With just a few weeks to go before the release of the NCAA bowl game schedule, we’re taking the time to look ahead to the bowl game projections for the 2011 – 2012 season. This season of college football has been a wild ride, with all kinds of big upsets. This past weekend was an especially wild one, with the #2, #4, #5 and 7th ranked teams all suffering shocking upsets. With the grudge match weekend looming after Thanksgiving, another round of upsets is not out of the questions. But nonetheless, were are going to project the possible matchups for all 35 bowl games.

BCS Games

BCS National Championship Game

• When: January 9, 2012 at 8:30 p.m.
• Where: Louisiana Superdome – New Orleans, Louisiana
• Official BCS Championship site
• Last year’s score: Auburn 22 – Oregon 19
• MVP on offense: Michael Dyer
• MVP on defense: Nick Fairley

Prior to losses from both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State it looked like the BCS Championship Game would be between LSU and one of the Oklahoma schools. But after neither could manage to remain undefeated, it looks like, if the first-ranked LSU can get past #3 Arkansas, they would be the first team selected for the BCS National Championship Game. And if Alabama can avoid an upset in the Iron Bowl against Auburn, they would likely get the second BCS Game invite in what would be a rematch of the LSU Alabama game on November 5, which saw LSU kick a field goal in overtime to secure the 9-6 win. As the biggest college game of the year, the BCS National Championship Game is one of the most popular sporting events on the calendar. With college football having some of the most intense fans in the country, the number of people trying to get into the Championship Game far exeeds the availablilty. But for the fans who make it to the game and watch their team win the title, they have a memeory for a lifetime. And with the 2012 game being hosted in New Orleans, this game should be even wilder than usual.

Rose Bowl

For the first time in recent memory, the Rose Bowl Game is not taking place on New Year’s Day and instead will be played on Monday, January 2nd. The Rose Bowl matches up the Big Ten against the Pac-12 in one of the marquee bowl games of the year. The Oregon Ducks, who lost to Auburn in last year’s BCS Championship Game, will likely be selected to play in the Rose Bowl due to their win over Stanford on November 12. The Ducks will need to win the inaugural Pac 12 Championship Game, which will likely be against UCLA. (USC has the best record in the Pac 12 South, but is not eligible to compete due to NCAA sanctions). If UCLA looses on Saturday, the South could be represented by Arizona State University or Utah. Either way the Ducks would be favored in any scenario and would end up in the Rose Bowl. The last time the Ducks won the Rose Bowl was in 1917 (they lost it four times since).

The Big Ten Rose Bowl representative will come down to Wisconsin, Penn State and Michigan State. Penn State and Wisconsin play at Camp Randall Stadium this Saturday, November 26 in a game that will decide the representative from the Big Ten’s Leaders Division. The winner of that game should play Michigan State, who will represent the Legends Division due to its win over Michigan on October 15.

• When: January 2, 2012 at 5 p.m.
• Where: Rose Bowl – Pasadena, California
• Official Rose Bowl site
• Last year’s score: TCU 21 – Wisconsin 19
• MVP on offense: Andy Dalton
• MVP on defense: Tank Carder

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl

The Fiesta Bowl matchup is pretty firmly set to be the Stanford Cardinals (Pac 12) vs the winner of the “Bedlam” football game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Due to their loss to Oregon, Stanford can’t play in the Rose Bowl, and unless the five teams in front of them all loose, they would have a very tough time getting into the BCS Championship Game. That leaves Stanford and likely #1 NFL Draft pick Andrew Luck in the desert at University of Phoenix Stadium, facing off against the winner of the Bedlam Series between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State on Saturday, December 3.

• When: January 5, 2012 at 8:30 p.m.
• Where: U of Phoenix Stadium – Glendale, Arizona
• Official Fiesta Bowl Site
• First Played: 1971
• Last year’s score: Oklahoma 48 – Connecticut 20
• MVP on offense: Landry Jones
• MVP on defense: Jamell Fleming

Orange Bowl

The Orange Bowl features the winner of the ACC vs a BCS eligible team. Right now Clemson will play in the ACC Championship Game with its 9-2 record. They will take on the winner of the The Commonwealth Cup game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Virginia Cavaliers on Saturday, November 26. The Orange Bowl should see the winner of the ACC taking on one of the remaining BCS berths, which will likely be the Big East representative. It could either be the Louisville Cardinals, which are currently leading the Big East, or the West Virginia Mountaineers. Rutgers and Cincinnati could also end up playing in the Orange Bowl (that’s the Big East for you).

