Patrick Stevens The Washington Times - September 20, 2009, 09:48AM

If the EagleBank Bowl wants a local team in its Dec. 29 game, yesterday was not a particularly promising day.

Maryland lost to Middle Tennessee to fall to 1-2. Virginia gave up a huge second-half lead at Southern Mississippi and dropped to 0-3. Neither has looked like a postseason-worthy team this season, and that’s saying something when 68 out of 120 teams make a bowl.

SEE RELATED:

The good for the D.C.-based bowl? Army notched win No. 2, putting it a third of the way to eligibility for its first bowl game since 1996.

Running down all three tie-ins:

ACC No. 8

ACC teams with 2+ victories: 9
ACC teams with .500+ records: 9
Current projected teams on the board for the EagleBank Bowl: Boston College, Wake Forest

ARMY

The Black Knights handled Ball State (which in no way resembles the team that started last season 12-0). Army has a winning record more than one game into the season for the first time since going 10-2 in 1996.

2009 Opponent
 Result 2008 Equivalent
 Result
at Eastern Michigan
 W, 27-14
 Eastern Michigan
 W, 17-13
Duke L, 35-19
 at Rice
 L, 38-31
Ball State
 W, 24-17
 Akron L, 22-3
at Iowa State
at Texas A&M
 L, 21-17
Tulane
at Tulane
 W, 44-13
Vanderbilt
at Buffalo
 L, 27-24
at Temple
Temple L, 35-7
Rutgers
at Rutgers
 L, 30-3
at Air Force
Air Force
 L, 16-7
VMI   New Hampshire
 L, 28-10
at North Texas
Louisiana Tech
 W, 14-3
vs. Navy
vs. Navy
 L, 34-0

If Army cannot reach six victories, the bowl will select a team from …

Conference USA East teams with 2+ victories: 3 (Southern Mississippi, Marshall, Central Florida)
Conference USA East teams with .500+ records: 3

—- Patrick Stevens