Bowl projections rund drei: Two wins and it's Christmas in Arizona for Iowa (and Iowa State)

A pair of wins this weekend by the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Iowa State Cyclones could vault both into Arizona bowl games later this year.

Iowa appears to be a solid choice by the Fiesta Bowl (Jan.4)  if it can beat the Gophers on Saturday. At 10-2 and a likely spot in the BCS top 12, Iowa is an attractive team for any bowl, especially one in Arizona. Iowa fans are known to travel in droves for bowl games (more than 20,000 last year for the Outback Bowl) and the desert is swarming with Iowa transplants and snowbirds.

This is also why Iowa State could get a bid for the Insight Bowl on Dec. 29. If Iowa State upsets Missouri on the road, the Cyclones are 7-5 and move up the bowl chain. The Insight Bowl picks fifth among Big 12 teams after the BCS.

The fun could get spoiled by Nebraska. If the Cornhuskers beat K-State this weekend, they'll play Texas for the Big 12 title. On paper, easy Longhorns victory. But this league has had some wild championship games, such as Texas upsetting Nebraska in the inaugural Big 12 championship game. We'll save that debate for early December.

Two Iowa schools playing bowl games in the same state seven days apart? Two wins and both will be in.

Here's my latest bowl projections:

BCS BOWLS

• BCS Championship: Alabama vs. Texas. I'm tired of writing or talking about this one.
• Rose Bowl: Ohio State vs. Oregon. Classic Big Ten toughness versus West Coast slickness.
• Fiesta Bowl: Iowa vs. Boise State. This year's Cinderella takes on the 2006 version (which is married and has two kids, boy the way).
• Orange Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. TCU. Really good match-up. Only question is, will anyone watch it?
• Sugar Bowl: Florida vs. Cincinnati. The Sugar Bowl gets the final pick among the BCS and gets Cincinnati.

BIG TEN BOWLS

• Capital One Bowl: Penn State vs. LSU. More people will watch this game than the Orange Bowl (and probably the Fiesta, too.)
• Outback Bowl: Wisconsin vs. Ole Miss. The Rebels underachieved, and the Badgers are right where they should be.
• Champs Bowl: Northwestern vs. Virginia Tech. A mismatch on paper, but Pat Fitzgerald seems to have his team well-prepared at all times.
• Alamo Bowl: Minnesota vs. Nebraska. The only reason the Gophers go here is because Michigan won't be bowl eligible.
• Insight Bowl: Michigan State vs. Iowa State. Both teams can reminisce about their hatred for Iowa at the team dinner.

BIG 12/SECOND-TIER BOWLS

• Cotton Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Auburn. Had Iowa State beaten K-State and Kansas (which it should have), it could have played here. Imagine that atmosphere.
• Gator Bowl: Notre Dame vs. Miami. The Fighting Irish might not have a coach in January and certainly won't deserve this bowl. Life isn't fair, and here's an example.
• Holiday Bowl: Oklahoma vs. USC. Going into the season, who would have guessed this one in San Diego?
• Sun Bowl: Arizona vs. Texas Tech. Perfect location for this game, about halfway between the schools.
• Peach Bowl: Clemson vs. Tennessee. If it wasn't for HD, the stands would blur with the two shades of orange.
• Independence Bowl: Misssouri vs. Kentucky. You could rename the bowl the "Blue-Gray Game."
• Texas Bowl: Navy vs. Texas A&M
• Emerald Bowl: Boston College vs. Stanford
• Poinsettia Bowl: BYU vs. California
• Las Vegas Bowl: Utah vs. Oregon State
• Meineke Bowl: Florida State vs. Pittsburgh
• Music City: North Carolina vs. Georgia
• Papajohns Bowl: West Virginia vs. South Carolina
• Liberty Bowl: East Carolina vs. Arkansas

OTHERS

• International Bowl: Rutgers vs. Temple
• New Orleans Bowl: Troy vs. Houston
• Armed Forces Bowl: SMU vs. Air Force
• Humanitarian Bowl: Idaho vs. Wyoming
• Hawaii Bowl: Nevada vs. Southern Miss
• St. Petersburg Bowl: South Florida vs. Central Florida
• New Mexico Bowl: Fresno State vs. Bowling Green
• EagleBank Bowl: Marshall vs. Northern Illinois
• Little Caesar's Bowl: Central Michigan vs. Louisiana-Monroe
• GMAC Bowl: Ohio vs. Middle Tennessee State