Then again, Saturday was a big day for those who checked becoming bowl eligible off their to do list. Currently their are 64 teams who are bowl eligible with 14 spots remaining. There are also 23 teams that are just one win away from becoming eligible, which means there's a good chance, someone is getting left out.
There were also seven teams who are taking the winter off, especially UMass, who wraps up their season next week against Georgia.
Here's the full list of those who became bowl eligible this week:
Pitt (6-4)The Panthers have had it going in the past three weeks. They currently sit on top in their half of ACC with a potential match-up against Clemson. Pitt had appeared in nine straight bowl games before missing last season.
Best Win:Syracuse
Bowl Projection: Belk Bowl
The Yellow Jackets have won five of their last six to get where they are right now. Running the option and topping the rushing charts isn't surprising, but they've scored over 60 twice this season. Georgia Tech returns to a bowl game after missing out last season.
Best Win: Virginia Tech
Bowl Projection: Independence Bowl
Memphis (6-4)The Tigers have scored over 50 points in five games, but were shut down by Navy (2-8) and drubbed by Tulane. Darrell Henderson is a wrecking ball that trails only Jonathan Taylor of Wisconsin when it comes to the ground game. It's the fifth straight year for the Tigers to be bowl eligible.
Best Win: East Carolina
Bowl Projection: Birmingham Bowl
Temple (6-4)The Owls began the year with losses to Villanova (FCS) and Buffalo, but have since played a thorn in the side of the top dogs of the American Athletic Conference. Temple is Cincinnati's lone defeat, and they've even derailed Houston and Maryland. It's their third straight year of bowl eligibility.
Best Win: Cincinnati
Bowl Projection: Military Bowl
The Cyclones had their first game canceled because of weather, then lost to rival Iowa and had a close call against Oklahoma. Since then, they've won six of seven to become bowl eligible for the second straight season.
Best Win: West Virginia
Bowl Projection: Alamo Bowl
Like the last two teams, the Wildcats have been the itch that could not be scratched for Michigan State, Iowa, and nearly Michigan and Notre Dame. Despite losing to Akron and nearly losing to Rutgers and Nebraska, Northwestern is going to play in their first ever Big Ten Championship game against either Michigan or Ohio State. A bowl appearance would be the ninth under Pat Fitzgerald since 2008.
Best Win: Michigan State
Bowl Projection: Citrus Bowl
Marshall (6-3)The Thundering Herd are currently a game short of a full schedule because of Hurricane Florence, but that didn't stop them from becoming bowl eligible for the second straight year and sixth time under Doc Holliday since 2011.
Best Win: Florida Atlantic
Bowl Projection: Hawai'i Bowl
A roller coaster year for the Eagles as they upset Purdue, then lost four straight, but have rattled off four wins in five games to become bowl eligible for the second time under Chris Creighton. Creighton led EMU to a bowl game in 2016 for the first time since 1987 and third in school history. With a game against lowly Kent State left, the Eagles could boost their bowl appearance with seven wins.
Best Win: Purdue
Bowl Projection: Frisco Bowl
The Wolfpack have won three straight after back-to-back losses to the top tier of the Mountain West. They do have a win over a Power 5 school in Oregon State as well as a win over San Diego State. If Nevada makes its way into a bowl game, it will be the first time since 2015.
Best Win: San Diego State
Bowl Projection: Arizona Bowl
Cal (6-4)It had been 15 years since the Bears knocked off USC, but to make it sweeter, it came with their first bowl bid since 2015. Cal has won some tough games like the one against Washington, but have also had the embarrassment of giving Chip Kelly his first win as a UCLA (2-8) coach.
Best Win: Washington
Bowl Projection: Alamo Bowl
Todd Graham had taken the Sun Devils to bowl games in five of his six seasons, but was fired after last season. Enter first year college and longtime NFL coach Herm Edwards. He not only guided ASU to an upset of Michigan State, but has the Sun Devils bowl eligible once again.
Best Win: Michigan State
Bowl Projection: Cheez-It Bowl
Stanford (6-4)The Cardinal had high hopes with the return of Bryce Love and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, but Love has been hurt most of the year and after starting 4-0, Stanford is just 2-4 in their last six games. Still their likely headed to their tenth straight bowl appearance. They haven't missed since David Shaw took over for Jim Harbaugh in 2011 and not since 2008.
