BCS Bowl Predictor

BCS Championship Game - No. 1 Auburn vs No. 2 Oregon

A lot of my Duck friends complained this week when Auburn jumped Oregon in the BCS standings. Assuming that both teams win tomorrow - and my high school math teacher always toold me that "assuming makes an ass of you and me" - then Auburn's lead in the BCS standings will widen, because the Tigers will get more credit for a win over No. 19 South Carolina than the Ducks will over undranked Oregon State.

Rose Bowl - No. 3 TCU vs No. 5 Wisconsin

The Badgers will get the Big Ten's automatic Rose Bowl berth based on being higher in the BCS rankings than either Ohio State or Michigan State. TCU will be Oregon's replacement, because of the Rose Bowl's "one time only" rule of selecting the highest non-AQ team to replace someone who is in the national championship game. This should be an awesome game; can TCU's hyperspeed defense slow down Wisconsin's White Clay Ball?

Fiesta Bowl - No. 13 Nebraska vs Connecticut

The Fiesta Bowl gets last pick among the BCS bowls this year because they are the "host" for the NC game played a week later. Nebraska has to beat no. 9 Oklahoma tomorrow in the Big 12 Championship to get in, and UConn has to win at South Florida to become the first unranked BCS team. If they lose, then no. 24 West Virginia will be in with a win at Rutgers. If both the Huskies and the Mountaineers lose, then Pitt will get in with a Cincinnati. If all three lose, then UConn gets in. Stranger things have happened.

Sugar Bowl - No. 6 Ohio State vs No. 7 Arkansas

This is a tough one to predict. The Sugar Bowl is set to lose Auburn to the BCS game, and probably will want to replace them with the next highest SEC team, which is Arkansas. The Sugar Bowl doesn't like ths; they would make a lot more bling hosting no. 10 LSU or no. 16 Alabama. To compensate, they will probably give Ohio State an at-large berth. The Buckeyes have a much larger fan base than any of the other BCS teams this year. Of course, all of this is moot if South Carolina upsets Auburn and gets the SEC's automatic berth.

Orange Bowl - No. 4 Stanford vs No. 15 Virginia Tech

If Stanford ends in the top 4 in the BCS - and they should at this point because they've finished their season - then they must go to a BCS game. The Orange Bowl should then be faced with the unenviable task of choosing between Stanford and Connecticut for their at-large selection. In football. Men's football. The Orange would be much happier if no. 21 Florida State manages to upset the Hokies to win the ACC and fill up the stands in Miami. They might also pick West Virginia over Stanford if UConn loses, thereby sending the Cardinal to the Fiesta Bowl - which would attract way more Pac-10 fans because it is played in Arizona - to play the Big 12 Champions.