With only a few weeks left in the college football regular season, some teams are on the bowl game bubble needing to win one or more of their remaining games to become bowl eligible. This can provide us with some added motivation for these teams and in the right spots, we can cash some tickets.
A quick look at some teams for this week that can become bowl eligible with a win:
Syracuse Orange (3-2, 6-3)
Syracuse has the necessary six wins for bowl eligibility but two of those came against FCS competition and teams are allowed to use only one win against the lower division. The Orange have three chances starting this week at Rutgers where they are a road favorite. This is the first time they have been a road chalk against a BCS team since 2003 when they were favored by six points at, you guessed it, Rutgers. They lost 24-7.
Iowa St. Cyclones (3-3, 5-3)
Not many expected Iowa St. to make it to a bowl game last season after a 2-10 season in 2008 but the Cyclones did just that and won over Minnesota. They have a chance for back-to-back bowl games for the first time since 2004-2005 as they play at Colorado as a road chalk before finishing at home against Missouri next week. The home team has won six straight in this series and with Dan Hawkins gone, what Buffaloes team shows up?
Houston Cougars (4-2, 5-4)
Once Case Keenum went down, the Cougars season was thought to be cooked but Houston rallied, went on to win two straight road games before falling at home last Friday against UCF. They control their own destiny as a win this week against Tulsa could get them into the C-USA Championship. With two tough road games remaining, this one is a must but the defense has to show up to win and cover the -2.5point number.
Kentucky Wildcats (1-5, 5-5)
Despite a 1-5 SEC record, the Wildcats can lock down their fifth straight bowl game with a win at home against Vanderbilt, also 1-5 in the conference. Three of Kentucky’s SEC losses have been by a touchdown or less. The Commodores have been outgained by an average of 353.5 ypg over their last four games while scoring just 35 points. Kentucky is at Tennessee in two weeks so this is a near must win but can it cover the 15 points?
Matt Fargo is a professional handicapper for Covers Experts where we win only if you win.