Bowl Projections: Kansas State and Virginia Tech Lead the Way Following One Week of Play
The 28th Camping World Bowl is still a few months away, but it’s never too early to start predicting which ACC and Big 12 teams might be headed to Orlando. Here’s a round-up of preseason projections from around the college football media world through Week 1.
Kyle Bonagura (ESPN): Virginia Tech vs. Kansas State
David M. Hale (ESPN): Notre Dame vs. Kansas State
Jerry Palm (CBSSports.com): Louisville vs. Kansas State
Eric Single (Sports Illustrated): North Carolina State vs. West Virginia
Brant Parsons (Orlando Sentinel): Virginia Tech vs. Oklahoma State
CollegeFootballNews.com: Florida State vs. TCU
Erick Smith (USA Today): Virginia Tech vs. Kansas State
- After one week of play, Kansas State remained the most frequently projected pick to play in the Camping World Bowl this season.
- It would be the Wildcats’ first bowl experience in the entire state of Florida.
- Prognosicators projected K-State to match-up against Virginia Tech, Notre Dame and Louisville.
- It would be the program’s first-ever meeting with Notre Dame and their third game against both Virginia Tech and Louisville.
- Kansas State and Virginia Tech have not met since 1968 and are tied 1-1 in the all-time series.
- Louisville holds a 2-0 series lead all-time against Kansas State with wins in 2006 and 2008.
- Virginia Tech was the most common projection out of the ACC following its 35-28 victory over West Virginia at FedEx Field last weekend.
- The Hokies were projected to square off against either Kansas State or Oklahoma State.
- It’s been over 40 years since either team has done battle on the gridiron with Virginia Tech, and both series are knotted at 1-1.
- The Hokies have appeared in the Camping World Bowl once prior, earning the only overtime victory in the game’s 27-year history, defeating Rutgers 13-10 in 2012.
- North Carolina State and West Virginia are projected to meet in Orlando according to Sports Illustrated’s Eric Single, who kept the Mountaineers in his projection despite the loss, but switched his pick from North Carolina to NC State this week.
- The Wolfpack and Mountaineers last met in the Camping World Bowl (then-Champs Sports Bowl) back in 2010.
- The teams are tied 5-5 in the all-time series.
- NC State has played in the late-December Orlando bowl five times previously— more than any other program — including four times in six years from 1998-2003.
- The Mountaineers have appeared in the game four times, second-most behind only NC State.
- If this projection holds true, West Virginia would become only the third team to appear in the bowl in back-to-back years, joining NC State (2000 and 2001) and Wisconsin (2008 and 2009).
- The Wolfpack and Mountaineers last met in the Camping World Bowl (then-Champs Sports Bowl) back in 2010.
- TCU was projected to make its first Camping World Bowl appearance for the second straight week by CollegeFootballNews.com, facing off against Florida State.
- The two teams met three straight seasons from 1963-65 but have not played since.
- Florida State is a perfect 3-0 in the Camping World Bowl, its last win coming against Notre Dame in 2011.
