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Week 13 Bowl Projections: Media whittles lineup down to four potential teams

The college football season is entering the home stretch, and the countdown to the 2018 Camping World Bowl is on in Orlando.

Here’s a round-up of Camping World Bowl projections from around the college football media world after Week 13:

Kyle Bonagura (ESPN): Syracuse vs. West Virginia
Mitch Sherman (ESPN): Syracuse vs. Iowa State
Eric Single (Sports Illustrated): NC State vs. West Virginia
Jerry Palm (CBS Sports): Syracuse vs. West Virginia
Bill Bender (Sporting News): NC State vs. Iowa State
Jason Kirk (SBNation): Syracuse vs. West Virginia
Kerry Miller (Bleacher Report): Syracuse vs. Iowa State
Brant Parsons (Orlando Sentinel): Syracuse vs. Iowa State
CollegeFootballNews.com: Syracuse vs. West Virginia
Erick Smith (USA Today): NC State vs. Iowa State
Brett McMurphy (Stadium): NC State vs. Iowa State
Brad Crawford (247 Sports): NC State vs. West Virginia

Syracuse vs. West Virginia

• This would be the 61st time the Orange and the Mountaineers met on the gridiron; the previous Big East foes played each other for 58 consecutive years between 1955 and 2012.
• Syracuse holds the a 33-27 record advantage and a three-game win streak on the Mountaineers.
• The last time these programs squared off was in the 2012 Pinstripe Bowl, in which ‘Cuse defeated West Virginia 38-14
• West Virginia would be seeking its first win in a Camping World Bowl as it holds isan 0-4 record to date, with appearances coming in 1995, 1997, 2010 and 2016.
• Both of these programs are averaging over 40 points per game, with Syracuse at No. 12 nationally (40.8) and West Virginia at No. 9 (42.3).

Syracuse vs. Iowa State

Syracuse’s only other appearances in a Camping World Bowl was a 51-14 loss to Georgia Tech in 2004.

• These programs have two previous matchups — the first was a 7-7 tie in 1957 and the second was a 14-13 Syracuse victory in 1969.
• Syracuse has played in one previous Camping World Bowl in 2004; the Orange lost to Georgia Tech 51-14.
• Syracuse has only appeared in one previous Camping World Bowl, as it lost in which the Orange fell 51-14 to Georgia Tech in 2004, when the game was known as the Champs Sports Bowl.
• The Cyclones have only allowed been allowing its opponents 128.1 yards on the ground this season, good for 26th nationally, while the Syracuse offense ranks 31st in rushing with 206.4 yards per game.

NC State vs. West Virginia

• This would be a rematch of our 2010 game, which saw a Russell Wilson-led NC State team top West Virginia, 23-7.
• NC State and West Virginia were scheduled to play in a regular season game in September, however the contest was canceled due to Hurricane Florence.
• The all-time series between the teams is tied 5-5; NC State has won past three meetings (2010, 1979, 1978).
• The Mountaineers’ last victory in the series came in 1975 Peach Bowl.
• NC State is tied with Miami for the most appearances in a Camping World Bowl with five and holds a 3-2 overall record in Orlando.
• This matchup would pit two of the top-10 passing offenses in the nation against each other; WVU quarterback Will Grier has 3,864 yards on the season so far with a completion rate of 67.0, while NC State’s Ryan Finley has thrown for 3,380 yards with a completion rate of 67.4.

Quarterback Philip Rivers led NC State to a 56-26 win over Kansas in 2003.

NC State vs. Iowa State

• The only previous matchup between these programs came in the 1977 Peach Bowl, a 24-14 victory for NC State.
• Iowa State has been to 13 total bowl games in program history, but this would be its first-ever appearance in a bowl game in the Sunshine State.
• NC State holds the Camping World Bowl record for passing yards with 481 in its 56-26 victory over Kansas in 2003; Philip Rivers threw for 475 of those yards and five touchdowns while hitting 82.2 percent of his passes.
• The Wolfpack would likely need to rely depend on their ninth-ranked passing offense (319.2 yards per game) against Iowa State’s defense, which ranks No. 26 in rushing yards allowed (128.1 yards per game) and No. 39 in total defense (357.5 yards per game).

Click here to check out weekly media projections from earlier this season. For a breakdown of the latest CFP poll and what it means for the Citrus Bowl and Camping World Bowl, click here.