Best Win: Oregon
Bowl Projection: Redbox Bowl
Missouri (6-4)Drew Lock can throw the football, even against some SEC defenses. He set the single season SEC record with 41 touchdowns last season and passed Peyton Manning for third all-time in conference history. He's likely helped the Tigers to back-to-back bow appearances for the first time since 2013-14.
Best Win: Florida
Bowl Projection: Birmingham Bowl
Texas A&M (6-4)Talk about a tough schedule for the Aggies. Their four losses are to Clemson, Alabama, Mississippi State, and Auburn. Yet the still have a big win over Kentucky and are likely headed to their tenth straight bowl appearance. Jimbo Fisher would be the fourth coach during that time to lead the Aggies in a bowl game.
Best Win: Kentucky
Bowl Projection: Texas Bowl
Louisiana Monroe (6-4)The Warhawks have got it rolling after being pummeled in back-to-back games by Georgia State and Ole Miss. Since then, they've won four straight, including a shocking trouncing of Georgia Southern. Since joining the FBS in 1994, ULM has made it to just one bowl game in 2012 and are still searching for their first win in postseason play.
Best Win: Georgia Southern
Bowl Projection: New Orleans Bowl
Arkansas State (6-4)Unlike their Sun Belt peers, the Red Wolves have been to a bowl game in seven straight seasons and hope to make it eight straight if they go this year. Arkansas State is one of five Sun Belt teams to become bowl eligible for just five spots, so anyone else might be out of luck from the conference if all at large spots are filled.
Best Win: Coastal Carolina
Bowl Projection: Cure Bowl
Now the seasons that have prematurely ended:
It hurts when you lose to a rival. It really hurts when you could've made them bowl ineligible. I mega hurts when they make you finish with a losing season. They crossed off many have nots this year with a road win against Central Michigan, a Power 5 win against Rutgers, and won more than two games in a season for the first time in a while. Since they're still looking for their first Big 12 road win in over 40 games and first bowl appearance since 2008, they fired David Beaty.
Worst Loss: Nicholls State (FCS)
East Carolina (2-7)The Pirates have to watch former quarterback Gardner Minshew tear it up as a graduate transfer at Washington State. The did get a win over North Carolina, but they also lost to NC A&T. It's been since the 2014 season that they've been bowling. Scottie Montgomery might want to get his resume around or at least in one more year.
Worst Loss: NC A&T (FCS)
UTSA (3-7)The Roadrunners have only existed since 2011 and have one bowl appearance in 2016,. UTSA was hit with a tough non-conference schedule, but did survive the Bottom 10 gauntlet of UTEP, Rice, and Texas State. Since then, they've lost four straight in ugly fashion.
Worst Loss: Southern Miss
UMass (4-7)It seems the Minutemen left the MAC so they could have the freedom to finish their season two weeks before everyone else. That's what will happen after they play Georgia this Saturday and will likely finish 4-8. The last time they were in a bowl game was in 1972, but since they've joined the FBS ranks in 2011 they haven't finished with more than five wins. Oh and coach Mark Whipple said in a loss to Miami, OH, "We had a chance there with 16 down and they rape us, and he picks up the flag." He would be suspended for one week.
Worst Loss: Coastal Carolina
New Mexico (3-7)Bob Davie's seat is an inferno currently as the Lobos missed a chance for a bowl in the second straight season. Davie was also suspended 30 days earlier this year for an investigation into his treatment of players.
Worst Loss:Liberty
Colorado State (3-7)Mike Bobo has been hard to watch walking on the sidelines after being treated for peripheral neuropathy which has caused numbness and pain in his feet. His ability to fight through pain is an inspiration to his players despite their struggles on the field. As long as he feels good to go, his job is not in jeopardy as the Rams had been to a bowl in his first three seasons and in five straight years.
Worst Loss: Illinois State (FCS)
The Bobcats are the only team to lose to Rutgers, the only FBS team to lose to South Alabama, and one of three teams to lose to UTSA. So when they beat New Mexico State (3-7) and Georgia State (2-8) those seemed like major accomplishments. They've had one winning season since joining the FBS in 2012, but they're just weren't enough bowl games to go around in 2014.
Worst Loss: South Alabama
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