2011 College Bowl Game Projections: Pitt Headed For Pinstripe Bowl?

The season hasn't even started but 2011 bowl game projections are already starting to roll out. About two weeks ago, Rivals predicted Pitt would end up in the Pinstripe Bowl in New York.

Now, another site says the Panthers will end up in that bowl game as well.

ESPN.com's Big East blogger Andrea Adelson is the latest to declare Pitt bowl-bound for the Pinstripe Bowl:

Pinstripe Bowl: Pitt versus Big 12. I put the Panthers here for geographic purposes more than anything. I have them finishing second in the league. With the Champs Bowl unavailable, it made the most sense to put them here. The league does not like to have repeat appearances in consecutive years, so that is why Syracuse is elsewhere.

Despite the fact that Pitt could finish second to West Virginia in the Big East, the Panthers may not reap the benefits of playing in the Champs Sports Bowl. That honor could go to Notre Dame, who has a tie-in with the Big East for that game. The bowl passed on a 7-5 Notre Dame team last year and held out for a better Irish team, which it might get this season.

With an already weak Big East bowl lineup made weaker with the potential loss of the Champs Sports Bowl, it's really Big East or bust in terms of getting a quality bowl contest.