Big 12 Preseason Bowl Predictions
From the Texas Bowl in Houston, Texas to the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, the Big 12 Bowl lineup for 2013 promises enticing match ups with some of the nations best conferences.
Predicting the pecking order of the conference seven bowl games from the outset is a difficult feat when it comes to the wild card of a second Bowl Championship Series selection or the unlikely event of a spot in the National Championship game at the end of the season.
In order of selection, the Big 12 will have representation in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl (vs. American), Texas Bowl (vs. Big Ten), Holiday Bowl (vs. Pac-12), Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl (vs. Big Ten), Valero Alamo Bowl (vs. Pac-12), Cotton Bowl (vs. SEC) and finally the BCS Fiesta Bowl (at-large).
New Era Pinstripe Bowl
Yankee Stadium, New York City, N.Y.
Selection- West Virginia
The Mountaineers will visit Yankee Stadium for a second consecutive year, the last for a Big 12 in the Pinstripe Bowl after its agreement ends after this year. WVU fell to Syracuse last year in disappointing fashion that summed up 2012 for a team that looked as if it could run away with the conference, literally, until a collapse in its final six games.
Texas Bowl
Relient Stadium, Houston, Texas
Selection- Kansas State
In 2012 Kansas State reached the pinnacle of Big 12 play with a berth in the Fiesta Bowl, this year the team is in a rebuilding cycle and unless Bill Snyder has another rabbit to pull out of a hat, a trip to Houston may be welcomed as the Big 12 takes on the Big Ten.
One advantage, Houston will likely be much warmer than Kansas.
Holiday Bowl
Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, Calif.
Selection- Baylor
In a preseason prediction, I predict that Texas and Baylor will have an identical record and of course Texas will be the more enticing pick out of the two in the pecking order. This drops the Bears into a date with the Pac-12 and gives the Bears a trip out to San Diego for the holiday season
Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl
Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Ariz.
Selection- Texas
The conference has two trips to the Valley of the Sun, the Phoenix metropolitan area. One is the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl ahead of the Fiesta that follows two weeks later. This gives the opportunity for the Longhorns to make a trip to face the Big Ten in what has been a great game the last few meetings. Last season, TCU fell to Michigan State late on a field goal.
Valero Alamo Bowl
Alamo Dome, San Antonio, Texas
Selection- TCU
The Horned Frogs were a win away from potentially playing in San Antonio last season, however, this season a third place finish in the conference should bring an enticing Frogs team to the Riverwalk to take on a Pac-12 foe. An interesting meeting between one of the leagues best defenses will be likely facing a strong offense from the west coast.
AT&T Cotton Bowl
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Selection- Oklahoma
The 2013 edition of the Cotton Bowl didn’t go so well for the Sooners, who were beat around the field by Texas A&M from the kickoff. Oklahoma may not be good enough to take down Oklahoma State in the Bedlam game on the road, so the Sooners could have an opportunity to get that foul taste out of its mouth. Depending how the cards fall during the season, it could be a date with the Aggies for a second year in a row.
BCS Fiesta Bowl
University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
Selection- Oklahoma State
Assuming Oklahoma State doesn’t run the table and creep into the top two in the final BCS standings, the Cowboys will visit the Fiesta Bowl for its second time in three years. In 2012, the Cowboys played one of bowl seasons most exciting games when they defeated Stanford in a shootout.
Editor’s note: Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl location has been changed to Sun Devil Stadium.