Unlike other programs that are clinging to every decimal point change in their BCS ranking to determine which bowl game they are headed to, the Eagles' bowl picture seems pretty clear to me right now.
With nine ACC teams bowl-eligible for eight slots, it seems like the Eagles are all but guaranteed to be the odd team out. Nevermind the fact that BC has a better overall record than 6-6 Georgia Tech or 6-6 Clemson (and a head-to-head victory), or the fact that they have the same overall record as suddenly toxic Miami and North Carolina. Other than Virginia Tech, winners of 10 straight, BC is the hottest team in the ACC, having won their last five games (though admittedly, the competition eased up significantly down the stretch).
The ninth ACC team is 99 percent assured that they'll end up playing in San Francisco on January 9 in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl. But when you scour the internet looking for various college football prognosticators' bowl projections, there is really no clear consensus on where the Eagles are headed.
Weird, right? See for yourself:
ESPN Andrea Adelson: Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl vs. Boise State
ESPN Heather Dinich: Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl vs. WAC (thanks for being specific, HD)
Rivals: Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl vs. Boise State
Orlando Sentinel: Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl vs. Fresno State
Scout: Independence Bowl vs. Air Force
ESPN Mark Schlabach: Sun Bowl vs. Army
Sports Illustrated: Military Bowl vs. East Carolina
CBS Sports: Military Bowl vs. East Carolina
NBC Sports: Military Bowl vs. East Carolina
I was pretty sure BC was headed west to San Francisco, to play either Nevada or Fresno State, up until late last night, but the shortage of Pac-10 bowl eligible teams and the situation down in Miami now gives me pause.
The Sun Bowl and the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, two bowl games with Pac-10 tie-ins, will likely be scrambling to find replacements for a Pac-10 team. Both Oregon (Pac-10 champ) and Stanford (automatic BCS at-large) appear to be BCS bowl bound, while UCLA and California became bowl in-eligible over the weekend. That leaves the conference with just three bowl eligible teams with two more -- Washington (at Washington State) and Oregon State (Oregon) -- needing a win in their final game to get to six wins. Of the two teams, only Washington seems like a sure thing to become the fourth bowl-eligible team from the conference. That Pac-10 will likely see their fourth bowl-eligible team, Washington, land in the Holiday Bowl, leaving the Sun, Las Vegas and Kraft Fight Hunger bowl scrambling to fill their bowl slots.
GDF has apparently spoken to both the Sun Bowl and Military Bowl directors and believes BC could still land in either of those two spots (or the Independence Bowl).
Here's how I think the ACC bowl picture breaks down (as of this morning, anyway):
Orange: Virginia Tech vs. West Virginia
Peach: Florida State vs. Mississippi State
Champs Sports: N.C. State vs. Notre Dame
Sun: Maryland vs. Army
Meineke Car Care: North Carolina vs. Connecticut
Music City: Clemson vs. Tennessee
Independence: Georgia Tech vs. Air Force
Military: Boston College vs. East Carolina
Kraft Fight Hunger: Miami vs. Nevada