BCS Bowl Games 2013-14: Predicting Every Game in Final BCS Season
With a full slate of games between 10 of the best teams in the country, including a matchup between the undisputed No. 1 and 2 teams, the final year of the BCS might have finally gotten everything right. Every team that is playing in a BCS game earned its place by defeating some of the top teams in its conference and deserves to play on this stage.
The only problem with everything in the BCS making sense is that it makes it difficult to predict. In one game, two of the nation's top defenses will face each other. In another, two of the best offenses in the country will square off.
Before the BCS bowls officially start on January 1, here are the full predictions for every game.
Rose Bowl
1 of 5
Stanford is making its fourth straight BCS bowl appearance and playing in its second straight Rose Bowl after defeating Wisconsin 20-14 last season. This is the first appearance in the Rose Bowl for Michigan State since 1987 and its first ever appearance in a BCS bowl.
So it would appear that Stanford certainly has the upper hand in this game, right? Well, the Cardinal can certainly play with anyone and have proven they can hold offenses like Arizona State, Oregon and UCLA to 20 points or less.
But Michigan State is a team that does just about everything well. Against Ohio State, the Spartans shut down one of the best offenses in college football, holding the Buckeyes to just one third-down conversion and just 101 yards passing.
The Spartans and Cardinal are both great at stopping the run—Michigan State ranks first in the NCAA, allowing just 80.8 yards per game while Stanford ranks third, allowing 91.2 ypg—so the game could very well come down to the two quarterbacks.
Kevin Hogan of Stanford played well against Arizona State, throwing for 277 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions, but Connor Cook was outstanding in the Big Ten championship, throwing for 304 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.
The biggest difference between these two teams will be the fact that Michigan State is also the No. 3 defense in the NCAA while Stanford comes in at No. 90. If the Spartans can pick apart the Cardinal's secondary, this could be a memorable night for Sparty.
Prediction: Spartans 17, Stanford 13
Fiesta Bowl
2 of 5
With both teams playing in their first ever BCS bowl game, this will be the biggest stage for both teams in quite a while. Both teams offer great offensive numbers, but what Baylor has done this season sets them apart from Central Florida.
Bryce Petty has been absolutely sensational for the Bears, throwing for 3,844 yards and 30 touchdowns on the season while rushing for another 11 touchdowns. While he wasn't invited to the Heisman Trophy presentation in New York, Petty has been one of the best quarterbacks in the country all season.
Sharing the backfield with Petty will be Lache Seastrunk and Shock Linwood. Both running backs have proven they can tote the rock, but Seastrunk has been one of the best in the Big 12 this season. Seastrunk and Linwood have both amassed over 850 yards, with Seastrunk rushing for his second straight 1,000-yard season.
On the opposite side of Petty and Seastrunk will be the combination of Blake Bortles and Storm Johnson. The names alone in this game are fantastic, with a Storm and Shock trading off carries for their teams, but both of the backfield options for the Knights can feast on opposing defenses.
Thanks in part to three receivers who have caught over 600 yards and have a combined 13 touchdowns, Bortles has been able to pick apart defenses all season. Bortles is also the third-leading rusher for UCF, rushing for 179 yards and five touchdowns.
As for Johnson, all he's done is rush for 1,015 yards and 11 touchdowns this season with 5.3 yards per carry. But against the 25th-ranked rushing defense in the country, it will be tough sledding for both Bortles and Johnson.
If Baylor can get its offense going against the Knights defense, it will be tough for them to keep up and could lead to a shootout with the Bears coming out on top.
Prediction: Bears 52, Knights 35
Sugar Bowl
3 of 5
For two teams comfortable in the spotlight, both Oklahoma and Alabama will be playing their best when the two match up in the Sugar Bowl. But with questions at the quarterback position, Alabama's defense will feast on Oklahoma's offense.
Trevor Knight of Oklahoma took over the reins during the last three games of the season. And while he played well, throwing for one touchdown and rushing for two during that stretch, Knight went down with an injury against Oklahoma State, and his status is uncertain for the Sugar Bowl.
On the other side stands Alabama, the No. 1 team in the nation until a loss to Auburn in the final week of the regular season dropped the Tide to No. 4 before they ultimately ended up at No. 3. What Alabama has that Oklahoma doesn't is balance on both sides of the ball.
Alabama's defense ranks second in the nation with just 11.3 points against, 11th in rushing defense and fifth in the country in passing defense. Alabama's offense ranks 17th in the country in scoring offense, 21st in rushing offense and has scored less than 30 points per game just three times all season.
Needless to say, Alabama really doesn't have any holes. Against a very good Oklahoma team, the Tide will once again roll and throttle Oklahoma for their fifth straight bowl win and fourth BCS bowl game in five years.
Prediction: Crimson Tide 38, Oklahoma 23
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Orange Bowl
4 of 5
In a matchup of two teams that both certainly started the season with hopes of contending for the national championship, Clemson and Ohio State will now be competing for the right to claim the Orange bowl.
Both teams have quarterbacks who can beat teams with their arms and legs. Both teams also put up over 40 points per game. The two defenses are separated by 0.2 points in points allowed. On paper, these two teams look like mirror images of each other.
Tajh Boyd of Clemson was overshadowed by only one quarterback in the ACC, and that guy just so happens to be the Heisman favorite who will be contending for a national title with Florida State. As for Braxton Miller, the junior needs just 140 passing yards to throw for more than 2,000 yards and rush for over 1,000 yards in the same season.
While Clemson has one of the most explosive playmakers in receiver Sammy Watkins, the difference between the two teams will be the ability to run the ball. Ohio State's Carlos Hyde is the team's leading rusher with 1,408 yards and 14 touchdowns on the season to compliment Miller's 1,033 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.
Miller and the rushing offense will get going against Clemson and be the reason for the Buckeyes to come away from their first Orange Bowl since 1976 with a victory.
Prediction: Buckeyes 49, Clemson 38
BCS National Championship
5 of 5
The Seminoles were ranked second in the Atlantic Division of the ACC behind Clemson. The Tigers were picked fifth in the Western Division of the SEC. The undisputed No. 1 and 2 teams in the country, Florida State and Auburn have certainly proven that any team can rise to play on the biggest stage.
Auburn is the No. 1 rushing offense in the country and has averaged over 40 points per game on the season, including a 47.8 points-per-game average over the last four games. Florida State is the No. 2 scoring offense in the country at 53 points per game thanks to the balance of the 27th-ranked rushing offense and 14th-ranked passing offense.
With playmakers on both sides including Heisman favorites Tre Mason and Jameis Winston, these two teams look primed to put up huge offensive numbers. But the point of separation in this game is the Seminoles defense.
Florida State ranks first in the country in scoring defense, 14th in the country against the rush and first against the pass. But Auburn faced two teams in Alabama and Missouri that came in as the No. 1 and 2 rushing defenses when they played and ran for over 200 yards against both.
If the Seminoles can find a way to shut down the two-headed attack of Mason and Nick Marshall long enough to allow for their offense behind Jameis Winston to build up a big lead, the Seminoles will claim their first national title since the 1999 season.
Prediction: Seminoles 56, Tigers 45
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
