As the voters and pollsters try to figure things out at the top of the BCS standings as to who will face off versus the LSU Tigers in the national championship game in New Orleans, life for the Houston Cougars have unfortunately become cryster-clear based on the latest 2011 bowl projections.

While the Cougs will look to still play in the January bowl game, the TicketCity Bowl doesn't quite provide the same allure that a BCS Bowl game does. The 6-6 Purdue Boilermakers are predicted to face off against the 12-1 Houston Cougars in the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, Texas.

In last year's TicketCity Bowl, the Northwestern Wildcats and the Texas Tech Red Raiders held a shootout in the Cotton Bowl, as the boys from Lubbock were able to pull off a 45-38 thrilling victory last year.

It would seem to be a safe bet that Case Keenum and the Cougars can put up their fair share of points, but can the Boilermakers? We'll see on January 2nd.

For more insights and analysis on the Purude Boilermakers, check out the SB Nation blog Hammer and Rails. For more college football news be sure to check out SB Nation's College Football Hub.