Why the Hogs and the Vols are the best bet for the Birmingham Bowl

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Padraic Major

When Hugh Freeze brought his up-and-coming Rebels to town for the 2013 Birmingham Bowl, the result was an attendance record.

What is the ideal Southeastern Conference team for the upcoming Birmingham Bowl at Legion Field?

If history is any indication, there are actually two that hotel managers and restaurateurs would really love to see in the Magic City on Jan. 3.

Past attendance and economic impact figures suggest Birmingham's best bet is a team that is ending the year on the rise, has a coach fans are excited about and – from a hotel standpoint – is located far enough away that fans would want to spend at least a night.

This year, Tennessee and Arkansas are probably the best bets. Both teams ended the year much better than they started it, with fans showing plenty of optimism for next season.

Both have relatively new coaches, much like Ole Miss in the 2013 game, which set the game's current attendance record of 55,099.

The Southeastern Conference has a new system for picking bowls that will give the conference more power in setting matchups – with some feedback from the bowls themselves. That's a departure from previous years when bowls had more power in the process.

That new system – as well as the new College Football Playoff that could have a ripple down effect on smaller bowls – has made it more difficult for experts to project which teams will end up where. Various projections have Arkansas, Florida and South Carolina coming to Birmingham. Of that trio, the Razorbacks are clearly the best bet, with the Gators and Gamecocks posting disappointing seasons.

On the other side, many believe Memphis could be the choice from the American Athletic Conference. That wouldn't be bad from an economic perspective. Cincinnati has also been mentioned.