Week 3 Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl Projections
After three weeks of play, here are updated projections for the 71st Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl from around the college football media.
Mark Schlabach (ESPN): Michigan State vs. Tennessee
Brett McMurphy (ESPN): Iowa vs. Arkansas
Jerry Palm (CBSSports.com): Iowa vs. Tennessee
Bill Bender (Sporting News): Michigan State vs. Arkansas
CollegeFootballNews.com: Miami vs. LSU
Jason Kirk (SB Nation): Michigan State vs Florida
Brant Parsons (Orlando Sentinel): Notre Dame vs. Tennessee
Michigan State and Iowa are currently the two favorites from the Big Ten that are predicted to play in this season’s Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl. If the Spartans make it to the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl it would mark their fourth appearance in the Orlando bowl game. The Hawkeyes would be making their second appearance in the bowl after defeating LSU on the final play of the 2005 game.
CollegeFootballNews.com and the Orlando Sentinel’s Brant Parsons are the first to predict a team with ACC bowl ties to play on New Year’s Eve. In years where a Big Ten team is assigned to play in a non-semifinal Orange Bowl, the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl will host the top non-CFP selection from the Atlantic Coast Conference (inclusive of Notre Dame) in its place. After their hot start to the season, the folks at CollegeFootballNews.com have Miami venturing up Florida’s Turnpike to Orlando to meet LSU. LSU would be making its fourth appearance in the bowl and looking for its first victory since 1979. The Tigers hold a 9-3 series lead over the ‘Canes and won the last meeting in the 2005 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. Parsons of the Orlando Sentinel projects Notre Dame to meet Tennessee in Orlando. That series is knotted up at four games apiece, although they have never met on a neutral field. Notre Dame won the last meeting in South Bend in 2005.
The Volunteers were a popular SEC prediction to play in Orlando on New Year’s Eve after three weeks of play. This would mark Tennessee’s first Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl appearance since 2002 when they defeated Michigan, 45-17. Besides the potential matchup against the Fighting Irish, the Vols are projected against the two Big Ten favorites, Iowa and Michigan State. Tennessee holds a 2-1 series lead over Iowa after a victory two seasons ago in the Gator Bowl. The potential game against Michigan State would be a first-time matchup.
Arkansas is the next popular SEC pick against the Spartans and Hawkeyes. The Razorbacks played in the bowl twice before, most recently 2007 against a Wisconsin team coached by Bret Bielema. The Hogs would be looking for their first win in Orlando and their first win against either Big Ten team (Iowa holds a 1-0 series lead; Michigan State would be a first-time matchup).
Last season’s SEC representative Florida rounds out the SEC estimations this week. The Gators are projected against Michigan State in a rematch of the thrilling 2000 edition of the game, when Paul Edinger booted a 39-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Spartans to victory. The last team to make repeat appearances in the bowl was Nebraska in the 2012-13 seasons.