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Now that the regular season is over and the final BCS rankings will be released today, the bowl pairings for the five Big East teams that are bowl eligible should trickle in throughout the day. With all of the games played, here's what the matchups will most likely be.
| Bowl | Date | Projected Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Orange Bowl | January 4, 2012 | Clemson vs. West Virginia |
| BBVA Compass Bowl | January 7, 2012 | Southern Miss vs. Pittsburgh |
| Belk Bowl | December 27, 2011 | NC State vs. Louisville |
| Pinstripe Bowl | December 30, 2011 | Iowa State vs. Rutgers |
| Liberty Bowl | December 31, 2011 | Vanderbilt vs. Cincinnati |
There remains some discussion about exactly what will happen with Pittsburgh and the BBVA Compass Bowl. It appears that the Big East desires to send them there but the Panthers do not want to go back since they played in that game last year (and it's a horrible place to play a game). If Pitt gets its way, it could be headed to the Beef O'Brady's Bowl against FIU. There's little chance the Liberty Bowl opponent changes as Mississippi State now appears headed for the Music City Bowl. There's also a slight chance that instead of Iowa State, Rutgers would face Missouri in the Pinstripe Bowl. We'll know all of the matchups by this evening.
For more coverage of the Big East's bowl season, check out our Bowl games section