Memphis bowl predictions after week 7

Memphis fell to 5-2 on Friday with a 31-17 loss against Tulane, and earlier this week, several outlets updated their bowl predictions. After a lot of early-season predictions had Charles Huff’s team going to Frisco for a bowl game, the projections are starting to change, and there’s a new destination in play.

The Tigers have appeared in 12-straight bowl games, and they’ll look to gain bowl eligibility Thursday night with a win over East Carolina. Huff will also look to extend his bowl streak to six after leading his team to bowl eligibility all five seasons he’s been a head coach.

Memphis won four straight bowl games before losing in the Gasparilla Bowl last year against NC State.

Here are some of the bowl predictions after week 7.

ESPN:

Bonagura: Frisco Bowl vs. Florida State

Schlabach: Freedom Mortgage Military Bowl vs. Louisville

ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura continues to predict Memphis will play its bowl game in Frisco, but he thinks the Tigers will see Florida State. A matchup against the Seminoles would put Memphis against former head coach Mike Norvell and would be a rematch 2024 game that the Tigers won 20-12.

Florida State is 3-4 on the year, but ESPN Analytics predicts it will win three of its final five games.

Mark Schlabach predicts Memphis will play Louisville in the Military Bowl. It would be the first time the Tigers have played the Cardinals since the 2013 season. 

Louisville leads the all-time series 24-19. The Cardinals are 4-3 with five games remaining.

CBS Sports:

Military Bowl vs. NC State

CBS Sports also predicts the Tigers will play in the Military Bowl, but they think Huff’s team will play NC State. If that is the matchup, it would be a rematch of last season’s Gasparilla Bowl.

The Wolfpack won that game 31-7.

It would be interesting to see what the reaction would be if that is the bowl game again this season after last year’s game was marred with with opt-outs. 

NC State is 3-3 this season, but they have three home games remaining and no game against top 25 teams the rest of the year.

On3:

Fenway Bowl vs. Duke

On3 has been consistent about the Tigers playing in the Fenway Bowl, which has been a popular prediction over the last few seasons, and they think Memphis will be matched up against Duke. Memphis has played the Blue Devils twice in program history, losing both games.

The most recent meeting was Paxton Lynch’s first start with the Tigers in 2013. 

Duke is 4-2, but it has lost back-to-back games against Georgia Tech and North Carolina. The Blue Devils have four road games remaining and will play No. 1 Miami and No. 17 Wake Forest on the road.