Projecting all 35 bowl matchups

Assuming it chooses the higher-profile Broncos, look for a deal to be brokered that sends the home-state Wolf Pack -- a likely 12-1 team -- to Las Vegas to play 10-2 Utah. Meanwhile, Boise may get a semi-glamorous date with Miami (7-5). With an interim coach at the helm and few fans expected to travel, the 'Canes could slip all the way to the bottom of the ACC's nine-team pecking order.

A few other notes:

• Notre Dame (7-5) is likely headed to the Champs Sports Bowl. The one possible exception might be if 9-3 West Virginia is available (UConn would be the Big East's BCS rep) and the Orlando game decides to hold off using its Irish pick sometime over the next three years. But that doesn't seem likely.

• Assuming the loser of Saturday's Oklahoma-Nebraska Big 12 title game doesn't fall below the Alamo Bowl (I'm projecting Texas A&M to the Cotton), one of two 10-2 Big 12 teams, Missouri or Oklahoma State, could be left facing a 6-6 Pac-10 team in the Holiday Bowl. My guess is it will be the Cowboys.

• Iowa's (7-5) season-ending slump could send it barreling down the Big Ten's lineup but facing a better team. Expect the Outback Bowl to take Penn State (7-5), while the Gator Bowl chooses Michigan (also 7-5) to face Florida. That would send the Hawkeyes to the Insight Bowl, where 10-2 Missouri would await.

• As always, it's important to remember that most bowls are not obligated to choose their teams in exact order of conference standings. For instance, "ACC No. 3" means "third choice of ACC teams" -- not "the ACC's third-place team."

• The necessary 70 teams are already eligible, and as many as four more could get there this weekend. However, I'm projecting the final number to be 71, with 6-6 Western Michigan the lone team left out.