would get the nod.

I think I'd rather play Arkansas given the choice.

 

[WVex-pat in GA]

Also, here is a link on Bowl selection tie-ins by conference. Helps to understand the ins and outs.

http://campusinsiders.com/news/2014-2015-conference-bowl-tie-ins

 

[GoWVU]

Agreed that Tennessee has a good chance to play its way up the ladder. I'd be fine with either Ole Miss or Arkansas.

Always thought we should've capitalized on the Music City Bowl in 2000 to sign a home-and-home with Ole Miss so we could all get down to The Grove. Another bowl meeting would be the next best thing.

Hard to believe we still have not played Arkansas since the programs do share some similarities. They'd be a tough draw, but probably a fun "Redneck Bowl" angle.

 

[pressvirginia]

Cactus Bowl vs USC is my choice for this week. That's an all-time brand name & a new opponent. WVU has played USC just once (1959).

9-4 with a bowl win over USC would be pretty sweet IF it could be achieved. Would be the best win of the season.

I don't care to see the Liberty Bowl again for a while. I think I read last year that the SEC picks who it sends to which bowls, so if it's a bowl vs an SEC team, expect them to send a favorable, winnable match-up. Last year the Liberty Bowl wanted in-state Tenn vs WVU, but instead it got aTm - who won - and Tenn went to the TaxSlayer Bowl and destroyed Iowa. win-win.

UNC could finish ranked and beating a ranked team in a bowl game again would be one of the biggest achievements in the Dana era. Not sure that we could keep up with their scoring though. Eventually teams will really stack the box & try to stuff Smallwood. & I hate losing to ACC teams. yuck.

 

[Pushingtin]

I will take the Orlando bowl no matter who against.....just a short drive for me.

 

[thunderstruckatthejoan]

I would take any of those, with the liberty being my first choice.

 

[Woody in Helvetia]

I would take any of those, with the liberty being my first choice.

Houston is my first choice. We have very good friends there - infact they used to sit with us a WVU games.

 

[GoWVU]

Cactus Bowl vs USC is my choice for this week. That's an all-time brand name & a new opponent. WVU has played USC just once (1959).

9-4 with a bowl win over USC would be pretty sweet IF it could be achieved. Would be the best win of the season.

I don't care to see the Liberty Bowl again for a while. I think I read last year that the SEC picks who it sends to which bowls, so if it's a bowl vs an SEC team, expect them to send a favorable, winnable match-up. Last year the Liberty Bowl wanted in-state Tenn vs WVU, but instead it got aTm - who won - and Tenn went to the TaxSlayer Bowl and destroyed Iowa. win-win.

UNC could finish ranked and beating a ranked team in a bowl game again would be one of the biggest achievements in the Dana era. Not sure that we could keep up with their scoring though. Eventually teams will really stack the box & try to stuff Smallwood. & I hate losing to ACC teams. yuck.

Cactus is my first choice, mainly because any Pac-12 opponent essentially would be uncharted territory for WVU...plus if you lose to them, it doesn't really hurt either nationally or locally. I don't think we could beat USC unless they forget to show up mentally, but I would like our chances against either Arizona school and also possibly Washington St or Cal.

Liberty or Texas carries an attractive SEC opponent, but you're spot on with the SEC arranging matchups favorably for its schools which makes the deck stacked against us.

I think North Carolina's passing game would absolutely run us out of the building. The problem with playing ACC teams in bowls is everything. That's who we've played most frequently throughout our history, so it lacks novelty. We rarely play well against them, so the chances of losing are greater. If we do win, the victory usually carries no national clout because the ACC isn't very good. If we lose, it hurts nationally because the ACC sucks and it kills us locally since we're often directly competing for recruits with those schools.

Playing an ACC team in the bowls is basically all bad and very little good, plus it's typically a stale matchup.

 

[pressvirginia]

there is one ACC exception for a bowl I would gladly accept: Backyard Bowl Brawl