Virginia Bowl Game Projections Via Sports Illustrated

Looking into the latest Virginia bowl game projections from Sports Illustrated.

For fans of the Virginia Cavaliers football team, the last two weeks have been extremely tough to swallow. We’ve sat and watched the Wahoos choke away back-to-back games against Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech, putting them near the bottom of the food chain in terms of postseason bowl games.

Had Virginia won either game, they’d likely be in the first tier of the ACC’s bowl affiliations. Instead, they’ll be relegated to the next tier with a record (7-5) that doesn’t really reflect their top-to-bottom talent.

In their latest bowl projections, Sports Illustrated has Virginia facing off against Minnesota (from the Big 10) in the Quick Lane Bowl on December 26th. The game, which is played at Ford Field in Detroit, has contracted tie-ins with both the ACC and Big 10 but defers to the MAC if there isn’t an eligible ACC team. Long story short, Virginia is bowl eligible but near the bottom of the pecking order in Sports Illustrated’s eyes.

Minnesota is a lowly 6-6 on the year with a 3-6 conference record. They’re not great, with a blowout loss to Maryland and an awful Illinois team, but salvaged their bowl eligibility with an upset at Wisconsin during rivalry week.

Personally, I’d say their projection is about right. Had the Hoos not played in the Military Bowl last year as a 6-7 team, I’d probably peg them for that bowl but they want to spread things around.

If the latest Virginia bowl game projection rings true, it will be the Hoos’ first trip to the Quick Lane Bowl. Minnesota, on the other hand, played (and won) in the Quick Lane Bowl in 2015.

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