The "Other" BCS Bowls Preview

So, it's Ohio State and LSU, huh?

After a ridiculous season, college football fans across the country were anxiously awaiting the BCS Selection Show, which aired at 8PM EST last night.

And what a show it was. LSU-OSU has gotten a ton of attention, but what about the remaining bowls?

Let's dive right in: The first big surprise, at least for me, was Kansas.

KANSAS?! Are we talking about the same team that lost to Missouri in the Big 12 Championship? The same team that played an extremely weak strength of schedule?

Yes, that Kansas. Kansas' biggest win of the year came against in-state rival Kansas State, who was ranked #24 at the time. On the flip side, Missouri had a much stronger strength of schedule, and also defeated Kansas in the Big 12 Championship game in an impressive manner: 36-28.

There's no way around it: Missouri was shafted out of the BCS berth they deserved. They were clearly more qualified than the Jayhawks, and it has to be a disappointing ending to their season.

In the Rose Bowl, the USC Trojans will take on the Illinois Fighting Illini. Come again?

USC will absolutely blow out the Illini on National TV, which will only continue to degrade an already-weakened Big Ten conference. So sorry for drawing that matchup, Coach Zook.

In the Sugar Bowl, the 'Dawgs of Georgia will face the exciting Hawaii Warriors. At least we can get some true excitement on New Year's Day.

This is one of the more intriguing matchups, pitting a very good Bulldog team from a strong conference against an undefeated school in the significantly-weaker WAC. Watch out for Colt Brennan, who could be the man and kill the Bulldogs with his arm. His professional prospects may ride on this game.

Two calls for this game: Yes, it will be close, and people will use this game to argue for a playoff system.

And I have to give kudos to Mark Richt: nice job trying to pump up your team's hype, and don't even think about pulling the "disqualified" card.

Next, the Fiesta Bowl. WVU and Oklahoma—two fantastic football teams—will be pitted against each other on January 2.

I love WVU, with Pat White, Steve Slaton, Noel Devine, and that offense. But honestly, did you think that WVU was going to lose to Pittsburgh? It wasn't on anyone's mind before it happened. I think that West Virginia should be playing in the National Championship, as I feel they are one of the top two teams in the country.

And this just in: Oklahoma is a darn good football team. Sam Bradford, Allen Patrick—their talent is unappreciated and horribly underrated.

All in all, I cannot wait to see this game, and have a feeling that this could end up being a better game than OSU-LSU and USC-Illinois combined.

Finally, the Orange Bowl, featuring Virginia Tech and Kansas. Not much to say about this one, but it does feature two exciting coaches.

It should be somewhat refreshing to see a new KU helmet in a bowl game.

All in all, get excited for this bowl season. And remember, there is a lot more to bowl season than the National Championship Game!