Miami's Bowl Possibilities Still Unclear
Nov. 14, 2010
By: Rob Dunning
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – With just two weeks to play in the regular season, the `Canes postseason outlook is about as wide open as the running lanes created by Miami’s offensive line Saturday in Atlanta.
Miami’s 35-10 blowout win over Georgia Tech on Saturday secured the Hurricanes’ spot as the clear cut No. 2 team in the ACC Coastal Division behind Virginia Tech with two weeks left to play in the regular season.
That said, the possibilities seem endless for where Miami (7-3, 5-2 ACC) will be bowling this holiday season.
In order for Miami to win the ACC Championship and advance to a BCS bowl, the `Canes would need to beat Virginia Tech (8-2, 6-0) on Saturday and have Virginia beat the Hokies next weekend in Blacksburg.
If the Hurricanes are unable to reach the BCS and likely spot in the Discover Orange Bowl on Jan. 3 at Sun Life Stadium, the other bowl options are plentiful.
The Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta (Friday, Dec. 31, 7:30 p.m., ESPN) gets the first choice of ACC teams after the BCS selections have been announced. In recent years, this bowl has been apt to select one of the better ACC teams that didn’t reach the conference title game and has a strong draw in both attendance and television ratings. This bowl is widely considered one of; if not the top non-BCS bowl nationally.
After the Chick-fil-A Bowl, the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando (Tuesday, Dec. 28, 6:30 p.m., ESPN) gets the next pick. In years past, this slot was given to the Gator Bowl, which is now affiliated with the Southeastern Conference and the Big Ten. The Champs Sports Bowl will likely select from either the loser of the ACC Championship game or one of the other top teams in the conference.
The Hyundai Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas (Friday, Dec. 31, 2 p.m., CBS) will pit an ACC team with a Pac 10 team. This bowl is new to the ACC line-up this year. As per ACC rules, the Sun Bowl must select the ACC Championship game loser if it were to fall this far. Otherwise, the bowl will choose from the top remaining teams following the selections from the BCS, Chick-fil-A and Champs Sports Bowls.
After the Sun Bowl, the next two bowls are the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte (Friday, Dec. 31, 12 p.m., ESPN) and the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl in Nashville (Thursday, Dec. 30, 6:30 p.m., ESPN). These bowls will chose from what is left on the board, usually focusing on ticket sales as both bowls are played in large NFL stadiums.
In total, the ACC has agreements to send eight teams to bowl games if eight are eligible. We’ll know more after this weekend’s games, but we won’t know enough until the ACC Championship game is played on Dec. 4 and the BCS makes its selections on Dec. 5.
Maryland (7-3, 4-2 ACC) and NC State (7-3, 4-2 ACC) each control its own destiny for the ACC Atlantic Division crown and a spot in the conference championship game. They will meet on the final regular season weekend at Maryland. Florida State (7-3, 4-2) is still alive as well, but needs to beat Maryland this weekend and hope for an NC State loss to either North Carolina or Maryland.
In the Coastal, the picture is a little clearer. Virginia Tech, the only undefeated team in ACC play, needs to win one of its next two games to win the division. Miami will go into the bowl season no worse than the No. 2 Coastal team as North Carolina (6-4, 3-3 ACC) and Georgia Tech (5-5, 3-4) can finish no better than third or fourth in the division.
It’s all but certain the `Canes will be in one of the ACC’s Top 5 bowls. The `Canes could go to the Orange, Chick-fil-A, Champs Sports, Sun or Meineke Car Care.
Saturday will go a long way in determining the ACC’s bowl landscape. It’s obviously way too early to order your tickets and book your flights.
Enjoy the games and speculation in the meantime.
ACC BOWL LINE-UP (in order of selection)
Discover Orange Bowl
ACC vs. BCS
Monday, Jan. 3, 8 pm (ESPN)
Sun Life Stadium (72,230), Miami Gardens, Fla.
Chick-fil-A Bowl
ACC vs. SEC
Friday, Dec. 31, 7:30 pm (ESPN)
The Georgia Dome (71,147), Atlanta, Ga.
Champs Sports Bowl
ACC vs. Big East
Tuesday, Dec. 28, 6:30 pm (ESPN)
Florida Citrus Bowl (65,438), Orlando, Fla.
Hyundai Sun Bowl
ACC vs. Pac-10
Friday, Dec. 31, 2 pm (CBS)
Sun Bowl Stadium (50,426), El Paso, Texas
Meineke Car Care Bowl
ACC vs. Big East/Notre Dame
Friday, Dec. 31, 12 pm (ESPN)
Bank of America Stadium (73,667), Charlotte, N.C.
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl
ACC vs. SEC
Thursday, Dec. 30, 6:30 pm (ESPN)
LP Field (67,000), Nashville, Tenn.
Advocare V100 Independence Bowl
ACC vs. Mountain West
Monday, Dec. 27, 5 pm (ESPN2)
Independence Stadium (49,147), Shreveport, La.
Military Bowl
ACC vs. Conference USA
Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2:30 pm (ESPN)
RFK Stadium Field (45,000), Washington, D.C.
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl
Pac 10 vs. WAC (or ACC)
Sunday, Jan. 9, 9 pm (ESPN)
AT&T Park (40,184), San Francisco, Calif.
