Written by Danny Morales
Florida is as big of a sports state as any other, with ten major sports franchises covering five different sports and not to mention seven FBS college football programs. All that makes the Sunshine State a great place for the College Football bowl season to feature eight games during December and January, more than any other state.
Below are my Week 11 predictions of what teams will go bowling in Florida and get to enjoy the warm weather.
Dec. 19: AutoNation Cure Bowl (American vs. Sun Belt) - UConn vs. Georgia Southern
Citrus Bowl Stadium, Orlando, FL
The AutoNation Cure Bowl is new this year and will be played on the very first day of bowl games on December 19. The game will feature a team from the American Athletic Conference and one from the Sun Belt and will take place at the Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium, giving the Citrus Bowl its third bowl game of the year.
UConn could clinch bowl eligibility with a win over either Houston or Temple over the final two weeks of the season, but that isn’t an easy task for the Huskies. If they can manage to win that sixth game, they should get a bid to the Cure Bowl and play in their first bowl game since the 2011 Fiesta Bowl.
Georgia Southern is currently in third in the conference, but they are also geographically the closest bowl-eligible Sun Belt team to Orlando so they should get the nod here because the bowl committee knows that their fan base can easily travel to Central Florida. Despite being bowl eligible last season, Georgia Southern missed out on a chance to play in a bowl game because NCAA rules prohibited a team from being bowl eligible in their first year in the FBS. With this being the school's first bowl appearance you can expect the fan base to travel well.
Dec. 21: Miami Beach Bowl (C-USA vs. American) - FIU vs. Cincinnati
Marlins Park, Miami, FL
The Miami Beach Bowl is in its second year of existence, and the inaugural game features some fireworks between Memphis and BYU, both on the field and after the final whistle, this year’s game will feature a team from The American against a C-USA foe.
Pre-season American Athletic Conference favorite Cincinnati could easily fall into this game with a 7-5 or even 8-4 record with all the success of other teams in the conference this season, but the Bearcats should at least get an opportunity to enjoy the Florida weather in December when it is almost sure to be snowing in Ohio.
FIU is a clear choice to play in the Miami Beach Bowl representing Conference USA as the Panthers haven’t been bowling since their appearance in the 2011 Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl. FIU is still a young program (started playing football in 202), but the opportunity to play a postseason game so close to campus should energize the student body and get the fanbase to make the 20-minute drive to Marlins Park to see their team play in a bowl game.
Dec. 22: Boca Raton Bowl (American vs. C-USA) - Tulsa vs. Toledo
FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, FL
The Boca Raton Bowl could be the bowl game that Toledo has to settle for after missing their chance at a New Year’s Six bowl game after losing to NIU this past week. The Rockets can still win the MAC outright but even with one loss that won’t be enough to get them into a bowl game anywhere near New Year’s Day.
Tulsa could be going bowling for the first time since 2012 as long as they get one more win over their next three games. The Golden Hurricanes have had a tough schedule as they played Oklahoma, Houston and Memphis this season (all are combined for two losses so far). Tulsa hasn't gone to a bowl game since 2012 but look to be on the right path under first-year head coach Philip Montgomery.
Dec. 26: St. Petersburg Bowl (American vs. C-USA) - USF vs. Western Kentucky
Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL
USF could make their first bowl appearance since 2010 if they can win one more game this season. That’s saying a lot for a program that in 2007 was ranked as high as No. 2 in the country during Week 7, but the Bulls had a hard fall from grace under Skip Holtz and now in Willie Taggart’s third year it looks like USF is finally on the right track. If USF gets bowl eligible, they will for sure stay close to home and play in the St. Pete Bowl, bringing with them a student body that hasn’t seen a winning season in four years.
What could make this game even more interesting is if Western Kentucky gets the nod from the bowl committee to be C-USA’s representative. This would be interesting for two reasons; 1) Willie Taggart came to USF from Western Kentucky where he was head coach for three season, as well as a former player. And 2) Western Kentucky is where former USF quarterback Mike White transferred to this offseason (He is currently sitting out a year due to NCAA rules).
Dec. 29: Russell Athletic Bowl (ACC vs. Big 12) - Florida State vs. TCU
Citrus Bowl Stadium, Orlando, FL
With Florida State now out of ACC title contention, it is easy to see the Seminoles playing in the Russell Athletic Bowl. It all makes sense as the ‘Noles are already making Orlando home for their 2016 Spring Game and will open the regular season in Orlando as well with a kickoff game against Ole Miss. Florida Citrus Sports like FSU and know that having the Seminoles in their bowl game will pack the house with ‘Noles fans from all over the state. For the Russell Athletic Bowl, Florida State is an easy choice out of the ACC.
