Bowl projections 2012: Longhorns and Aggies reunited, TCU goes west

When college football hits November and the back stretch of the season, debate rages surrounding rankings and who will make the BCS National Championship Game. For most schools, however, the rest of the bowl roster begins to take shape as schools eye their postseason landing spot.

For teams in Texas, those bowl games could end up being quite intriguing matchups.

At 8-2, the Texas Longhorns are angling for a finish right behind Kansas State in the Big 12. According to SB Nation's college football editor Jason Kirk, the Longhorns are in play for a reunion with the Texas A&M Aggies in the Cotton Bowl. The Cotton Bowl gets second pick of Big 12 teams and would surely be salivating to sell out Cowboys Stadium to extend that rivalry by one more chapter. Kirk writes:

They're both getting hotter as the season goes, making the reunion harder and harder to resist. At this point, the only thing I can see ruining it would be Texas declining and accepting a trip to the Alamo instead -- based on last week's response, the Aggies want this one much more than the Horns do. -Jason Kirk

The TCU Horned Frogs are on track for a compelling game as well. Kirk has the 6-4 Frogs headed to the Holiday Bowl in San Diego to take on the USC Trojans. The 7-3 Trojans were a preseason No. 1, and the matchup between USC's offense and the TCU defense would make for an intriguing battle.

With Army ineligible for a bowl game, Kirk has the Military Bowl doing some shuffling to pair the SMU Mustangs with the Air Force Falcons.

Baylor, with a 4-5 record and three straight games against ranked teams to close its season, is not projected to make a bowl game.