ACC Has 11 Teams Eligible For Bowl Games
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The Atlantic Coast Conference began the 2013 season hoping to get back into the race for the national championship and boost the conference's overall image.
The Florida State Seminoles took care of the first part of the plan, running off a 12-0 regular season and being one victory away from the BCS Championship Game. The rest of the conference came through as well as the ACC has 11 of 14 teams eligible for bowl games this year.
The only ACC teams not going bowling this season are the Virginia Cavaliers, North Carolina State Wolfpack, and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. That means the ACC will be well-represented in the postseason starting with the Seminoles.
If Florida State can beat the Duke Blue Devils on Saturday and win the ACC Championship; the Noles will be guaranteed a spot in the BCS National Championship Game in January. Las Vegas has FSU as an early four touchdown favorite over Duke.
If FSU beats Duke and claims its spot in the BCS title game, the ACC would have one open spot in the overall BCS, most likely the Orange Bowl. That would open the door for most likely a two-loss Clemson team who was destroyed in two losses this season.
With Clemson and the Noles off the board, the next team up would most likely be Duke, based on their ACC division championship. The ACC number two pick will go to the Chick-Fil-A Bowl against an SEC opponent.
Virginia Tech and Miami would then jockey for position to be selected for the Russell Athletic Bowl or the Sun Bowl where the ACC's third and fourth selections go. After those two bowls pick their ACC team, the rest of the ACC's guaranteed bowl lineup are: the Belk, Music City, Independence, and Military Bowls.
Based on the available teams and bowl games, CBSSports.com has projected the following bowl lineup for the college football postseason.
- BCS Title Game – Florida State vs. Ohio State
- Orange Bowl – Clemson vs. Alabama
- Heart Of Dallas Bowl – Syracuse vs. Rice
- Chick-Fil-A Bowl – Duke vs. Texas A&M
- Sun Bowl – Virginia Tech vs. UCLA
- Independence Bowl – Oregon State vs. Georgia Tech
- Music City Bowl – Boston College vs. Georgia
- Russell Athletic Bowl – Louisville vs. Miami
- Belk Bowl – Houston vs. North Carolina
- Military Bowl – Maryland vs. North Texas
