BCS Bowl Predictions 2013: Predicting Potential Bowl Matchups

Barring anything unexpected, the National Championship game is set. Alabama will take on Florida State for college football supremacy.

But the rest of the BCS bowl games? Completely unsettled. There are a number of deserving teams, but only eight spots. 

Based on everything that's happened this season, below is a prediction of the potential bowl matchups. Below that we'll do a preview of each potential game.

Game	Team	Team
National Championshp	Alabama	Florida State
Rose Bowl	Ohio State	Stanford
Orange Bowl	Auburn	Oregon
Sugar Bowl	Texas A&M	Fresno State
Fiesta Bowl	Clemson	Baylor

National Championship: Alabama vs. Florida State

The two best teams in the nation, by far.

The best quarterback and player in the nation in Jameis Winston.

The best defensive player in the nation in C.J. Mosley.

Man, is this going to be fun.

Can Alabama stop Winston? They struggled against Johnny Manziel, and Winston might be even better. Let's not forget about Rashad Greene and Kenny Shaw, maybe the best receiving duo in the nation.

So yes, Alabama has a great defense, and they've only give up 10.6 points per game, which is best in the nation. But Florida State will be the best and most complete offense they face all year.

At the same time, can Florida State stop Alabama? Alabama is known for its defense, but don't sleep on the offense. AJ McCarron is the most experienced and battle-tested quarterback in college football. T.J. Yeldon has rushed for 12 touchdowns and Kevin Norwood and Amari Cooper are pretty dangerous down the field.

Even though these defenses are good, I think we could see a shootout. This will be a potential shining moment for Jameis Winston. Is he really this good? We'll certainly find out.

I like the Seminoles and how well they've played. But going up against Alabama and their experience?

Yeah, give me the Tide in this one. 

Rose Bowl: Ohio State vs. Stanford

Maybe it's me. But I think Stanford absolutely steamrolls over Ohio State.

The Buckeyes' best win is against Wisconsin. Nothing against the Badgers, but they are not an elite team.

Ohio State's schedule gives me no reason to conclude, with any confidence, that they are as good as their record. Yes, they have beaten the teams that they should. But is it really that hard to beat Florida A&M? Have you seen how bad California is?

Look, Stanford absolutely manhandled Oregon. The Ducks had no chance against that front seven. Trent Murphy is a monster. The loss against Utah was bad, but look who they have beaten: Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, UCLA and Arizona State. Those are all good teams. The Pac-12 is better than the Big 10. 

I think Ohio State will be in for a rude awakening. Stanford's offense isn't explosive, but Braxton Miller will have no idea what to do against that front seven. It could get ugly.

Orange Bowl: Auburn vs. Oregon

It's a rematch of the 2011 BCS National Championship game, but all the actors are different. Both Gene Chizik and Chip Kelly are out the door, Cam Newton is in the NFL, and LaMichael James is returning punts for the San Francisco 49ers.

Despite that, these are two good teams, Oregon's recent loss to Stanford notwithstanding. Marcus Mariota is one of the best quarterbacks in the nation and the Ducks rush for 301.6 yards per game, good for seventh in the nation.

The Tigers, meanwhile, rush for a whopping 320 yards per game, which is third in the nation.

And both defenses are actually pretty good. The Tigers only give up 20.4 points per game, while the Ducks hold opponents to just under 18.

It's going to come down to which team can make the most stops. But that's not easy. Both of these teams are explosive. Auburn is the best offense Oregon will face and vice versa.

We could see a shootout, which is always fun. The big advantage for Oregon is with Mariota. Mariota is a potential stud pro quarterback. Nick Marshall? Not so much. He's a fine runner and could have a future as a Wildcat quarterback in the pros, but expecting anything more from him is unfair.

Look for the Ducks and Mariota to hold on tight for a victory.

Sugar Bowl: Texas A&M vs. Fresno State

Could this be the last act for Johnny Football?

It's certainly possible. If it is, he'll go out in a shootout.

Both these teams are not that stout defensively. The Aggies give up 30.9 points per game, while the Bulldogs give up 26.7 points per game.

But man, can these teams score. Fresno State scores 44.3 points per game, which is eighth-best in the country and Texas A&M scores 49.2 points per game, which is fourth in the nation.

It should be a big night for Manziel, who can easily throw for 500 yards against this defense. Same goes for Derek Carr, who is vastly underrated and may end up as a fine pro.

Fresno may score 40 points, but the Aggies might score 60. Think about it: if Texas A&M can drop 42 on Alabama, the nation's top-ranked scoring defense, then 60 is a realistic goal. Seventy? It's possible.

It'll be a fun one, but I just think Fresno is overmatched here. Look for the Aggies to win big.  

Fiesta Bowl: Clemson vs. Baylor

I'm all aboard the Baylor express. Their offense is absolutely mind-boggling.

They've averaged 61 points per game, which is best in the nation. They have scored 70 or more points four times, including in three straight weeks. They manhandled Oklahoma. No game has been close.

Clemson is good, to be sure, even if they did get embarrassed by Florida State. They have a high-powered offense. 

But can they keep up with the Bears? I really don't think so. I think Baylor is getting a raw deal. If there were a playoff system, you could see them ending up in the title game. But not this year. Baylor is for real, and they won't get a chance to prove it against the best. That playoff system can't come soon enough.