BCS Rankings: Projecting the Bowl Game for Each of the Top 25 Teams
After Saturday's games, we will finally learn who will play for the BCS National Championship game.
It looks like a collision course between Oregon and Auburn, although South Carolina could pull off the upset and knock Auburn out of the National Title game and open the door for TCU to sneak in.
This is a rundown of where the current Top 25 teams in the BCS will likely wind up playing their bowl game.
25. Northern Illinois
1 of 25
The Huskies have a game against Miami (OH) this weekend that will decide the MAC champion. The winner of the game gets an automatic invite to the Little Caesar's Bowl.
Prediction: Northern Illinois wins and gets to play in the Pizza Bowl.
24. West Virginia
2 of 25
It's a crime that the Big East gets an automatic BCS berth, given how awful that conference is. At least they get TCU in two years to help their credibility.
If West Virginia beats Rutgers this weekend, they would be in line for a BCS game due to the rules. Congratulations, it pays $13,000,000 to be a slightly better than average college team.
Prediction: West Virginia goes to the Orange Bowl against Virginia Tech.
23. Arizona
3 of 25
Arizona was 7-1 at one point, and looked like they could be a threat to Oregon in the Pac-10. Three straight losses later, including a 48-29 loss to the Ducks, the Wildcats are looking at a date with Arizona State on Thursday, and then they will get their bowl game.
Prediction: The Wildcats win against their in-state rival and get a date with Nebraska in the Alamo Bowl.
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22. Mississippi State
4 of 25
The Bulldogs are a solid team that plays in the wrong conference. They are buried in the SEC and will struggle to challenge for titles, but they have become a very nice football program.
Prediction: The Bulldogs get a matchup with Florida State in the Peach Bowl.
21. Florida State
5 of 25
Florida State plays against Virginia Tech for the right to play in the Orange Bowl. It would be a huge boon for Jimbo Fisher and his team to get back to the BCS in his first year as head coach.
Can the Seminoles contain Tyrod Taylor? That will be the biggest question on game day.
Prediction: The Seminoles fall short in the ACC championship game and get to play in the Peach Bowl.
20. Utah
6 of 25
Utah had a chance to be in the position that TCU is in right now.
The Utes played TCU earlier this month and were run off the field in a 47-7 loss. The sting from that defeat lingered, and they lost at Notre Dame 28-3 the next week.
No BCS, but a nice consolation prize with a trip to Las Vegas.
Prediction: The Utes get an invite to the Las Vegas Bowl.
19. South Carolina
7 of 25
South Carolina can throw a huge monkey wrench into the whole BCS if they are able to pull off the upset against Auburn in the SEC championship game.
I think it will be a close game, but the Tigers pull away at the end.
Prediction: The Gamecocks play on January 1st in the Outback Bowl.
18. Texas A&M
8 of 25
If not for a bad three-week stretch of games, the Aggies could be playing for a Big 12 title instead of Oklahoma. They lost three games in a row in the middle of the year, and it was too much to overcome.
They did make a statement beating Nebraska, with a little help from the officials.
Prediction: Texas A&M plays in the Holiday Bowl.
17. Nevada
9 of 25
The Wolfpack were able to pull off the biggest upset in school history when they defeated Boise State last weekend. That was their BCS game and it was very emotional for the students, athletes and coaches involved.
Prediction: Nevada gets to rub salt in the wound by playing their bowl game on Boise's home field in the Humanitarian Bowl.
16. Alabama
10 of 25
Repeating as a national champion is a difficult thing to do. It's even harder when you play in the SEC and lose a lot of talent to the NFL.
That said, they still put together a very good year and will undoubtedly be back in title contention sooner rather than later.
Prediction: Alabama gets a game against Oklahoma State in the Cotton Bowl.
15. Virginia Tech
11 of 25
The Hokies have come a long way from their two losses to open the year against Boise State and James Madison; now they are a win away from playing in the Orange Bowl.
