While the most popular question this college football season has been “Who’s in,” with regard to the new College Football Playoff, it is easy to forget the rest of the bowl games will be played too and need teams to fill those spots. Heading to mid-November a total of 51 teams have clinched bowl eligibility, and 23 more schools could join them with one more win. With 38 bowl games and 51 teams ready for postseason play, that leaves 25 bowl spots still to fill. With a few weeks to play, the odds are still good all 25 vacancies will be accounted for, but the pressure is on for a handful of teams to finish the season strong.
There are 51 teams currently bowl eligible, but that number could easily be increased to 52. Georgia Southern has been playing very well in its first year in the Sun Belt Conference and already has enough wins for typical bowl eligibility. However, because this is its first season playing FBS football, Georgia Southern is technically ineligible for postseason play until 2015. Georgia Southern could still go bowling this season though if a waiver for postseason play is approved. If there are bowl spots to fill, this would increase the likelihood of Georgia Southern going to a bowl game this season.
For a quick rundown of which teams are currently eligible, which are close and which are not, here is a conference-by-conference breakdown of the entire bowl picture. Here is how each conference is broken down.
Eligible: Already bowl eligible
On Deck: One win away from clinching bowl eligibility
On Thin Ice: One loss away from being ineligible
Out: Already making plans for 2015
American Athletic Conference
Eligible: Memphis, East Carolina
On Deck: Cincinnati, UCF, Houston, Temple
On Thin Ice: Tulane, USF
Out: Connecticut, Tulsa, SMU
ACC
Eligible: Florida State, Clemson, Louisville, Boston College, Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami
On Deck: NC State
On Thin Ice: Virginia
Out: Syracuse, Wake Forest
Big 12
Eligible: Baylor, Kansas State, Oklahoma, TCU, West Virginia
On Deck: Oklahoma State, Texas
On Thin Ice: Kansas, Texas Tech
Out: Iowa State
Big Ten
Eligible: Iowa, Maryland, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Nebraska, Wisconsin
On Deck: Michigan, Penn State, Rutgers
On Thin Ice: Indiana, Northwestern
Out: Purdue
Conference USA
Eligible: Louisiana Tech, Marshall, Rice
On Deck: Middle Tennessee, UAB, UTEP
On Thin Ice: Old Dominion, North Texas
Out: FIU, FAU, UTSA, Southern Mississippi
MAC
Eligible: Bowling Green, NIU, Toledo, Central Michigan, Western Michigan
On Deck: Ohio
On Thin Ice: Buffalo, Ball State
Out: Eastern Michigan, Miami, UMass
Mountain West Conference
Eligible: Colorado State, Boise State, Utah State, Air Force, Nevada
On Deck: San Diego State
On Thin Ice: Fresno State, San Jose State, Wyoming, New Mexico
Out: Hawaii, UNLV
Pac-12
Eligible: Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon, USC, UCLA, Utah
On Deck: Stanford, California, Washington*
Out: Colorado, Washington State
SEC
Eligible: Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Missouri, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Texas A&M
On Deck: Florida, Kentucky
Out: Vanderbilt
Sun Belt Conference
Eligible: Georgia Southern**, Louisiana-Lafayette, Arkansas State
On Deck: Texas State, South Alabama
On Thin Ice: Louisiana-Monroe
Out: Troy, New Mexico State, Idaho, Georgia State
Independents
Eligible: Notre Dame
On Deck: BYU
On Thin Ice: Army
* Washington needs to win seven games because the Huskies play a 13-game schedule, which is allowed due to playing a road game at Hawaii. Adding the extra game adds a win to the required win total.
** Georgia Southern has met the normal bowl eligibility win requirement, but would have to have a waiver approved by the NCAA due to being in a transition year from FCS to FBS.
