Conference USA Bowl Chances

• Marshall: The Thundering Herd are 4-2 on the season with losses to Ohio (34-31) and Virginia Tech (3OT). They could easily be 6-0 with an already secured bowl berth but instead sit two wins from eligibility for a bowl. Of the remaining six teams on the schedule, only East Carolina has a winning record (5-2). The remaining five opponents are a combined 8-23. Bowl prognosis: 97%.
• East Carolina: The Pirates are one win away from bowl eligibility after a 55-14 win over winless Southern Miss. The Pirates have lost to Virginia Tech and Tulane by a combined 8-points but have a tough final five games of the season including back-to-back trips to NC State and Marshall to end the season. The Pirates have an underachieving Tulsa squad sandwiched between projected wins versus FIU and UAB. Bowl Prognosis: 99%.
• UAB: The Blazers currently sit at 2-4 on the season after a 27-24 win over the FIU Golden Panthers. UAB must win at least 4 of their final 6 games of the season to ever get bowl consideration and that does not even guarantee a bowl berth. After a trip to UTSA and hosting MTSU, the Blazers hit a three game stretch versus Marshall, ECU and Rice, a combined 14-6, with two of the three games on the road. Bowl Prognosis: 12%.
• Florida International: The Golden Panthers currently sit at 1-5 on the season after a nailbiting 27-24 loss to UAB. FIU must either run the table or go 5-1 to secure a bowl berth in their first season as a Conference USA member. The Golden Panthers must find a way to beat ECU or Marshall while also winning all of an otherwise lackluster second half schedule. Bowl Prognosis: 1%.
• MTSU: The Blue Raiders are 3-4 on the season and currently on a three-game losing streak, including back-to-back conference losses to East Carolina and North Texas. The good news for MTSU fans is that after a tough Thursday night game versus Marshall, the rest of the schedule is very easy and should see the Blue Raiders end the regular season at 7-5. Bowl Prognosis: 85%
• FAU: The Owls are struggling to a 2-5 record midway through the college football season. FAU is 1-4 in conference but three of the four losses were by 7 or fewer points. A couple of swings in games and FAU is looking at a bowl berth. As it stands, the Owls must go 4-1 down the stretch to be bowl eligible. The Owls must beat either #11 Auburn on the road Saturday or beat Tulane on Nov. 2 in order to have bowl aspirations.  Bowl Prognosis: 21%
• Southern Miss: The Golden Eagles are currently sitting at 0-6 on the season in addition to an overall 18-game losing streak dating back to the 2012 season. Southern Miss has been outscored 40.2-12.5 on the season giving up 50+ points three separate times. The Golden Eagles host North Texas before traveling to Marshall the following week. Those are the only two teams above .500 left on the schedule. Bowl Prognosis: 0.0001%
• Rice: The Owls are currently 5-2 on the season after seven games and must only win one more game to be bowl eligible for the second consecutive season. The only two losses for Rice are from a pair of teams that are combined 10-3 on the season. Only North Texas and Tulane remain as major obstacles on the schedule with the other three teams all sporting losing records. Bowl Prognosis: 96%
• Tulane: The Green Wave has seen a major shift with the football program earning more wins in 2013 (5) than in all of 2011 and 2012 combined. Tulane needs only one more win to become bowl eligible and only face a single team, Rice, with a winning record in the final five games. The Green Wave could easily finish the regular season 8-4 and make a bowl game for the first time since 2002. Bowl Prognosis: 89%
• North Texas: The Mean Green sit at 4-3 on the season after seven games with all three losses to teams with winning records (Ohio, Georgia, Tulane). North Texas is coming off back-to-back double digit conference wins and have a generally easy back five games to the schedule. They only face one team with a winning record, Rice, and only need to go 2-3 in those games to become bowl eligible. Bowl Prognosis: 83%
• Tulsa: The Golden Hurricanes are a disappointing 2-4 on the season midway through the year and look to be in danger of missing a bowl game for only the second time since 2003. Tulsa are 1-1 in conference but face Tulane, ECU, Marshall and North Texas, all teams with winning records, among their final six games. The Golden Hurricanes must go at least 4-2 in the final six to have a chance at keeping their bowl eligibility alive. Bowl Prognosis: 40%
• Louisiana Tech: After declining a bowl berth in 2012, the Bulldogs are very close to missing out on a bowl game again in 2013. The Bulldogs are currently 2-5 on the year and have only scored over 20 points twice this season, wins over Lamar (27-14) and UTEP (38-35). Winnable games versus Southern Miss, UTSA, and FIU surround games versus a disappointing Tulsa team and a road trip to Rice on Nov. 16. The Bulldogs must go at least 4-1 in those five games. Bowl Prognosis: 30%
• UTSA: The Roadrunners, in their first year of bowl eligibility, have found the road to a bowl game very difficult in 2013 sporting a 2-5 record and currently on a three-game losing streak. The good news for the Roadrunners is all five losses have been to teams with winning records in games few outside of the fan base thought they could win. The bad news is back-to-back-to games versus Tulsa, Tulane and North Texas after hosting UAB on Oct. 26. The Roadrunners must go at least 4-1 in the final five games to gain bowl eligibility. Bowl Prognosis: 22%
• UTEP: The Miners, bowless since 2010, are sitting right on the brink of another season sitting out the bowl season with a 1-5 record midway through the year. UTEP has only beat FBS independent New Mexico State on the season while giving up 37.7 points per game on the season. With five of their last six games on the road including games versus Rice, Texas A&M, North Texas, Tulane and MTSU, bowl chances look very bleak for the Miners. Bowl Prognosis: 8%

Conference USA Bowl Tie-ins (6) and Projections:

• AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Marshall vs. SEC/American
• Beef O'Brady's Bowl: ECU vs. American
• Heart of Dallas Bowl: Rice vs. Big Ten
• Military Bowl: North Texas vs. ACC
• R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Tulane vs. Sun Belt
• Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl: MTSU vs. Mountain West