BCS Bowl Projections Week 14: Boise State and LSU Out of BCS?
With the dramatic upsets by Nevada and Arkansas, Boise State and LSU suddenly open the door for a few teams to move up in the BCS rankings.
With the muddy BCS picture starting to take shape, who is playing where and who is getting left out of the BCS games?
And more importantly, what bowl matchups are going to be as entertaining as some of the marquee matchups?
Who did we leave out? Any other potential bowl games you are looking forward to?
10. Insight Bowl
1 of 10
The Matchup: Missouri vs. Michigan
Background: In what would be an extremely entertaining offensive matchup, Michigan and Denard Robinson take on Missouri and Blaine Gabbert. With the likelihood of a ton of points scored in this one, be sure to take the over on whatever point total Vegas puts on this one.
Winner: Missouri has been in the top 25 for most of the season and has just good enough a defense to stop Michigan maybe once or twice in the game. The same can't be said for Michigan. Missouri wins this shootout.
9. The Alamo Bowl
2 of 10
The Matchup: Arizona vs. Texas A&M
Background: Arizona and A&M are the forgotten good teams in their conferences. The Wildcats peaked in the rankings at No. 9. The Aggies peaked at 17 and has won six in a row after losing three straight. If Arizona plays as well as they did against No. 1 Oregon this week, they could be considered an underrated team. If A&M plays as well as they did against Nebraska and Texas in the last two weeks, the same could be said about them.
Prediction: Arizona's offense is too potent to be stopped by an above-average Aggie defense.
8. Capital One Bowl
3 of 10
The Matchup: Iowa vs. South Carolina
Background: In what has been historically a very entertaining bowl matchup in past years, the Capital One Bowl matches an SEC school with a Big Ten school. This year we have Iowa in a disappointing season against a South Carolina team that has had some big wins this year, most notably over Alabama.
Prediction: Depending on how South Carolina plays in the SEC Championship Game, they could either come into this game fired up and ready to play, or they could come in without the fire needed to beat a talented Iowa team. I think Iowa picks up a win and shows the nation just how good they can play.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
7. Cotton Bowl
4 of 10
The Matchup: Nebraska vs. LSU
Background: If you had been looking at this matchup a few weeks ago you would have assumed that it would be in a BCS game, not the Cotton Bowl. However, after both the Huskers and Tigers lost coming down the stretch, this matchup has been knocked down a peg. Nebraska still has a chance to get into a BCS game if they beat Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship Game.
Prediction: LSU has Les Miles, which could be considered either an advantage or a detriment. However, Nebraska doesn't have the big-game experience of LSU and ultimately falls to the Tigers in another squeaker.
6. Outback Bowl
5 of 10
The Matchup: Michigan State vs. Alabama
Background: In another BCS-caliber match up between teams who fell just short of BCS games, Alabama with its three losses takes on Michigan State, which dropped just one game this season. In what would be another exciting Big Ten/SEC match up, the real key to this one is whether Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy can come back from a bad-looking concussion suffered in the fourth quarter of the Iron Bowl.
Prediction: Alabama gets back to what made it so successful last season by letting Mark Ingram run wild. Michigan State does have a good rush defense, but the former Heisman winner is arguably the best running back in college football. Alabama wins this one after a big day by Ingram.
5. The Fiesta Bowl
6 of 10
The Matchup: Oklahoma State vs. UConn
Background: UConn waltzes into a BCS bowl berth because someone has to make a BCS game out of the Big East and Pitt lost it's chance to take on the Big 12 champs in this one. Oklahoma State still has to beat Oklahoma and Nebraska to play in this one, so it is no certainty that they are here, but if they do make it to a BCS game they will have earned it.
Prediction: Oklahoma State wins this one easily. This will be the least exciting BCS game on the slate by far.
4. The Orange Bowl
7 of 10
The Matchup: Arkansas vs. Virginia Tech
Background: Virginia Tech has done a great job shaking off back-to-back losses to start the season, but the only reason they are in the BCS is because of an automatic bid for the ACC. However, Arkansas showed that it deserves an at-large bid after its win over one-loss LSU.
Prediction: Ryan Mallet was really impressive this week against the Tigers. His 85-yard touchdown pass in the first half was a perfectly thrown ball that very few people could squeeze into the window it needed to be in. Mallet made the jump in my mind to NFL-caliber player and continues that play by taking Arkansas to a BCS bowl win.
3. The Sugar Bowl
8 of 10
The Matchup: Stanford vs. Ohio State
Background: Both Stanford and Ohio State get at-large bids because of the losses by LSU and Boise State. It is a real shame Stanford doesn't get to play in the Rose Bowl against Wisconsin, but playing against Ohio State is a great consolation. Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh is a Michigan man, so playing against his former rival Buckeyes will be a sweet thing for him. This matchup of marquee quarterbacks also make this game very interesting to the casual fan.
Prediction: I have stuck by Stanford all season and I am not going to stop here. Yes, Ohio State is talented, but Andrew Luck is the best quarterback in college football right now and I am excited to see what he can do against a quality opponent.
2. The Rose Bowl
9 of 10
The Matchup: Wisconsin vs. TCU
Background: TCU gets the Rose Bowl bid because Oregon is going to the National Championship Game and the Rose Bowl is obligated to take the next available at-large team. I will say that as a Pasadena resident I am heartbroken every time the Rose Bowl isn't a Big Ten/Pac-10 match up. However, TCU will get a chance to prove how good they are.
Prediction: I have made no secret about my skepticism of Wisconsin this season. I don't think they are the best one-loss team and I think they would struggle against Stanford. However, I would be crazy to pick against the Badgers in this one. Throw in the fact that Andy Dalton came out of the Frogs' game against New Mexico with an injury. His health will determine TCU's effectiveness against a good team.
1. The BCS National Championship Game
10 of 10
The Matchup: Oregon vs. Auburn
Background: Oregon and Auburn have been on a collision course for a while now. This is the game that everyone has been looking forward to all year. The high-octane offense of Oregon against the Heisman front-runner Cameron Newton.
Prediction: Because the game takes place in the domed stadium in Arizona, I am inclined to take the Ducks in this one. On a faster playing surface, Oregon is a different team. I also find it hard to believe that in the weeks leading up to the game it is impossible to foresee what will happen with Newton's investigation.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
