Wake Forest plays Vanderbilt this weekend in its final game of the season. More than anything else, the Deacons are seeking to solidify it selection into a top-tier bowl selection. Given that it will not finish any worse than fifth overall in the ACC, it seems to be on track for the Meinke Bowl game in Charlotte NC. They have an outside chance for the Music City Bowl in Nashville but given that more fans will be able to attend the Meinke Bowl game (just a hour away on the interstate) than for the Music City Bowl game, it may prove to be a better choice. Most pundits seem to agree that this is where Wake will end up except for the guy at MSNBC who seems to think that the Emerald Bowl in the hinterland of San Franciso is more likely but I strongly disagree with that assessment.

Of course the team has to get by the Commodores of Vanderbilt which should not be too difficult but then again in this topsy-turvy season in NCAA football, surefire predictions never seem to come through.

Looking back on the season to date, it is a bit disappointing especially after last year’s tremendous run. There have been several games where if one or two plays went the team’s way, the situation may be much different and the team may still be in the hunt for the ACC Championship. Except for the blowout loss to Clemson, the Deacons have been in every game they lost to the very last play.

Of course, their schedule this year is a more rigourous one than last year’s. But that is one of the benefits of becoming a better team; you start drawing more highly ranked teams for non-conference games and this will enhance bids for national rankings along with better bowl bids and even up to the BCS rankings.

Still, it has been a good season and even with many of the seniors leaving this year, there is a strong nucleus of a team for next year. This team is not a one-year wonder and its performance this year is much better than the team they lost to in the Orange Bowl, Louisville, who looks like to will not go to a bowl game this season.

Looking forward to Bowl season.

(Helmet images courtesy of the Helmet Project)