Rose Bowl: Ranking the Potential Matchups For This Year's Game
Could this be the year that a non-BCS team such as Boise State or TCU makes it to the Rose Bowl?
With a Pac-10 team and a Big Ten team sitting atop the standings, it just may happen. Did you know that this season, the BCS implemented a rule that doesn't give an automatic Rose Bowl bid to the Pac-10 or Big Ten runner-up, in case the title champs make it to the BCS Championship game?
Instead, the automatic bid will go to a non-BCS team like the Broncos or the Horned Frogs.
With that new rule in mind, here are the rankings for the potential matchups for this season's Rose Bowl game.
10. Oregon Vs. Ohio State
1 of 10
These two teams played one another in last year's Rose Bowl.
With these two teams sitting at the No. 1 and 2 spots of the AP and coaches’ polls, they may very well play themselves out of the Rose Bowl this year.
As a result, these two early favorites to win their respective conferences may finish the year playing head-to-head for the national championship instead.
This matchup, although it could happen, may not be as likely as the rest.
Oregon has one of the top offenses in the country, while Ohio State has one of the top college players in the nation, Terrelle Pryor.
9. Oregon Vs. Michigan State
2 of 10
Michigan State has a favorable schedule in that they don’t have to play Ohio State this season. If they win out their schedule, the Big Title will be theirs to take—or at the very least to share.
The Ducks could be in this game if they fall in one or two of their upcoming matches and they get overtaken by a Boise State squad that could pass them in the standings to make it to the national championship game.
8. Stanford Vs. Ohio State
3 of 10
Stanford still has a real shot at winning the Pac-10 title considering the current Pac-10 leaders, Oregon Ducks, have to deal with USC on the road and have to face two more Top 25 teams in Arizona and interstate rivals Oregon State.
As for Ohio State, they could fall out of the national title game with a road loss to Wisconsin this weekend and/or another road game against the Iowa Hawkeyes in November.
Another match that could give the Buckeyes problems is a possible head-to-head matchup with Heisman trophy implications between Michigan's Denard Robinson and Terrelle Pryor, for the last game on their schedule.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
7. Stanford Vs. TCU
4 of 10
The Rose Bowl will be obligated to take a top non-BCS team if at least one of the Pac-10 and Big Ten champions qualify for the National Championship game.
That could be the Horned Frogs if the Boise State Broncos falter. But the Broncos look to be well on their way to another undefeated season.
If they don't get a top-two ranking, the Broncos still have a better shot at making it to the Rose Bowl than TCU.
And if the Ducks have issues winning in the second half of the season, a solid Stanford team could still represent the Pac-10 as the Horned Frogs' opponents.
6. Stanford Vs. Michigan State
5 of 10
Even with one loss this season, this Stanford team shouldn’t be counted out of the Pac-10 title.
If both teams continue to roll, they might snag away the conference titles from the current conference favorites, Oregon and Ohio State.
Which leaves two surprising teams doing battle at the Rose Bowl—the Stanford Cardinal and the Michigan State Spartans.
5. Ohio State Vs. Boise State
6 of 10
Now that they’re the country’s No. 1 team, the Buckeyes will probably only think of a Rose Bowl bid as a consolation prize.
Michigan State is sneaking right behind them and may even go as far as to steal away their shot at a national title.
If that’s the case, Ohio State may have to settle for a Rose Bowl appearance. And if the Ducks also qualify for the title match, they could end up with Boise State as their opponents.
4. Michigan State Vs. TCU
7 of 10
TCU could become the top non-BCS qualifier if the Boise State Broncos somehow fall to the top-ranked Nevada Wolf Pack later in their schedule and the Horned Frogs go undefeated.
If the Spartans lose out on the Big Ten title to No. 1 Ohio State—who may be headed to the title game—they may have to settle for a bid to the Rose Bowl instead.
3. Oregon Vs. Boise State
8 of 10
If Oregon and Boise State hit roadblocks in their schedule, an upstart Big 12 team such as Nebraska or even a non-BCS team such as TCU could very well pass them in the rankings.
An Auburn team who wins out their schedule may potentially overtake these two top teams as well to possibly face the Big Ten's Ohio State in the title game.
That said, Oregon and Boise State may have to settle for a head-to-head showdown in the Rose Bowl.
2. Michigan State Vs. Boise State
9 of 10
If Ducks and Buckeyes stay where they in the standings, then Michigan State and Boise State will obviously miss out on the national title game.
Without a Pac-10 and Big Ten champion available, the honors may go to these two contenders. A possible matchup between Boise State and Michigan State just may exclude a Pac-10 team from the Rose Bowl game, since an automatic bid no longer goes to the second-place team in the Pac-10.
1. Stanford Vs. Boise State
10 of 10
If the Buckeyes and Ducks win out, they’ll more than likely seal a bid for the BCS title game. Which leaves the Rose Bowl without the Pac-10 champs as well as without the Big Ten champs for one of college football's most historic bowl games.
In another season of firsts, they’ll likely be obligated to play host to their first non-Big Six qualifier in Boise State. And although the Pac-10 runner up doesn't get an automatic berth, Stanford may play well enough this season to still be considered.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