The Big 12 selection is a little bit trickier. The conference currently has four teams fighting for either a College Football Playoff spot or a spot in a New Year’s Six bowl game, but at least one of those teams will miss out on those goals and with TCU’s loss this weekend to Oklahoma State it could be them. Now a bowl game between FSU and TCU would easily be the best bowl game played on that Tuesday but it would also pretty much guarantee a sell out of the Citrus Bowl.
Jan. 1: Outback Bowl (Big Ten vs. SEC) - Michigan vs. Ole Miss
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
The Outback Bowl went into overtime last year and made for a fantastic atmosphere between Auburn and Wisconsin and this New Year’s Day shouldn’t be any different out in Tampa.
Out of the Big Ten, it looks like it could be Michigan making the trip down to Florida this winter as the Wolverines missed out on a bowl game last season and in Jim Harbaugh’s first year it looks like he has the program back on track.
Ole Miss are officially out of the race for an SEC championship, but the Rebels could still see themselves playing in a high-quality bowl game against the likes of Michigan.
The last four Outback Bowls have been decided by a touchdown or less, and I don’t see that changing if these two teams end up facing off on New Year’s Day.
Jan. 1: Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl (SEC vs. Big Ten) - Georgia vs. Wisconsin
Citrus Bowl Stadium, Orlando, FL
The Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl features a lackluster matchup last year between Minnesota and Missouri. That should change this season when an SEC power such as Georgia could get the bowl bid and bringing in a worthy Big Ten foe like the Wisconsin Badgers could make for one of the more exciting New Year’s Day games that isn’t a playoff.
Jan. 2: Taxslayer Bowl (SEC vs. Big Ten) - Tennessee vs. Penn State
EverBank Field, Jacksonville, FL
Penn State should be going to their second straight bowl game this season after the program was plagued with a bowl ban for two years. The Nittany Lions has already tied their win total from a year ago and with two tough games remaining against Michigan and Michigan State they could prove they belong back towards the top of college football going into bowl season.
Tennessee is an easy pick from the SEC, but Kentucky (4-5) or Arkansas(5-4) could also slip in there if they win enough games to become bowl eligible.
Below are my Week 11 predictions of what teams will go bowling in Florida and get to enjoy the warm weather.
Dec. 19: AutoNation Cure Bowl (American vs. Sun Belt) - UConn vs. Georgia Southern
Citrus Bowl Stadium, Orlando, FL
The AutoNation Cure Bowl is new this year and will be played on the very first day of bowl games on December 19. The game will feature a team from the American Athletic Conference and one from the Sun Belt and will take place at the Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium, giving the Citrus Bowl its third bowl game of the year.
UConn could clinch bowl eligibility with a win over either Houston or Temple over the final two weeks of the season, but that isn’t an easy task for the Huskies. If they can manage to win that sixth game, they should get a bid to the Cure Bowl and play in their first bowl game since the 2011 Fiesta Bowl.
Georgia Southern is currently in third in the conference, but they are also geographically the closest bowl-eligible Sun Belt team to Orlando so they should get the nod here because the bowl committee knows that their fan base can easily travel to Central Florida. Despite being bowl eligible last season, Georgia Southern missed out on a chance to play in a bowl game because NCAA rules prohibited a team from being bowl eligible in their first year in the FBS. With this being the school's first bowl appearance you can expect the fan base to travel well.
Dec. 21: Miami Beach Bowl (C-USA vs. American) - FIU vs. Cincinnati
Marlins Park, Miami, FL
The Miami Beach Bowl is in its second year of existence, and the inaugural game features some fireworks between Memphis and BYU, both on the field and after the final whistle, this year’s game will feature a team from The American against a C-USA foe.
Pre-season American Athletic Conference favorite Cincinnati could easily fall into this game with a 7-5 or even 8-4 record with all the success of other teams in the conference this season, but the Bearcats should at least get an opportunity to enjoy the Florida weather in December when it is almost sure to be snowing in Ohio.
FIU is a clear choice to play in the Miami Beach Bowl representing Conference USA as the Panthers haven’t been bowling since their appearance in the 2011 Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl. FIU is still a young program (started playing football in 202), but the opportunity to play a postseason game so close to campus should energize the student body and get the fanbase to make the 20-minute drive to Marlins Park to see their team play in a bowl game.
