Tech bowl projections
For your reading enjoyment, a selection of bowl projections for Georgia Tech.
As you may know, the ACC’s bowl lineup has changed with the advent of the College Football Playoff. The conference has contracted with the Orange, Russell Athletic, Capital One, Sun, Belk, Pinstripe, Music City, Gator, Military, Independence, Detroit Lions, St. Petersburg and Birmingham bowls. More information below the projections.
Bill Bender, Sporting News – Pinstripe Bowl vs. Rutgers
David Hale, ESPN – Military Bowl (opponent not selected)
Brett McMurphy, ESPN – Pinstripe Bowl vs. Wisconsin
Jerry Palm, CBSSports.com – Military Bowl vs. Memphis
Mark Schlabach, ESPN – Belk Bowl vs. South Carolina
Phil Steele, Phil Steele’s College Football Preview – Pinstripe Bowl vs. Rutgers
Patrick Stevens, Syracuse Post-Standard – Sun Bowl (opponent not selected)
ACC bowl selection order
If the ACC champion is not selected for the College Football Playoff, it will go to the Orange Bowl, with the exception of the years that the Orange Bowl is site for the playoff semifinal or championship. In that event, the ACC champion would either go to the Peach or Fiesta.
If the ACC champion does go to the College Football Playoff, the Orange will take a second ACC team. The Orange opponent will either be from the SEC, Big Ten or Notre Dame.
The Capital One slot is a bit confusing. The ACC can send a team there if the Orange Bowl , in the years it isn’t a semifinal host, takes a team from the Big Ten, up to three times in six years.
The Russell Athletic has first choice after the aforementioned bowls.
The Belk, Sun, Pinstripe, Music City and Gator bowls all have equal selection status.
The next in line are the Military, Independence and Detroit Lions bowls. The St. Petersburg and Birmingham bowls are available in years when the games can’t be filled by their affiliated conferences.
About the Author
Ken Sugiura is a sports columnist at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Formerly the Georgia Tech beat reporter, Sugiura started at the AJC in 1998 and has covered a variety of beats, mostly within sports.
