Bowl Projections 2013 Week 14: Predicting BCS Bowl Matchups
Just when the BCS bowl picture seems to be clearing up, college football happens and kicks dust over the previous projections.
Oklahoma State whipped up the first cloud, dominating Baylor to take control of the Big 12.
The BCS itself then slung a fistful of mud on the bowl picture, as Northern Illinois vaulted over Fresno State to No. 14, setting the Huskies on track to reach a BCS bowl.
While those changes shook up the situation, several other hopefuls still have their stars aligned, including likely national-title contenders Alabama and Florida State.
Up ahead are updates on all five BCS bowls and previews of each potential matchup.
Note: All rankings based on Week 14 BCS Standings. All bowl dates and times can be seen on ESPN's bowl schedule.
Fiesta Bowl
1 of 5
Matchup: No. 7 Oklahoma State vs. No. 14 Northern Illinois
Date: Jan. 1, 2014, 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
Oklahoma State's bid: Big 12 champion
Northern Illinois' bid: At-large (Non-AQ Auto Bid, MAC Champion)
Oklahoma State turned the BCS picture on its side by ousting Baylor over the weekend to take control of the Big 12 title race. After dominating the Bears 49-17, the Cowboys now just need to beat rival Oklahoma on Dec. 7 to take the conference title and earn a BCS appearance.
On the other side of this matchup, Northern Illinois jumped Fresno State and several others to No. 14 in the BCS standings, giving it the edge for the non-AQ automatic bid. It might not be just, but the Huskies are safely in the BCS picture now and will be going BCS bowling for the second straight season if they remain ahead of Fresno in the rankings.
If this matchup plays out, NIU quarterback Jordan Lynch will be tested by a Oklahoma State defense that seems to improve with each passing week.
It would likely be on Lynch's shoulders, as the NIU defense isn't likely to stop the balanced OSU offense that has scored 38 or more points in each of the last five games.
Rose Bowl
2 of 5
Matchup: No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 8 Stanford
Date: Jan. 1, 2014, 5 p.m. ET on ESPN
Ohio State's bid: Big Ten champion
Stanford's bid: Pac-12 champion
Ohio State is still holding out hope that either Alabama or Florida State will fall, opening the door for it to play for a national title.
Whether that scenario plays out or not, the Buckeyes will have to go through a staunch Michigan State defense in the Big Ten title game. If they win there, they will either be playing in the Rose Bowl or for a national title.
Meanwhile, Stanford took a back door to the Pac-12 North title, as Oregon's embarrassing loss to Arizona gave the Cardinal the division crown. They'll take on Arizona State in the conference title game, and a win will place them in the Rose Bowl.
This matchup would be very intriguing, as both Stanford and OSU are strong up front. The marquee battle would be between the Shayne Skov-led Cardinal defense and the dual-threat Buckeye offense, led by Braxton Miller and Carlos Hyde.
Even though OSU would rather be playing for a national title, it will likely put on a great show with whichever team it takes on in the Rose Bowl.
Sugar Bowl
3 of 5
Matchup: No. 4 Auburn vs. No. 19 Central Florida
Date: Jan. 2, 2014, 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
Auburn's bid: At-large (Alabama replacement)
UCF's bid: AAC champion
UCF took a major step toward earning its BCS berth by taking down Rutgers, the toughest team left on its schedule, in Week 13.
The Knights will take on South Florida (2-8) and Southern Methodist (5-5) to close the regular season. UCF will clinch the AAC's BCS bid with one win and a Cincinnati loss or with two wins.
The second part of this matchup is still very much up in the air, but at No. 4, Auburn is an outstanding candidate for a BCS at-large bid. Even if the Tigers lose to Alabama this week, they will have an excellent chance of beating out Missouri for the at-large spot.
It might depend on which of the two Tigers look better against the Crimson Tide, but Auburn and its large fanbase make an attractive at-large candidate.
Of course, if Auburn beats Alabama, this scenario will change drastically. But for now, the Tigers are looking like a BCS-caliber team regardless.
Their potential tilt with UCF would be an interesting one, as the Knights' backfield duo of Blake Bortles and Storm Johnson would make a great test for their strong defensive front.
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Orange Bowl
4 of 5
Matchup: No. 6 Clemson vs. No. 9 Baylor
Date: Jan. 3, 2014, TBD on ESPN
Clemson's bid: At-large (Florida State replacement)
Baylor's bid: At-large
While Baylor's BCS hopes took a crushing blow in its loss to Oklahoma State, its ensuing ranking gave it hope for an at-large bid.
The Bears only dropped down to No. 9 and are likely to remain ahead of Big Ten at-large hopefuls Michigan State and Wisconsin. If Baylor wins out, there is a great chance it will still be going BCS bowling.
Meanwhile, Clemson is the best candidate to take Florida State's spot in the Orange Bowl, assuming the Seminoles win the ACC title and head to the BCS national title game.
The Tigers have a major test against South Carolina this week, but even with a loss, they'll still remain as the top available ACC replacement for FSU.
If Baylor and Clemson do meet, it might be the most electric game of the bowl season. Both teams love to run up and down the field and are two of the fastest teams in college football.
Both squads had national title hopes early in the season, but an Orange Bowl consolation for the two could result in a broken scoreboard.
BCS National Championship
5 of 5
Matchup: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 2 Florida State
Date: Jan. 6, 2014, 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
Alabama's bid: SEC champion (BCS No. 1)
Florida State's bid: ACC champion (BCS No. 2)
No change here.
Alabama and Florida State both clobbered cupcakes in Week 13 and remained on track to meet in the national title game.
FSU has two tilts remaining, the first this week against a floundering Florida team. Then the Seminoles will have to win the ACC championship, likely against Duke if the Blue Devils can top North Carolina this week.
Meanwhile, Alabama has a much more strenuous road. The Crimson Tide will have to earn their right to defend their two national titles the hard way.
They'll travel to take on No. 4 Auburn in the Iron Bowl this week. If they win there, they'll have to take down either Missouri or South Carolina—both Top 10 teams—in the SEC title game.
If 'Bama can make it through the two-game gauntlet, it'll make an excellent match with Florida State for the national title. FSU and UA have been the two most complete teams in the country all season long, both boasting a bevy of talent on both sides of the ball.
This is the national title everyone outside of Columbus, Ohio is hoping for. Now all both teams have to do is finish the job and make it happen.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