Dec. 22: Boca Raton Bowl (American vs. C-USA) - Tulsa vs. Toledo
FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, FL
The Boca Raton Bowl could be the bowl game that Toledo has to settle for after missing their chance at a New Year’s Six bowl game after losing to NIU this past week. The Rockets can still win the MAC outright but even with one loss that won’t be enough to get them into a bowl game anywhere near New Year’s Day.
Tulsa could be going bowling for the first time since 2012 as long as they get one more win over their next three games. The Golden Hurricanes have had a tough schedule as they played Oklahoma, Houston and Memphis this season (all are combined for two losses so far). Tulsa hasn't gone to a bowl game since 2012 but look to be on the right path under first-year head coach Philip Montgomery.
Dec. 26: St. Petersburg Bowl (American vs. C-USA) - USF vs. Western Kentucky
Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL
USF could make their first bowl appearance since 2010 if they can win one more game this season. That’s saying a lot for a program that in 2007 was ranked as high as No. 2 in the country during Week 7, but the Bulls had a hard fall from grace under Skip Holtz and now in Willie Taggart’s third year it looks like USF is finally on the right track. If USF gets bowl eligible, they will for sure stay close to home and play in the St. Pete Bowl, bringing with them a student body that hasn’t seen a winning season in four years.
What could make this game even more interesting is if Western Kentucky gets the nod from the bowl committee to be C-USA’s representative. This would be interesting for two reasons; 1) Willie Taggart came to USF from Western Kentucky where he was head coach for three season, as well as a former player. And 2) Western Kentucky is where former USF quarterback Mike White transferred to this offseason (He is currently sitting out a year due to NCAA rules).
Dec. 29: Russell Athletic Bowl (ACC vs. Big 12) - Florida State vs. TCU
Citrus Bowl Stadium, Orlando, FL
With Florida State now out of ACC title contention, it is easy to see the Seminoles playing in the Russell Athletic Bowl. It all makes sense as the ‘Noles are already making Orlando home for their 2016 Spring Game and will open the regular season in Orlando as well with a kickoff game against Ole Miss. Florida Citrus Sports like FSU and know that having the Seminoles in their bowl game will pack the house with ‘Noles fans from all over the state. For the Russell Athletic Bowl, Florida State is an easy choice out of the ACC.
The Big 12 selection is a little bit trickier. The conference currently has four teams fighting for either a College Football Playoff spot or a spot in a New Year’s Six bowl game, but at least one of those teams will miss out on those goals and with TCU’s loss this weekend to Oklahoma State it could be them. Now a bowl game between FSU and TCU would easily be the best bowl game played on that Tuesday but it would also pretty much guarantee a sell out of the Citrus Bowl.
Jan. 1: Outback Bowl (Big Ten vs. SEC) - Michigan vs. Ole Miss
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
The Outback Bowl went into overtime last year and made for a fantastic atmosphere between Auburn and Wisconsin and this New Year’s Day shouldn’t be any different out in Tampa.
Out of the Big Ten, it looks like it could be Michigan making the trip down to Florida this winter as the Wolverines missed out on a bowl game last season and in Jim Harbaugh’s first year it looks like he has the program back on track.
Ole Miss are officially out of the race for an SEC championship, but the Rebels could still see themselves playing in a high-quality bowl game against the likes of Michigan.
The last four Outback Bowls have been decided by a touchdown or less, and I don’t see that changing if these two teams end up facing off on New Year’s Day.
Jan. 1: Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl (SEC vs. Big Ten) - Georgia vs. Wisconsin
Citrus Bowl Stadium, Orlando, FL
The Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl features a lackluster matchup last year between Minnesota and Missouri. That should change this season when an SEC power such as Georgia could get the bowl bid and bringing in a worthy Big Ten foe like the Wisconsin Badgers could make for one of the more exciting New Year’s Day games that isn’t a playoff.
Jan. 2: Taxslayer Bowl (SEC vs. Big Ten) - Tennessee vs. Penn State
EverBank Field, Jacksonville, FL
Penn State should be going to their second straight bowl game this season after the program was plagued with a bowl ban for two years. The Nittany Lions has already tied their win total from a year ago and with two tough games remaining against Michigan and Michigan State they could prove they belong back towards the top of college football going into bowl season.
Tennessee is an easy pick from the SEC, but Kentucky (4-5) or Arkansas(5-4) could also slip in there if they win enough games to become bowl eligible.