College Football Bowl Predictions: Auburn Tigers-TCU Horned Frogs for BCS Title?
It's just never too early for college football bowl predictions.
With non-AQ teams like the TCU Horned Frogs and Boise State Broncos faring well in the BCS, it's possible one of them could actually play for a national championship.
But, powerhouses like the Alabama Crimson Tide and Nebraska Cornhuskers are ready to make their moves.
And don't forget, the Auburn Tigers and Oregon Ducks could still win out and make all of this a moot point.
All that being said, this bowl season will certainly be exciting.
So here are my predictions on which teams will go to which bowl.
MAACO Las Vegas Bowl (Mountain West No. 1 Vs. Pac-10 No. 4 or 5)
1 of 11
Utah vs. Oregon State
Why did I include such a low profile bowl? This could wind up being a sneaky great game.
The winner of Utah vs. TCU this weekend will almost certainly make a BCS-bowl, with the loser being bounced from the BCS to the lowly MAACO Las Vegas Bowl.
But due to the Pac-10’s solid depth, this game could feature two really good teams. And if it’s not Utah-Oregon State, it will likely be Utah-Arizona State or Utah-Cal.
People might look past this matchup, but it will be fun to watch.
Valero Alamo Bowl (Big 12 No. 2 or 3 Vs. Pac-10 No. 2)
2 of 11
Missouri vs. Arizona
I see Missouri winning out, but after its loss to Nebraska, it won’t make the Big 12 title game. The loser of that game (Baylor) should jump the Tigers in the BCS standings (by virtue of a marquee win over Oklahoma), leaving them out of a BCS bowl.
But realize, if Missouri wins out, it will still be ranked pretty highly in the BCS standings (easily top 15) yet could land in the Alamo Bowl.
Pretty disappointing, if you ask me.
As for Arizona, its matchup with Stanford will determine its fate, and I don’t see the Wildcats beating the Cardinal.
But make sure you don’t miss this one, with my predictions calling for the current No. 8 and No. 15 teams to be pitted against each other.
Champs Sports Bowl (ACC No. 3 Vs. Big East No. 2 or Notre Dame)
3 of 11
Florida State vs. Syracuse
It seems crazy to think the Seminoles will end up here, but that’s what should happen after their heartbreaking loss to NC State.
They could (and likely will) win out, but the Wolfpack have the tiebreaker and will go to the ACC Championship game against VA Tech, leaving Florida State as the odd team out.
As for ‘Cuse, it has the inside track on the No. 2 spot in the Big East (behind Pitt), and with a remaining schedule of Louisville, Rutgers and UConn, it is more than capable of landing here.
But in the weak Big East, almost any team could wind up playing in the Champs Sports Bowl.
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Outback Bowl (Big Ten No. 3 Vs. SEC No. 3, 4 or 5)
4 of 11
Ohio State vs. LSU
Ohio State in the Outback Bowl? Hear me out.
When the Buckeyes lose to Iowa in a few weeks, that will give them an unheard of two conference losses.
And with the Hawkeyes winning out, as well as Wisconsin, Ohio State will need to win a tiebreaker over Michigan State.
With no marquee wins, I don't see how they'll be ranked higher than the Spartans, who beat Wisconsin.
It sounds crazy that a former No. 1 will end up here, but it is looking very likely. That being said, if Ohio State beats Iowa, it still has a solid chance at a Rose Bowl berth.
LSU is ranked No. 10 in the BCS, but they aren't the 10th best team in the country.
Sure, they have an elite defense, but they can't throw worth a lick.
They'll end up in the Outback Bowl in a matchup between two storied programs with overrated teams.
Capital One Bowl (Big Ten No. 2 Vs. SEC No. 2)
5 of 11
Michigan State vs. South Carolina
Michigan State isn't as good as people think.
They barely escaped Notre Dame, and were exposed by a better Iowa team.
Their schedule is easy, but I see them dropping another game and falling out of the picture.
I see South Carolina losing to Arkansas, but it will still be poised to make the SEC title game (as long as it can make it past Florida).
