BCS Bowl Predictions Heading into Week 13: Which Top 10 Team Will Be Left Out?

The 2010 college football season is coming to a close, but a few key matchups remain that will help decide how the postseason plays out. 

All eyes are on the Auburn-Alabama game, as no matchup in the nation has implications quite as staggering.

Should the Tigers win, a trip to the BCS National Championship Game seems inevitable. Should they lose, Boise State will likely make a long-awaited trip to the title game and have the chance to be the first mid-major to win a national championship since BYU in 1984. 

Who plays for the title will vastly change the landscape of the BCS bowls as well.

Here are our predictions heading into Week 13. 

The Sugar Bowl: LSU v. Ohio State

With Auburn expected to win the SEC and head to the National Championship Game, the Sugar Bowl will get first choice at a replacement team, but also has the first selection of one of the at-large teams this year.

If LSU defeats Arkansas, the Tigers are a lock to be the replacement selection for Auburn, leaving the Sugar Bowl free to select from either Boise State, TCU, Wisconsin or Ohio State depending on how things play out in the closing weeks of the season.

Wisconsin is the favorite to win the Big Ten and either Boise State or TCU will likely be a required selection of the Rose Bowl. That leaves Ohio State as the obvious selection here for a classic SEC-Big Ten matchup. 

The Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech v. TCU

After Virginia Tech pummelled Miami to claim the ACC Coastal Division, the Hokies look primed to take the ACC championship and secure the conference's automatic bid in the Orange Bowl, should they take care of business in the championship game. 

The Orange Bowl has the second selection of at-large teams after the Sugar Bowl and will likely be choosing from a field that's headlined by TCU and Stanford. 

The question is whether they go with the one-loss Stanford or undefeated TCU. There's a good argument for both sides, but the willingness of the Horned Frogs fan base to travel and pack seats could be the difference in this one.

Of all the selections, this will be the closest. 

The Fiesta Bowl: Nebraska v. West Virginia

Last week, it looked like Nebraska was the easy favorite to land here, but after the Cornhuskers' loss to Texas A&M, it's been all Oklahoma State in bowl talk.

Nebraska already beat the Cowboys once this year, and despite the woes against the Aggies, we still think the Cornhuskers have what it takes to finally win the Big 12 championship that's eluded them for so long. 

With the Big East guaranteed a spot in one of the BCS bowls and the Fiesta Bowl having last pick of the bunch, the winner of the West Virginia-Pitt game will take the second spot here.

Neither team has looked good and, frankly, it won't matter much either way.  

The Rose Bowl: Wisconsin v. Boise State

Unless Boise State or TCU go to the National Championship Game, which will only realistically happen should Auburn either lose to Alabama in the regular-season finale or to South Carolina in the SEC Championship Game, then the Rose Bowl will be required to pick the highest-ranking of the two. 

Right now TCU is ranked ahead of the Boise, but the Broncos' win over No. 19 Nevada should catapult them into the No. 3 spot ahead of the Horned Frogs and into the Rose Bowl. 

In the triple-tie at the top of the Big Ten, the highest-ranking team of the three will be the conference's representative in the Rose Bowl. Wisconsin at No. 7 should be that team. 

BCS National Championship Game: Oregon v. Auburn

Oregon needs to take care of business against Arizona and Oregon State to make its first trip to the BCS tile game, but after the near slip-up against Cal, expect the Ducks to finish the season focused and strong. 

Auburn's road to a national championship is much more difficult, though, and will require tough wins over Alabama in the Iron Bowl and South Carolina in the SEC Championship Game.

We'll stick with the undefeated Tigers, though, as they should be favored in their remaining matchups and make their first appearance in the BCS title game as well.