BCS Bowl Predictions 2013: Breaking Down Marquee Matchups

The final incarnation of the BCS is set.

With Championship Saturday in the books and the final BCS rankings released, we now know how the BCS bowl picture shakes up.

To be succinct, it looks great.

While this year did not exactly provide the chaos many seemed to think was only fitting before the arrival of a playoff, collegiate fans can rest easy knowing each BCS bowl game will be a competitive affair with deserving participants.

Three games in particular stick out as can't-miss affairs.

BCS Game	Date	Location	Matchup	Predicted Winner
Rose Bowl	Jan. 1	Pasadena, Calif.	Michigan State vs. Stanford	Michigan State
Fiesta Bowl	Jan. 1	Glendale, Ariz.	Baylor vs. UCF	Baylor
Sugar Bowl	Jan. 2	New Orleans, La.	Alabama vs. Oklahoma	Alabama
Orange Bowl	Jan. 3	Miami, Fla.	Clemson vs. Ohio State	Ohio State
BCS Title Game	Jan. 6	Pasadena, Calif.	Auburn vs. Florida State	Florida State

Orange Bowl: No. 12 Clemson vs. No. 7 Ohio State

Disappointment was the name of the game for the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Big Ten Championship.

The 34-24 loss to Michigan State means all title hopes are gone, but Urban Meyer's team still lands in a respectable spot here.

Meyer better hope his offense and defense actually show up.

The Clemson Tigers average 40.2 points per game and senior quarterback Tajh Boyd is a serious weapon, as referenced by his 3,473 passing yards and 29 touchdowns this year. The defense also ranks in the top 20.

Ohio State has to somehow shake off the emotional loss. The good news is the Buckeyes are well-equipped to do so. Running back Carlos Hyde (1,408 yards and 14 touchdowns) and quarterback Braxton Miller (2,893 total yards and 32 total touchdowns) would both be in the Heisman conversation had they not missed games.

Which is impressive in itself when perusing the stat sheet. The Buckeyes will come out angry and never look back. They have one loss this year to a tough opponent, while the Tigers have rolled over in the face of great opposition (remember the 51-14 loss to Florida State in mid-October?).

Prediction: Buckeyes 38, Tigers 20

Rose Bowl: No. 4 Michigan State vs. No. 5 Stanford

While a bout between the Michigan State Spartans and Stanford Cardinal may not be a game for offensive-minded fans, it will act as a throwback to much simpler times when strong run games and defense were the crux of football glory.

Perhaps no team better epitomizes this than the Spartans. Mark Dantonio's team ranks No. 4 in the nation at an average of just 12.7 points allowed. Offensively, junior running back Jeremy Langford does the heavy lifting and has 1,338 yards and 17 touchdowns on the year.

It's a similar story for the Cardinal. Senior back Tyler Gaffney has 1,618 yards and 20 scores and is backed by a defense that ranks No. 10 with an average of 18.6 points allowed.

So what gives in this titanic matchup?

Stanford's offense, of course. No team scores significantly on the Spartans. Ohio State's (nation's No. 4 offense) 24 points in the Big Ten Championship marked the third time all year a team reached the 20-point mark.

The Cardinal will be flushed into a predictable attack, which will allow the Spartans to slip by.

Prediction: Spartans 23, Cardinal 20

BCS Title Game: No. 1 Florida State vs. No. 2 Auburn

So here it is.

Florida State and Heisman favorite Jameis Winston rose to prominence via utter domination of the ACC, while Auburn rebounded from a 3-9 2012 record to go 12-1 and dethrone Alabama in the SEC.

As good as this game seems, it is hard to imagine it being very competitive, which will seem very disappointing given how impressive the majority of games on Championship Saturday were.

Auburn has a style that does not contrast well with what Florida State does best. The Seminoles average 53 points per game, but also allow an average of just 10.7.

The Tigers rely on a dominant rushing attack led by quarterback Nick Marshall and running back Tre Mason:

	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD
T. Mason	283	1621	5.7	22
N. Marshall	156	1023	6.6	11

But that is a problem against the Seminoles. Winston (3,820 yards and 38 touchdowns) can seemingly score at will, and if he can get Florida State out to an early lead, the Tigers will have a hard time keeping up.

In the face of an elite defense, Auburn will simply not be able to score enough to keep up. Getting one-dimensional on offense and simply bowling over a defense will not work here. Led by a freshman quarterback, the Seminoles raise the crystal ball.

Prediction: Seminoles 49, Tigers 34

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