• When: January 4, 2012 at 8 p.m.
• Where: Sun Life Stadium – Miami, Florida
• The Orange Bowl normally sees the ACC vs a BCS eligible team
• Official Orange Bowl Site
• First Played: 1935
• Last year’s score: Stanford 40 – Virginia Tech 12
• MVP on offense: Andrew Luck

Sugar Bowl

Even though there will be teams ranked higher than Michigan, its tradition and the revenue implications of the fanbase make it likely Michigan would get the BCS invite over teams ranked higher. The BCS system is designed to generate the most revenue, not to award the teams that performed the best. While Michigan could get what some would call an undeserved BCS Bowl invite, they will likely face a team from a conference without an automatic BCS Bowl qualifier. Conference USA’s Houston Cougars are undefeated heading into Saturday’s game against Tulsa. If they pull that out the BCS would all but have to invite Houston to a BCS game.

• When: January 3, 2012 at 8:30 p.m.
• Where: Louisiana Superdome – New Orleans, Louisiana
• Official Sugar Bowl Site
• First Played: 1935
• Last year’s score: Ohio State 31 – Arkansas 26
• MVP on offense: Terrell Pryor

So those are the BCS Bowls. But as we all know there is no shortage of college football bowl games. The following is a breakdown of all the 2011 – 2012 NCAA Football Bowl Games. Of course there is a lot of wiggle room, and for most bowls you’ll see what the teams with the best chances to get in listed.

Non BCS Bowl projections

GoDaddy.com Bowl

• When: January 8, 2012 at 9 p.m.
• Where: Ladd-Peebles Stadium – Mobile, Alabama
• The GoDaddy.com Bowl normally sees the Sun Belt take on the MAC
• 2011 GoDaddy.com projections:
  • Sun Belt: Arkansas State – has already accepted invite
  • Mid-American Conference : Northern Illinois or Toledo
• Official GoDaddy.com Bowl Site
• First Played: 1999
• Last year’s score: Miami 35 – Middle Tennessee 21
• MVP on offense: Dan LeFevour

BBVA Compass Bowl

• When: January 7, 2012 at 1 p.m.
• Where: Legion Field – Birmingham, Alabama
• The Compass Bowl normally sees the Big East take on the SEC
• 2011 Compass projections:
  • SEC: Vanderbilt
  • Big East: Cincinnati or Louisville
  • The Sun Belt’s FIU could also be invited instead of Vanderbilt
• Official Compass Bowl Site
• Last year’s score: Pittsburgh 27 – Kentucky 10
• MVP on offense: Dion Lewis

AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic 

• When: January 6, 2012 at 8 p.m.
• Where: Cowboys Stadium – Arlington, Texas
• The Cotton Bowl normally sees the Big 12 take on the SEC
• 2011 Cotton projections:
  • Big 12: Kansas State Wildcats
  • SEC: Georgia Bulldogs or Arkansas Razorbacks
• Official Cotton Bowl Site
• Last year’s score: LSU 41 – Texas A&M 24
• MVP on offense: Dexter McCluster
• MVP on defense: Andre Sexton

Ticket City Bowl

• When: January 2, 2012 at 12 p.m.
• Where: Cotton Bowl – Dallas, Texas
• The Ticket City Bowl normally sees the Big Ten take on Conference USA
• 2011 Ticket City projections:
  • Bin Ten: Purdue or Illinois
  • Conference USA: UTEP or SMU
• Official Ticket City Bowl Site
• Last year’s score: Texas Tech 45 – Northwestern 38
• MVP on offense: Taylor Potts

Outback Bowl

• When: January 2, 2012 at 1 p.m.
• Where: Raymond James Stadium – Tampa, Florida
• The Outback Bowl normally sees the Big Ten take on the SEC
• 2011 Outback projections:
  • Big Ten: Michigan State Spartans or Nebraska Cornhuskers
  • SEC: South Carolina
• Official Outback Bowl Site
• First Played: 1986
• Last year’s score: Florida 37 – Penn State 24
• MVP on defense: Ahmad Black

