Early SEC Bowl Projections

Thanks to a quick look at John Clay's Blog this afternoon I learned that CFN-Scout has come out with its early bowl projections for 2009-2010. These are the first I've seen on the Internet from a mainstream outlet. On a national scale, these were interesting. Predictably, CFN has Florida in the National Championship. It went against what I think ultimately will be the grain by picking USC as its opponent. I'd go with Texas, or perhaps Oklahoma, and don't think I'd put USC back in a championship until it proves capable of getting through the PAC-10 without a toe stub again. There are some mild surprises, like West Virginia representing the Big East and the Big-Ten getting two teams in the BCS, otherwise pretty standard stuff.

The Bowl projection thing is batted around fairly often on this blog. The reasons are sort of quirky, but understandable. One, the experience of going to bowls is pretty central to my status as UK Football Fan. Granted, I was a fan before this recent streak, and will be still if we suck too bad to go to them again. Still, a part of my rooting interest stems from hoping for that trip, then ultimately hoping it can be to someplace better, different and further south.

Secondly, predicting who will go where lets me unleash my inner geek. In the SEC, I understand the rules and reasoning behind who goes where as well as anyone in the mainstream or Internet media. I cannot say that about any other aspect of football. Crap, I cannot really say that about anything. What I have to say more relevant than saying "Randall Cobb is well suited to play the slot" or "Sam Maxwell is set for a breakout season". I am not trying to be boastful, just noting that it isn't complicated, and I've spent a ton of time thinking about it.

Enough navel gazing. Let's look at Scout's predictions and how they jibe with my own, prepared about two weeks ago by predicting the records of every SEC team (including looking at the schedules and picking a winner for every league game). Scout picked opponents for each game. I will probably not piece that together until mid-November.

My picks are in parentheses.


National Championship

Florida (Florida)



Sugar Bowl

Ole Miss (Ole Miss)



Capital One Bowl

Georgia (Georgia)



Cotton Bowl

Alabama (Alabama)



Outback Bowl

LSU (Tennessee)



Chick-Fil-A Bowl

Drumrolll................Kentucky (LSU)



Liberty Bowl

Arkansas (Kentucky)



Music City Bowl

Tennessee (South Carolina)



Independence Bowl

Vanderbilt (No SEC team eligible, though if I had to pick the next team, Arkansas)



Pizza Web Site Bowl

Auburn (Auburn would be my #10 SEC team, but I still have them at 5-7)

If you look at who is where, it is reasonable to assume Scout has us going 8-4. This would mean beating the two teams SEC teams off this chart, Mississippi State and South Carolina, winning our four nonconference games, beating UT at home, and splitting our road games with two bowl bound teams below us (Vandy and Auburn). I think it is a bit optimistic, but doable. Also, I don't buy that South Carolina will be one of the SEC's two worst teams. Spurrier has been nothing if not consistently mediocre there. Not sure why this year would be any different.