Utah State football bowl possibilities
“Going bowling” means different things for different teams. Some are satisfied with just getting to six wins and being placed in any bowl game. Others, as Utah State did last year, post amazing seasons but get chosen for a less than an attractive bowl. Of course every team’s goal is a national championship. However, if that’s not in the cards, then getting a nice bowl game sometimes feels like a championship. Sunday, Dec. 8, Utah State football bowl hopes will be unveiled.
Last season the Aggies stormed to a 10-2 season, losing their last conference game to Boise State. With high hopes, Aggie fans awaited who they’d play in their final game, hoping to get some recognition. Unfortunately the committee decided that New Mexico was the best bowl for Utah State. North Texas was on the other side of the field for that matchup and they might as well have not shown up at all. The Aggies dominated from start to finish and seemed to have sent a message: Utah State deserved more.
That message did not stick as the Aggies find themselves sitting at 7-5 and third in the Mountain division of the Mountain West. With their loss to Boise State a couple Saturdays ago, the Aggies will miss out on the hope of a conference championship this weekend and a potential spot in the Vegas Bowl. Projections for where they will end up have been posted and there are a couple different options available.
The most optimistic scenario would be that of getting a bid to the Hawaii Bowl. Projected right now is BYU and Hawaii. The opponent to BYU will be chosen from either the Mountain West or the AAC. Utah State is not in a position to take that spot unless something drastic happens with both Air Force and Boise State. Even then, the AAC has about seven teams with better records than the Aggies. Not to mention, Hawaii typically likes playing a bowl in its home stadium. A more realistic case would be the Arizona Bowl, where Utah State would likely face Georgia Southern.
This matchup would be both schools first in history. Georgia Southern’s record shows big losses to LSU and Auburn with an impressive win against conference-leader Appalachian State. Georgia Southern is a high-scoring offense averaging almost 30 points a game. However, their opponents are averaging just the same and the Eagles have been in really close games just as the Aggies have. Though not the most likely bid for USU, this game could prove to be fun to watch.
Experts have put Utah State in many different bowls as the projections have come out: the New Mexico Bowl, the Hawaii Bowl, the Arizona Bowl, the Armed Forces Bowl. It seems to be unclear where the Aggies will end up playing their final game this season. But looking at the history of the school, and where average Mountain West teams usually fall, the committee is most likely to put Utah State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
The Aggies have been to this bowl 4 times, more than any other bowl they’ve attended. In this game, Utah State would probably face Central Michigan who is sitting atop the MAC West Division and second overall in the conference. At 8-4 the Chippewas would prove to be a tough test. They average just over 30 points a game and have scored 44 touchdowns on the season. Utah State has had a difficult time keeping teams out of the end zone, making it an intriguing matchup.
Central Michigan’s starting quarterback, Quinten Dormady has thrown for over 1,600 yards and 11 TDs, also thrown a career low 5 interceptions. However, the strength of the Chippewas’ offense comes on the ground, rushing for the 38th-most yards per game in the country. What this team lacks though, similar to Utah State, is their defense. Opponents score just over 28 points against them on average and have collected 40 touchdowns. If the Aggies can show up defensively, this game could be theirs. However, if the kind of arm-tackling, under-pursuing defense shows up as it has several times this season, Utah State will have a tough time beating this Central Michigan team.
Of course, talking about bowls is all just speculation. These are just “projections”, where teams could end up in their final game. Many may not realize that just because Utah State, or any team for that matter, secures six wins, that does not guarantee an invitation to a bowl game, it just makes them eligible for one. With five total ties to the 78 possible bowls in college football, not all seven of the current six-win teams in the Mountain West Conference will be invited to a bowl. However, the Aggies did take good care of New Mexico this past Saturday, all but securing them a bowl game. Though they did not achieve their season long goal of a conference championship, Utah State will still be expected to put on a grand finale for their devout fans.