Capital One Bowl

• When: January 2, 2012 at 1 p.m.
• Where: Citrus Bowl – Orlando, Florida
• The Capitol One Bowl normally sees the Big Ten take on the SEC
• 2011 Capitol One projections:
  • Big Ten: Nebraska Huskers or Wisconsin Badgers
  • SEC: Arkansas Razorbacks or Georgia Bulldogs
• Official Capitol One Bowl Site
• First Played: 1947
• Trophy: Capital One Bowl Trophy Payout: $4,250,000.00
• Last year’s score: Alabama 49 – Michigan State 7
• MVP on defense: Courney Upshaw

Gator Bowl

• When: January 2, 2012 at 1 p.m.
• Where: EverBank Field – Jacksonville, Florida
• The Gator Bowl normally sees the Big Ten take on the SEC
• 2011 Gator projections:
  • Big Ten: Ohio State or Penn State
  • SEC: Florida Gators or Auburn Tigers
• Official Gator Bowl Site
• First Played: 1946
• Last year’s score: Mississippi 52 – Michigan 14
• MVP on offense: Chris Relf

Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas 

• When: December 31, 2011 at 12 p.m.
• Where: Reliant Stadium – Houston, Texas
• The Texas Bowl normally sees the Big 12 take on the Big Ten
• 2011 Texas projections:
  • Big 12: Texas Longhorns or Texas A&M Aggies
  • Big Ten: Purdue Boilermakers or Iowa Hawkeyes
• Official Texas Bowl Site
• First Played: 2006
• Last year’s score: Illinois 38 – Baylor 14
• MVP on offense: Mikel Leshoure

Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl

• When: December 31, 2011 at 3:30 p.m.
• Where: AT&T Park – San Francisco, California
• The Fight Hunger Bowl normally sees the Pac-12 take on the WAC or Army
• 2011 Fight Hunger projections:
  • Pac 12: Arizona State vs Cal
  • Big 12: Iowa State
• The Mid-American’s Temple Owls could also get invited
• Official Fight Hunger Bowl Site
• First Played: 2002
• Last year’s score: Nevada 20 – Boston College 13
• MVP on offense: Rishard Matthews
• MVP on defense: Luke Kuechly

AutoZone Liberty Bowl 

• When: December 31, 2011 at 3:30 p.m.
• Where: Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium – Memphis, Tennessee
• The Liberty Bowl normally sees C-USA take on the SEC
• 2011 Liberty projections:
  • Conference USA: Southern Miss or Houston (if they loose to Tulsa)
  • SEC: Mississippi State or Tennessee Vols
• Official Liberty Bowl Site
• First Played: 1959
• Last year’s score: UCF 10 – Georgia 6
• MVP on offense: Latavius Murray

Hyundai Sun Bowl

• When: December 31, 2011 at 2 p.m.
• Where: Sun Bowl Stadium – El Paso, Texas
• The Sun Bowl normally sees the ACC take on the Pac-12
• 2011 Sun projections:
  • ACC: Virginia
  • Pac 12: Washington, California or UCLA
• Official Sun Bowl Site
• First Played: 1935
• Last year’s score: Notre Dame 33 – Miami 17
• MVP on offense: Michael Floyd

Chick-fil-A Bowl

• When: December 31, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
• Where: Georgia Dome – Atlanta, Georgia
• The Chick-fil-A Bowl normally sees the ACC take on the SEC
• 2011 Chick-fil-A projections:
  • ACC: Clemson
  • SEC: Florida Gators or Auburn Tigers
• Official Chick-fil-A Bowl Site
• First Played: 1968
• Last year’s score: Florida State 26 – South Carolina 17
• MVP on offense: Chris Thompson
• MVP on defense: Greg Reid

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl

• When: December 30, 2011 at 12 p.m.
• Where: Gerald J. Ford Stadium – University Park, Texas
• The Armed Forces Bowl normally sees the C-USA or MWC take on the BYU when they are Bowl Eligible
• 2011 Armed Forces projections:
  • Independent: BYU has already accepted its invitation
  • Conference USA: Tulsa or SMU
• Official Armed Forces Bowl Site
• First Played: 2003
• Last year’s score: Army 16 – SMU 14
• MVP on offense: Darius Johnson
• MVP on defense: Stephen Anderson