But, it should get shellacked by Auburn.
That will leave the Gamecocks in the Outback Bowl.
AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic (Big 12 No. 2 Vs. SEC No. 3, 4, or 5 [West])
6 of 11
Baylor vs. Arkansas
Baylor isn’t being taken seriously, but I see it taking out Oklahoma.
The Bears have an incredibly potent offense and are much more consistent than the Sooners, who have struggled from time to time.
Baylor will lose to Nebraska in the Big 12 title game but still be happy to land here and play the Razorbacks.
Arkansas has a tough schedule from here on out, but I see it beating the overrated trio of South Carolina, Mississippi State and LSU.
That will give them a berth in the Cotton Bowl Classic.
Rose Bowl (Big Ten No. 1 Vs. Pac-10 No. 1)
7 of 11
Wisconsin vs. Oregon
If a tie occurs between Wisconsin and Iowa, Wisconsin wins the Big 10 because of their head-to-head win.
Michigan State and Ohio State will miss out on the BCS party.
Oregon has the looks of a national title contender, but it still has yet to play its toughest stretch of football.
Over a three-game span, the Ducks play Cal, Arizona and Oregon State, and while it wouldn’t be a shock to see them survive, I see them falling in their final game.
Oregon State will be amped to end their in-state rival’s national title hopes, and the Beavers are a really good (and underrated) team.
Oregon will still win the Pac-10 but be crowded out of the national championship game.
Fiesta Bowl (Big 12 No. 1 Vs. BCS)
8 of 11
Nebraska vs. Pitt
Nebraska’s win over Missouri was huge, as the Huskers are now in position to capture the Big 12.
They’ll have to escape a tough Baylor team to get here, but they will do just that.
Pitt is running through the Big East, and that shouldn’t change, so they’ll earn the conference’s undeserving automatic bid.
Side note: It’s a shame a team like Utah, Baylor, Michigan State or Alabama can’t take Pitt’s spot.
Orange Bowl (ACC No. 1 Vs. BCS At-Large)
9 of 11
Virginia Tech vs. Stanford
See Pittsburgh, previous slide.
Virginia Tech has no business being here, but it will likely end the year as the class of the lowly ACC.
But, don’t be surprised if NC State steals this bid.
As for Stanford, it lost to Oregon, but after ending the year with one loss in the Pac-10, the Cardinal will almost certainly earn a BCS bowl bid.
But also, don’t be surprised if the SEC bias allows Alabama to sneak in here despite having two losses.
Sugar Bowl (SEC No. 1 Vs. BCS At-Large)
10 of 11
Alabama vs. Boise State
Alabama still has a shot at the national title, but they'll have to beat Auburn and win the SEC championship game to do so.
I see them losing to Auburn, but they'll still earn a Sugar Bowl berth.
And you really have to feel bad for Boise State.
It was just jumped by TCU, and will have a hard time climbing back on top of the Horned Frogs. TCU plays Utah this weekend, and with a win, its already-sizeable lead in the computers will increase even more.
The Broncos may be ranked a spot or so higher in the human polls, but they will be significantly lower in the computers, pushing them slightly below TCU in the final BCS standings.
So, Boise State will go undefeated yet again but not play for the national championship.
BCS Championship (BCS No. 1 Vs. BCS No. 2)
11 of 11
Auburn vs. TCU
I see Auburn winning out, and if that happens, it will undoubtedly play for a national title.
But, the Tigers will play TCU?
Really? TCU? Not even Boise State?
As I explained earlier, the Horned Frogs should end the year as the top non-AQ team, and with Oregon falling, they’ll be poised to earn the BCS’s No. 2 ranking.
This will shock the world, and it’s possible that the human voters could push TCU out by voting a team like Nebraska for No. 2, but TCU will have an enormous lead in the computers because of its quality wins and the absence of a loss.
Is this a guarantee? Absolutely not.
But it’s not only possible, it’s very possible.
And your new national champion is...TCU, who beats Auburn, 30-27.
Matt Rudnitsky is a student at the University of Michigan and a writing intern at Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Mattrud
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