CFN predicts PSU vs. Auburn in Capital One

How great would it be to get revenge for 2003? The boys over at CFN think it's possible. Penn State in a rematch of the 2003 Captial One Bowl with Auburn would draw huge ratings, a packed house and, depending on whether or not these two teams play up to their potential, one of the best games of the bowl season. In fact, these two programs are the Big Ten-SEC standard for good teams that just can't catch a break.

From CFN:

Capital One Bowl
Jan. 1 / 1 p.m. Orlando, Fla. ABC
Tie-Ins: Big Ten No. 2 vs. SEC No. 2
Way Too Early Projection: Penn State vs. Auburn
Top 5 Others Considered: 1) Wisconsin, 2) Tennessee, 3) LSU, 4) Georgia, 5) Florida

I could live with this. A New Years Day game would do Penn State well. A game against an SEC foe would allow the Lions to carry the Big Ten torch on their way to a fourth straight bowl victory. But if Penn State can't hack it in the horrid 2008 mid-season conference run of @ Purdue, @ Wisconsin, Michigan, @ Ohio State and @ Iowa, there's still a chance at a January bowl.

Outback Bowl
Jan. 1 / 11 a.m. ET Tampa, Fla. ESPN
Tie-Ins: Big Ten No. 3 vs. SEC
Way Too Early Projection: Michigan vs. LSU
Top 5 Others Considered: 1) Penn State, 2) Georgia, 3) Tennessee, 4) Auburn, 5) Florida

Some Penn State fans would be grossly disappointed with these two bowls. I too believe that Penn State has the talent to make an at-large BCS spot this season. However, San Antonio was not a place the Nittany Lions were aiming for, so any bowl after December 31 would be satisfactory for 2008.