New Era Pinstripe Bowl

• When: December 30, 2011 at 3:20 p.m.
• Where: Yankee Stadium – Bronx, New York
• The Pinstripe Bowl normally sees the Big 12 take on the Big East
• 2011 Pinstripe projections:
  • Big 12: Texas or Baylor
  • Big East: West Virginia or Rutgers
• Official Pinstripe Bowl Site
• First Played: 2010
• Last year’s score: Syracuse 36 – Kansas State 34
• MVP on offense: Delone Carter

Insight Bowl

• When: December 30, 2011 at 10 p.m.
• Where: Sun Devil Stadium – Tempe, Arizona
• The Insight Bowl normally sees the Big Ten take on the Big 12
• 2011 Insight projections:
  • Big Ten: Iowa or Nebraska
  • Big 12: Oklahoma or Texas A&M
• Official Insight Bowl Site
• First Played: 1989
• Last year’s score: Iowa 27 – Missouri 24
• MVP on offense: Marcus Coker
• MVP on defense: Micah Hyde

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl

• Franklin American Mortgage Company
• When: December 30, 2011 at 6:40 p.m.
• Where: LP Field – Nashville, Tennessee
• The Music City Bowl normally sees the ACC take on the SEC
• 2011 Music City projections:
  • ACC: Wake Forest or Georgia Tech
  • SEC: Mississippi State or Tennessee Vols
• Official Music City Bowl Site
• First Played: 1998
• Last year’s score: North Carolina 30 – Tennessee 27
• MVP on offense: Shaun Draughn

Champs Sports Bowl

• When: December 29, 2011 at 5:30 p.m.
• Where: Florida Citrus Bowl – Orlando, Florida
• 2011 Champs Sports projections:
  • ACC: Florida State
  • Notre Dame (Independent)
• Official Champs Sports Bowl Site
• First Played: 1990
• Last year’s score: NC State 23 – West Virginia 7
• MVP on offense: Russell Wilson

Valero Alamo Bowl

• When: December 29, 2011 at 5:30 p.m.
• Where: Alamodome – San Antonio, Texas
• The Alamo Bowl normally sees the Big 12 take on the Pac-12
• 2011 Alamo projections:
  • Big 12: Baylor or Oklahoma
  • Pac 12: Washington or Utah
• Official Alamo Bowl Site
• First Played: 1993
• Last year’s score: Oklahoma State 36 – Arizona 10
• MVP on offense: Justin Blackmon
• MVP on defense: Markelle Martin

Military Bowl Presented by Northrop Grumman 

• When: December 28, 2011 at 4:30 p.m.
• Where: RFK Stadium – Washington, D.C.
• The Military Bowl normally sees the ACC or C-USA take on Navy (if Bowl Eligible)
• 2011 Military projections:
  • ACC: Wake Forest or North Carolina
  • Mountain West: Air Force or Iowa State
• Official Military Bowl Site
• First Played: 2008
• Last year’s score: Maryland 51 – East Carolina 20
• MVP on offense: Da’Rel Scott

Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl

• When: December 28, 2011 at 10 p.m.
• Where: Qualcomm Stadium – San Diego, California
• The Holiday Bowl normally sees the Big 12 take on the Pac-12
• 2011 Holiday projections:
  • Big 12: Texas or Missouri
  • Pac 12: Utah or Washington
• Official Holiday Bowl Site
• First Played: 1978
• Last year’s score: Washington 19 – Nebraska 7
• MVP on offense: Chris Polk
• MVP on defense: Mason Foster

Little Caesars Pizza Bowl

• When: December 27, 2011 at 4:30 p.m.
• Where: Ford Field – Detroit, Michigan
• The Motor City Bowl Bowl normally sees the Big Ten take on the MAC
• 2011 Motor City Bowl projections:
  • Big Ten: Ohio State or Northwestern
  • Mid American: Ohio or Toledo
• Official Motor City Bowl Bowl Site
• First Played: 1997
• Last year’s score: FIU 34 – Toledo 32
• MVP on offense: T.Y. Hilton

Belk Bowl

• When: December 27, 2011 at 8 p.m.
• Where: Bank of America Stadium – Charlotte, North Carolina
• The Belk Bowl normally sees the ACC take on the Big East
• 2011 Belk projections:
  • ACC: Georgia Tech or North Carolina State
  • Big East: Cincinnati or Louisville
• Official Belk Bowl Site
• First Played: 2002
• Last year’s score: South Florida 31 – Clemson 26
• MVP on offense: B. J. Daniels
• MVP on defense: N/A

AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl

• When: December 26, 2011 at 5 p.m.
• Where: Independence Stadium – Shreveport, Louisiana
• The Independence Bowl normally sees the MWC take on the ACC
• 2011 Independence projections:
  • ACC: North Carolina State or Wake Forest
  • Mountain West: Wyoming or San Diego State
• Official Independence Bowl Site
• First Played: 1976
• Last year’s score: Air Force 14 – Georgia Tech 7
• MVP on offense: Jared Tew
• MVP on defense: Rick Ricketts

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl

• When: December 24, 2011 at 7 p.m.
• Where: Aloha Stadium – Honolulu, Hawaii
• The Hawaii Bowl normally sees the WAC take on the C-USA
• 2011 Hawaii projections:
  • Conference USA: SMU or UTEP
  • WAC: Nevada
  • Wyoming (Mountain West) could also end up in the Hawaii Bowll
• Official Hawaii Bowl Site
• First Played: 2002
• Last year’s score: Tulsa 62 – Hawaii 35
• MVP on offense: Demaris Johnson

MAACO Las Vegas Bowl

• When: December 22, 2011 at 8 p.m.
• Where: Sam Boyd Stadium – Whitney, Nevada
• The Las Vegas Bowl normally sees the MWC take on the Pac-12
• 2011 Las Vegas projections:
  • Mountain West: TCU
  • Pac 12: UCLA or California
• Official Las Vegas Bowl Site
• First Played: 1992
• Last year’s score: Boise State 26 – Utah 3
• MVP on offense: Kellen Moore

S.D. County Credit Union Poinsettia

• When: December 21, 2011 at 8 p.m.
• Where: Qualcomm Stadium – San Diego, California
• The Poinsettia Bowl normally sees the MWC take on the WAC
• 2011 Poinsettia projections:
  • Mountain West: Boise State or San Diego State
  • WAC: Nevada or Louisiana Tech
• Official Poinsettia Bowl Site
• First Played: 2005
• Last year’s score: San Diego State 35 – Navy 14
• MVP on offense: Ronnie Hillman
• MVP on defense: Andrew Preston

St. Petersburg Bowl Presented by Beef ‘O’ Brady’s

• When: December 20, 2011 at 8 p.m.
• Where: Tropicana Field – St. Petersburg, Florida
• The St. Petersburg Bowl normally sees the C-USA take on the Big East
• 2011 St. Petersburg projections:
  • Big East: South Florida or Pittsburgh
  • Conference USA: East Carolina or Marshall
• Official St. Petersburg Bowl Site
• First Played: 2008
• Last year’s score: Louisville 31 – Southern Miss 28
• MVP on offense: Jeremy Wright

Gildan New Mexico Bowl

• When: December 17, 2011 at 2 p.m.
• Where: University Stadium – Albuquerque, New Mexico
• The New Mexico Bowl normally sees the Mountain West take on the Pac-12
• 2011 New Mexico projections:
  • Mountain West: San Diego State or Wyoming
  • Big Ten: Illinois or Ball State
• Official New Mexico Bowl Site
• First Played: 2006
• Last year’s score: BYU 52 – UTEP 24
• MVP on offense: Jake Heaps
• MVP on defense: Andrew Rich

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl

• When: December 17, 2011 at 9 p.m.
• Where: Louisiana Superdome – New Orleans, Louisiana
• The New Orleans Bowl normally sees the C-USA take on the Sun Belt
• 2011 New Orleans projections:
  • Big East: South Florida or Illinois
  • Sun Belt: Western Kentucky or Louisiana-Lafayette
• Official New Orleans Bowl Site
• First Played: 2001
• Last year’s score: Troy 48 – Ohio 21
• MVP on offense: Corey Robinson

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

• When: December 17, 2011 at 5:30 p.m.
• Where: Bronco Stadium – Boise, Idaho
• The Potato Bowl normally sees the WAC take on the MAC
• 2011 Potato projections:
  • Mid-American: Toledo or Ohio
  • WAC: Utah State or Louisiana Tech
• Official Potato Bowl Site
• How long had current name: 2011
• Last year’s score: Northern Illinois 40 – Fresno State 17
• MVP on offense: Chandler Harnish
• MVP on defense: N/A