C-USA Bowl Projections: Southern Miss, La. Tech, Marshall in hunt for best bids
The Conference USA football season has two weeks remaining on the slate and there’s plenty to play for in both divisions.
The East and West are up for grabs with at least three teams still in the running in each division.
There should be attractive opponents awaiting C-USA teams this bowl season. With TCU on the verge of bowl eligibility at 5-5, it seems likely that the Big 12 will send a team to the First Responder Bowl in Dallas. Also, the American Athletic Conference has several good teams that will need bowl destinations.
Marshall, FAU, Western Kentucky, Louisiana Tech, Southern Miss and UAB have reached bowl eligibility. Charlotte (5-5), FIU (5-5), North Texas (4-6) and UTSA (4-6) are still trying to reach the six-win mark.
Here are the C-USA bowl projections with two weeks left:
BAHAMAS BOWL (DEC. 20) — NASSAU
FAU (7-3) vs. Miami-Ohio (6-4)
The Bahamas are better than Shreveport on Dec. 26.
FRISCO BOWL (DEC. 20) — FRISCO, TEXAS
Marshall (7-3) vs. UCF (7-3)
Marshall has been to the Gasparilla Bowl in two out of the last four years, so it makes sense for the Thundering Herd to look at a new location. UCF would offer an attractive opponent and it would give the Thundering Herd some exposure in the Florida market, which is crucial to their recruiting efforts.
NEW MEXICO BOWL (DEC. 21) — ALBUQUERQUE
Charlotte (5-5) vs. Nevada (6-4)
The 49ers will likely be bowling with one more victory, and it’s possible they could pick up a big upset with Marshall coming to Charlotte this Saturday.
NEW ORLEANS BOWL (DEC. 21) — NEW ORLEANS
Southern Miss (7-3) vs. Appalachian State (9-1)
USM’s postseason destination may change if they manage to win the C-USA West, but many fans love to make the trip to New Orleans. The Eagles are tied with La. Tech atop the division, but the Bulldogs hold the head-to-head advantage. The Bulldogs will likely pass on New Orleans thanks to potentially attractive bowl match-ups in either Frisco and Dallas.
GASPARILLA BOWL (DEC. 23) — TAMPA
UAB (7-3) vs. SMU (9-1)
With six teams with seven wins or more, the American have plenty of good teams to send to bowl games. UAB is headed somewhere, and the Birmingham Bowl may be an option if things fall right.
INDEPENDENCE BOWL (Dec. 26) — SHREVEPORT, LA.
WKU (6-4) vs. Florida State (6-5)
The Hilltoppers seem like a good fit here, and they seem likely to hit at least seven wins.
FIRST RESPONDER BOWL (DEC. 30) — DALLAS
La. Tech (8-2) vs. TCU (5-5)
The Bulldogs are badly in need of a rebound after falling to Marshall last week. They travel to UAB this weekend without senior QB J’Mar Smith, who will sit out the second contest of a two-game suspension.
This story was originally published November 21, 2019 at 5:00 AM.
