If the EagleBank Bowl wants a local team in its Dec. 29 game, yesterday was not a particularly promising day.
Maryland lost to Middle Tennessee to fall to 1-2. Virginia gave up a huge second-half lead at Southern Mississippi and dropped to 0-3. Neither has looked like a postseason-worthy team this season, and that’s saying something when 68 out of 120 teams make a bowl.
SEE RELATED:
The good for the D.C.-based bowl? Army notched win No. 2, putting it a third of the way to eligibility for its first bowl game since 1996.
Running down all three tie-ins:
ACC No. 8
ACC teams with 2+ victories: 9
ACC teams with .500+ records: 9
Current projected teams on the board for the EagleBank Bowl: Boston College, Wake Forest
ARMY
The Black Knights handled Ball State (which in no way resembles the team that started last season 12-0). Army has a winning record more than one game into the season for the first time since going 10-2 in 1996.
2009 Opponent
|
Result |
2008 Equivalent
|
Result |
at Eastern Michigan
|
W, 27-14
|
Eastern Michigan
|
W, 17-13
|
Duke |
L, 35-19
|
at Rice
|
L, 38-31
|
Ball State
|
W, 24-17
|
Akron |
L, 22-3
|
at Iowa State
|
|
at Texas A&M
|
L, 21-17
|
Tulane |
|
at Tulane
|
W, 44-13
|
Vanderbilt |
|
at Buffalo
|
L, 27-24
|
at Temple
|
|
Temple |
L, 35-7
|
Rutgers |
|
at Rutgers
|
L, 30-3
|
at Air Force
|
|
Air Force
|
L, 16-7
|
VMI |
|
New Hampshire
|
L, 28-10
|
at North Texas
|
|
Louisiana Tech
|
W, 14-3
|
vs. Navy
|
|
vs. Navy
|
L, 34-0
|
If Army cannot reach six victories, the bowl will select a team from …
Conference USA East teams with 2+ victories: 3 (Southern Mississippi, Marshall, Central Florida)
Conference USA East teams with .500+ records: 3
—- Patrick Stevens