Week 2 Russell Athletic Bowl Projections

After two weeks of play, here are updated projections for the 27th Russell Athletic Bowl from around the college football media.

Mark Schlabach (ESPN): Clemson vs. TCU

Brett McMurphy (ESPN): Clemson vs. TCU

Jerry Palm (CBSSports.com):  Miami vs. Texas

Bill Bender (Sporting News): North Carolina vs. West Virginia

Pete Fiutak (Campus Insiders): Miami vs. TCU

Steve Lassan (Athlon Sports): Miami vs. Oklahoma State

ESPN’s Brett McMurphy and Mark Schlabach project Clemson to play in the Russell Athletic Bowl. With only one prior appearance in 2014 against Oklahoma, the Clemson Tigers had an overwhelming 40-6 victory to leave their mark at the Russell Athletic Bowl. The TCU Horned Frogs have pulled in a total of three projections with Pete Fiutak (Campus Insiders) joining Schlabach and McMurphy. TCU would be making their debut in the Russell Athletic Bowl.

Miami has garnered three projections to play in the Russell Athletic Bowl from Jerry Palm (CBSSports.com), Fiutak, and Steve Lassan (Athlon Sports). This will mark the Hurricanes first appearance since their 36-9 loss to Louisville in 2013.

Texas, North Carolina, Oklahoma State, and West Virginia all earned one projection each. The Longhorns have never played in Orlando while Oklahoma State would be making its Russell Athletic Bowl debut. Their only other trip to Orlando came in the 1976 Tangerine Bowl where they topped BYU, 49-21.

North Carolina would be returning to the Russell Athletic Bowl for the second year in a row after falling to Baylor in last year’s matchup, 49-38. The West Virginia Mountaineers are still looking for their first victory in the bowl having lost their previous three appearances, most recently to a Russell Wilson-led North Carolina State in 2010.