The Action Network’s Brett McMurphy released his bowl predictions ahead of Week 13 of the 2024 college football season on Monday.
For the fourth time in five weeks, McMurphy predicts Wisconsin to return to the Pinstripe Bowl. And, as he did after Week 10, the analyst has the Badgers facing Pittsburgh.
The Panthers, the No. 8 team in the Atlantic Coast Conference, are on a three-game skid. At 7-3, Pittsburgh has fallen into the ‘receiving votes’ category in the latest installation of the AP top 25 poll.
Still, the Panthers have beaten Kent State, Cincinnati, West Virginia, Youngstown State, North Carolina, California and Syracuse. Their recent losses have arrived against No. 13 SMU, No. 17 SMU and Virginia.
Week 13 @ActionNetworkHQ bowl projections & ranking order of which 5 win teams would earn a bowl bid, if not enough 6 win teams. @CFBPlayoff: Oregon, Texas, Miami, Colorado, Boise St at Ohio St; Ole Miss at Bama; UGA at Notre Dame; Indiana at Penn St https://t.co/AzjdSCHpuO
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) November 18, 2024
Wisconsin, meanwhile, is 5-5 after Week 12 after losing its most recent game against Oregon by three points in the fourth quarter. The Badgers also dropped their previous two games to No. 4 Penn State and Iowa by a combined 57 points.
Luke Fickell’s program also elected to fire offensive coordinator Phil Longo on Saturday. At No. 11 in the Big Ten, the organization appears to be amid an identity crisis.
If McMurphy’s prediction rings true, this will be the first time UW will participate in the Pinstripe Bowl since 2018 when it defeated Miami 35-3.
Four Big Ten teams are currently projected to land in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff this winter. No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 4 Penn State and No. 5 Indiana are included in the AP’s top 5 ahead of Week 12.
Wisconsin in still search of its 23rd consecutive bowl game appearance. It needs a win over its final two games against Nebraska and Minnesota.