Bowl Projections 2013 Week 15: Predicting BCS Bowl Matchups
With the fall of Alabama, a new BCS National Championship matchup emerged.
But will Auburn, Missouri or Ohio State take the No. 2 spot after this week and wrangle with Florida State for the crystal football?
With conference championship week looming, which teams will earn BCS automatic bids from the Big 12, AAC and Pac-12?
And finally, which squads will take the final at-large bids?
Answers to all those questions are up ahead in our Week 15 BCS bowl projections.
- Florida State
- Ohio State
- Auburn
- Alabama
- Missouri
- Oklahoma State
- Stanford
- South Carolina
- Baylor
- Michigan State
- Arizona State
- Oregon
- Clemson
- Northern Illinois
- LSU
- UCF
- Oklahoma
- UCLA
- Louisville
- Duke
- Wisconsin
- Duke
- Fresno State
- Texas A&M
- Texas
Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. NIU
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Matchup: No. 6 Oklahoma State vs. No. 14 Northern Illinois
Date: Jan. 1, 2014, 8:30 p.m. EST on ESPN
Oklahoma State's bid: Big 12 champion
Northern Illinois' bid: At-large (non-AQ auto bid, MAC champion)
Both teams are just one win away from this matchup being a certainty.
Northern Illinois will take on Bowling Green for the Mid-American Conference title Friday. A win there will most likely keep the Huskies safely inside the top 16 of the BCS and ahead of assumed American Athletic Conference champion UCF.
If that happens, NIU is in and will bring Jordan Lynch, one of the nation's most dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks, to the Arizona desert for the Fiesta Bowl.
Oklahoma State is in the driver's seat in the Big 12 and will earn its BCS berth with a win Saturday over rival Oklahoma.
If the Cowboys falter, it'll be either Baylor or Texas in this matchup. But right now, with talent on defense and balance on offense, OSU looks like the overall best team in the Big 12.
Rose Bowl: Michigan State vs. Arizona State
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Matchup: No. 10 Michigan State vs. No. 11 Arizona State
Date: Jan. 1, 2014, 5 p.m. EST on ESPN
Michigan State's bid: At-large (Ohio State replacement)
Arizona State's bid: Pac-12 champion
One thing is certain with this matchup: Either Arizona State or Stanford will be present.
The Sun Devils will play host to the Cardinal for the Pac-12 Championship, which is one of the reasons they receive the nod in that contest. Additionally, ASU has come on as strong as any team in the nation in recent weeks.
Given Stanford's inconsistencies and struggles on the road, Arizona State has an excellent shot at winning the Pac-12 and earning its BCS berth.
ASU's opponent is up in the air, as Ohio State, the likely Big Ten champion, might be playing for the national title.
If that is the case, Michigan State is the likely replacement for the Rose Bowl. MSU surpassed Wisconsin for this bid when the Badgers fell to Penn State last week.
This matchup would be a great one between the elite Spartans defense and the explosive and balanced Sun Devils offense.
Sugar Bowl: Auburn vs. UCF
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Matchup: No. 3 Auburn vs. No. 16 Central Florida
Date: Jan. 2, 2014, 8:30 p.m. EST on ESPN
Auburn's bid: SEC champion
UCF's bid: AAC champion
Auburn's win over Alabama shook up the BCS picture, but it likely won't change Auburn's own outlook.
Hypothetically, if Chris Davis hadn't returned that missed field goal for a touchdown and the Tigers had lost in overtime to 'Bama, they would likely still have ended up with a Sugar Bowl bid.
Now, they will actually have to work a little harder for the bid. Now, they must beat Missouri for the SEC title to earn their place in the BCS. But as well as Auburn has played late in the season, that is the most likely outcome.
Whether it is AU or Mizzou as the SEC champ, the likely opponent is Central Florida.
The Knights will clinch this BCS berth with a Cincinnati loss or a win over Southern Methodist this week.
If this matchup happens, it'll be an interesting battle between two strong backfield duos: Auburn's Nick Marshall and Tre Mason against UCF's Blake Bortles and Storm Johnson.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Orange Bowl: Alabama vs. Oregon
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Matchup: No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 12 Oregon
Date: Jan. 3, 2014, TBD on ESPN
Alabama's bid: At-large
Oregon's bid: At-large
Remember when this was supposed to be the national title matchup?
Well, Oregon and Alabama, once national title favorites, might meet on the opposite side of the country in the Orange Bowl.
'Bama, still perhaps the most talented team in college football, is guaranteed an at-large bid. Meanwhile, the Ducks will make a tasty at-large choice for a BCS committee.
The Alabama-Oregon matchup would make for one of the most enticing battles of bowl season. The old-school Crimson Tide taking on the new-school Ducks might even be a more highly anticipated bout than the national title game.
And for Oregon, there would be no question about motivation, which has been the source of a late-season lull. There is no doubt the Ducks would be champing at the bit to prove themselves against the Tide.
BCS National Championship: Ohio State vs. Florida State
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Matchup: No. 1 Florida State vs. No. 2 Ohio State
Date: Jan. 6, 2014, 8:30 p.m. EST on ESPN
Florida State's bid: ACC champion (BCS No. 1)
Ohio State's bid: Big Ten champion (BCS No. 2)
Only a miracle will keep Florida State out of this game.
If FSU beats Duke in the ACC title game this week, it'll be playing for the national title. Plenty of miracles have happened this season, but there won't be another one with the Seminoles and the Blue Devils.
Meanwhile, Ohio State's status is still up the air.
OSU will have to take care of business in the Big Ten title game against a tough Michigan State team that boasts one of the nastiest defenses in college football.
Even if the Buckeyes do top the Spartans, they'll still have to hold off a one-loss SEC champion in the BCS rankings. All things considered, OSU, which would be on a 25-game winning streak, should be in the national title game.
However, at that point, it won't be in the Buckeyes' hands. It'll be up to the voters and the computers.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
