Week 11 Bowl Projections: Will Mountaineers Get a Chance to Lock Down First Camping World Bowl Win?

The 28th Camping World Bowl is still more than a month away, but it’s never too early to start predicting which ACC and Big 12 teams might be headed to Orlando. Here’s a round-up of projections from around the college football media world through Week 11.

Kyle Bonagura (ESPN): NC State vs. West Virginia
David M. Hale (ESPN): NC State vs. West Virginia
Eric Single (Sports Illustrated): NC State vs. Iowa State
Jerry Palm (CBSSports.com): NC State vs. Iowa State
Bill Bender (Sporting News): Florida State vs. West Virginia
Jason Kirk (SB Nation): NC State vs. Oklahoma State
CollegeFootballNews.com: NC State vs. West Virginia
Brett McMurphy: NC State vs. TCU

NC State vs. West Virginia

• Rematch of our 2010 game, which saw a Russell Wilson-led NC State top West Virginia, 23-7
• All-time series tied 5-5; NC State has won past three meetings
• Mountaineers’ last victory in the series came in 1975 Peach Bowl
• West Virginia has made four appearances in the game, trailing only NC State and Miami
• The Mountaineers offense is averaging 513.9 yards of total offense per game, ranked No. 7 in the nation, while NC State’s defense has been allowing 383.2 total yards per game.

NC State vs. Iowa State

• Teams have only met once previously on the gridiron, in the 1977 Peach Bowl; NC State won 24-14
• This would not only be the Cyclones’ first appearance in the Camping World Bowl, but their first-ever appearance in a Florida bowl game
• NC State has appeared in the Camping World Bowl five times — tied with Miami for the bowl record — and holds a 3-2 record in those games
• This season, both teams are ranked in the top 40 in the nation in rushing defense — NC State at No. 40 and Iowa State at No. 34
• They also both have some of the best turnover margins in the FBS as the Wolfpack are tied for 21st at +0.60 per game and the Cyclones are 12th at +0.90

Florida State vs. West Virginia

• The schools have met three time previously, which were all FSU wins and all played in the Gator Bowl
• The Seminoles defeated West Virginia in the 1982, 2005 and, most recently, the 2010 Gator Bowl
• The Mountaineers have appeared in the Camping World Bowl four times previously and have an 0-4 all-time record
• Florida State’s defense is 36th in the nation in passing yards allowed (198.8) and includes defensive back Derwin James, who is third in the ACC for passes defended (1.2)
• If matched against West Virginia, the Seminoles would be facing the fifth-best passing offense in the FBS — one led by quarterback Will Grier, who is fourth in the nation in passing yards (3,440) and passing yards per game (344)

NC State vs. Oklahoma State

• Programs have not met on the gridiron
• The Cowboys average 573.7 yards per game through Week 11, second in FBS, including 378.9 passing yards, which ranks second nationally; NC State, meanwhile, allows 241.5 passing yards per contest, which is tied for 86th nationally
• Oklahoma State quarterback Mason Rudolph leads all of FBS in passing yards (3,690) and passing yards per game (369.0), while wideout James Washington ranks second nationally in receiving yards and receiving yards per game (1,158 and 115.8, respectively) and has hauled in nine touchdown passes, which ranks third in the Big 12 and ninth nationally

NC State vs. TCU

• No previous matchups on the gridiron between the programs
• The Horned Frogs have never appeared in a Camping World Bowl and have only played in one Florida Bowl game, the 1942 Orange Bowl — a 40-26 loss to Georgia
• TCU is exceptionally strong on defense this season and have only been allowing their opponents 16.3 points per game, the eighth-best mark in the FBS
• NC State’s rushing offense, averaging 166.6 yards per game, would be up against the nation’s No. 2 rushing D — a Horned Frogs unit that allows just 82.7 yards per game on the ground