Filed under: Air Force, Army, Boise State, Brigham Young, East Carolina, Florida International, Fresno State, Hawaii, Miami (OH), Middle Tennessee State, Navy, Nevada, Northern Illinois, Ohio, San Diego State, SMU, Southern Miss, TCU, Toledo, Troy, Tulsa, UCF, Utah, UTEP, BCS, Bowl Games
Did you know that nearly half of the bowls played this season include teams from the non-automatic qualifying conferences? And while not all are winners, there are several intriguing matchups out there that include several teams many have not seen play this year.So I've provided a guide to the best and worst non-AQ bowls of this season. This way, you can get your viewing money's worth.
1. Rose Bowl: TCU (12-0) vs. Wisconsin (11-1)
TCU hasn't lost a regular season game since November, 2008, but bowl games have been a different story. The Horned Frogs haven't played an AQ opponent in a bowl since 2005 and they haven't faced a staunch rushing attack like they'll see against the Badgers. This is the top game to watch because non-AQs rarely disappoint in BCS games.
2. San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia: Navy (8-3) vs. San Diego State (8-4)
Navy didn't live to up expectations and San Diego State exceeded them. The Midshipmen were considered a threat for a BCS bowl berth when the season began, but losses to Maryland and Air Force forced them to rally and salvage the school's eighth consecutive season with at least eight wins. SDSU has shown great improvement under second-year head coach Brady Hoke and is playing in its first bowl game since 1998. There's actual excitement around this team now and the home field should play to the Aztecs' advantage. These are probably the most evenly matched teams among the non-AQ bowls.
3. Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl: Nevada (12-1) vs. Boston College (7-5)
Nevada at least gets to play an AQ team for its efforts this season. This has been Nevada's best season as a member of the FBS and seniors Colin Kaepernick, Vai Taua and Donte Moch will want to go out on a high note. This game will pit the Wolf Pack's high octane rushing offense against the nation's top rushing defense. This could be a good chess match.
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Source: http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2010/12/07/ranking-2010-11-non-aq-bowl-games/
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