EAT CHICKEN AND WATCH NORTHWESTERN FOOTBALL

Bowl projections have kind of been getting me down recently. Most people have Northwestern going to the Heart of Dallas Bowl to play a Conference USA team, which seems like an incredibly boring way for us to spend lots of money. I know, I'm selfish. But then, this happened ...

The Southern fried chicken chain Zaxby's has purchased title rights to the Heart of Dallas Bowl, a young college football bowl game slated to pair Conference USA and the Big Ten. It joins the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl, and Popeyes Bahamas Bowl as chicken-powered bowl games.

BEST MEDIA BUFFET EVER LETS GO.

Oh, and this statement happened:

"To reinforce our brand as the Official Chicken of Sports Fanz and extend our reach as an emerging national concept, Zaxbys offers an Indescribably Good experience in our restaurants and on the field during the Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl," said Zach McLeroy, CEO and co-founder of Zaxby's, in a mind-blowing statement that exists in the world, against all odds.

So yeah, complain about commercialization in college football and bowl games all you want. I'll just sit here and eat some fried chicken while watching a boring football game. #NU4FRIEDCHICKENBOWL!!!!

Anyways, here are the projections:

Jason Kirk, SB Nation: Heart of Dallas Bowl vs. UTEP

Brett McMurphy, ESPN: Armed Forces Bowl vs. Houston

Adam Rittenberg, ESPN: Heart of Dallas Bowl

Brant Parsons, Orlando Sentinel: Heart of Dallas Bowl vs. Rice

Phil Steele's Phil Steele Magazine by Phil Steele: Pinstripe Bowl vs. Syracuse

Tom Dienhart, BTN: Quick Lane Bowl (Detroit) vs. Boston College

No bowl game: Mark Schalbach of ESPN and Jerry Palm of CBS