Potential BCS Bowl Matchups That Could Be More Exciting Than National Title Game

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With a week left to play, the national championship picture is looking clearer than ever at the moment. Notre Dame has punched its ticket to the big game with an undefeated record, and the winner of the SEC Championship this weekend will play the Irish.

It is going to be that team from South Bend against a team from the SEC battling for the crystal football, in a matchup that should shatter the ratings like we have never seen. But just because it is an intriguing contest between two powerhouse programs (especially if Alabama wins the SEC), doesn't necessarily mean that it would be the most exciting BCS matchup of them all.

We have all seen many games that were simply overhyped and never quite lived up to the expectations, usually because one of the teams failed to show up.

With the bowl selection process taking place in less than a week, here are five potential BCS matchups that could prove to be more exciting than the national championship.

UCLA vs. Nebraska

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Bowl This Game Would Take Place: BCS Rose Bowl

How Matchup Would Happen: UCLA beats Stanford in the Pac-12 Championship and Nebraska beats Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship.

Why This Game Would Be Exciting: These two teams met earlier in the season and provided a matchup that produced 66 total points and well over 1,000 total yards.

The Bruins have one of the more balanced offenses in the country, as they are ranked in the 30s in both rushing and passing yards. Nebraska is the eighth-best rushing team in college football and just got running back Rex Burkhead back on the field.

These may not be two of the more popular teams this season, but if this game is anything like the previous meeting, college football fans would be in for a treat.

Wisconsin vs. Stanford

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Bowl This Game Would Take Place: BCS Rose Bowl

How Matchup Would Happen: Wisconsin beats Nebraska in the Big Ten Championship and Stanford beats UCLA in the Pac-12 Championship.

Why This Game Would Be Exciting: Both of these teams are similar in that they possess a power running game. Stanford will hand it off to three-time 1,000-yard rusher Stepfan Taylor, while Wisconsin would give it to its workhorse in Montee Ball.

Both seniors are huge reasons why their team is where it is at and it would only be fitting that they play the last game of their careers against one another.

It is also worth noting that the defenses of these clubs aren’t too shabby, as both are ranked in the top 20 in scoring defense.

Florida State vs. Louisville

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Bowl This Game Would Take Place: BCS Orange Bowl

How Matchup Would Happen: Florida State beats Georgia Tech in the ACC Championship and Louisville wins the Big East.

Why This Game Would Be Exciting: If there is any other BCS bowl that would be a packed house, it would certainly be this one. With the game taking place in Miami, Fla., fans would flock from all over to see the Seminoles play.

On the other side, Cardinals sophomore quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is from the South Florida area and would likely have a ton of support in the stands. Both programs have done a terrific job of dominating their conferences and would put up a solid show when few are paying attention.

Admit it, you laughed at least year's Orange Bowl matchup. How did that work out for you? Don't make that mistake twice.

Kansas State vs. Oregon

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Bowl This Game Would Take Place: BCS Fiesta Bowl

How Matchup Would Happen: Kansas State beats Texas and wins the Big 12, while Oregon gets selected with an at-large bid.

Why This Game Would Be Exciting: For every reason that this matchup would have been exciting if these two teams were to have met in the national championship. Since this is no longer a possibility, seeing two explosive offenses square off is always fun.

Oregon is always a treat to watch, and seeing a new team join the party in Kansas State only spices things up a bit. This game would likely produce over 100 total points and make those offense lovers out there beg for multiple overtimes.

This game would not lack entertainment.

Florida vs. Oklahoma

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Bowl This Game Would Take Place: BCS Sugar Bowl

How Matchup Would Happen: Florida finishes as a Top 4 team in the BCS and gets selected as an automatic bid, while Oklahoma gets selected as an at-large after finishing second in the Big 12.

Why This Game Would Be Exciting: Besides this being a rematch of the 2008 national championship, this is the classic matchup of great defense against a high-scoring offense.

Florida is ranked fifth in the country in total defense, while Oklahoma is seventh in the country in scoring and has scored over 40 points seven times this year. Seeing two terrific sides of the ball go head-to-head is always worth tuning in, and it usually doesn't disappoint.

Both teams have enough talent to compete with any team in the country, so this could end up being the best BCS bowl of them all for the 2012 season.