WKU Left Off Phil Steele’s Bowl Projections

Phil Steele has been incredibly kind to WKU football this preseason, especially with the move to Conference USA by selecting Tops to one of his four Preseason All C-USA squads, which some might see as a great over reach, but is a great sign of respect to a team in a brand new conference. However, when Steele released his bowl projections last week, he wasn’t as kind to the little school that can.

WKU was straight left off the bowl projection list, which features eight teams on WKU’s 2014 schedule, and seven, count them, seven, Conference USA teams. But, again, no Tops.

Steele see’s WKU’s season opening opponent, Bowling Green, going to the Idaho Potato Bowl to face Utah St., while predicting that North Texas (New Mexico Bowl), Florida Atlantic (Boca Raton Bowl), Louisiana Tech (Bahamas Bowl), Middle Tennessee (Hawaii Bowl), UTSA (Heart of Dallas Bowl), Rice (Independence Bowl) and Marshall (Orange Bowl) will all go bowling.

While it’s hard to argue with Marshall and North Texas, who were both predicted by CUSA coaches to win their divisions (as well as Rice, who finished just points behind the Mean Green), to go bowling, some of Steele’s predictions I can’t agree with. I still don’t see how FAU, regardless of how hot they finished, can carry it over into this year and be that good. Also, the Blue Raiders know how to put together competitive teams year after year, but they simply lost too many key components that it might take a year for them to get back into bowl shape.

One of the big wishes of Tops’ fans everywhere is that being in CUSA (or, maybe more specifically, just out of the Sun Belt) will allow for more bowl opportunities. And, why they aren’t wrong (just in Steele’s projections alone there are, again, seven teams represented), it again sets up another snub for WKU, providing of course they can navigate the waters on their maiden voyage.

You can read the full Phil Steele projections, as well as see who he predicts the CUSA being matched up against, here.