If they defeat Florida State, they have their BCS game.
Prediction: Frank Beamer has this team playing terrific football, and they ride that momentum all the way to South Beach.
14. Oklahoma State
12 of 25
The Cowboys had a chance to get to the Big 12 title game if they had beaten Oklahoma last week at home.
They couldn't get it done and will end up in either the Cotton Bowl or the Alamo Bowl.
Prediction: Oklahoma State plays in the Cotton Bowl.
13. Nebraska
13 of 25
Nebraska has had one goal since last year's last-second loss to Texas in the Big 12 title game: avenge that loss and exit the conference with a bang.
They have a chance to do that against Oklahoma on Saturday. However, if Taylor Martinez isn't healthy enough to play, their offense will likely have a tough time against the Sooners.
Prediction: Martinez doesn't play and Nebraska loses, pushing them into the Alamo Bowl.
12. Missouri
14 of 25
The Tigers seemed poised to make it back to the Big 12 title game and make a run at a national championship when they beat top-ranked Oklahoma.
Unfortunately, they came out and lost their next two games to Nebraska and Texas Tech ending any dreams of a national title, plus they missed out on the Big 12 title game because of the three way tiebreaker scenario between them, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State.
Prediction: Missouri gets a date at the Insight Bowl.
11. Boise State
15 of 25
One kick, that's all that it would have taken for Boise State to make their second consecutive BCS appearance.
Watching the end of that game against Nevada, your heart had to break for Kyle Brotzman as he missed two kicks that would have given the Broncos a victory and a BCS game.
Instead, they fell out of the top 10 and have a slight chance to get a home game for their bowl appearance.
Prediction: The Broncos don't get their home game, but they get a shot in the Fight Hunger Bowl (yes, I checked—that's a real bowl game).
10. LSU
16 of 25
Les Miles is one of the most disliked head coaches in the country. Yet every year he has them in SEC contention and won a national title a few years ago.
LSU will get an invite to one of two different bowl games, either the Cotton or the Capital One, depending on how things play out with the SEC championship game.
Prediction: The Bayou Bengals will play in the Capital One Bowl against Michigan State.
9. Oklahoma
17 of 25
What a great way to send out this incarnation of the Big 12 conference with one of the most storied rivalries in all of college football, Nebraska vs. Oklahoma. The winner of that game will get a date in Arizona in the Fiesta Bowl.
If Oklahoma's defense shows up in this game, it will be difficult for the Huskers to beat them because the Sooner offense is one of the best in the country.
Prediction: Oklahoma goes to the Fiesta Bowl against the Big East champion.
8. Michigan State
18 of 25
I feel bad for Michigan State. They had a great year, going 11-1, they beat Wisconsin, who gets to play in the BCS because of the three-way tiebreaker scenario that worked against the Spartans.
Three teams in the Big Ten finished 7-1 in conference play (Ohio St., Wisconsin and Michigan St.). Since Wisconsin beat Ohio State and Michigan State didn't play Ohio State, they were at the mercy of the BCS to determine their fate.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned, and Michigan State will have to settle for a secondary bowl game.
Prediction: The Spartans play in the Capital One Bowl.
7. Arkansas
19 of 25
Arkansas needs Auburn to win the SEC champioship game in order to get into the BCS, which they would be in right now.
If South Carolina wins, they get the automatic SEC BCS berth and Auburn will get the spot currently occupied by the Razorbacks. So even though there is no love among SEC schools, Arkansas will be wearing Auburn hats proudly Saturday night.
Prediction: Arkansas wills Auburn to victory over South Carolina and plays in the Sugar Bowl against Ohio State.
6. Ohio State
20 of 25
I'll say this for the Big Ten, they get their drama out of the way early. That won't be the case next year, when Nebraska joins and they get a conference championship game.
Ohio State will get another BCS game for the Big Ten by finishing in the top six of the BCS standings.
Prediction: Ohio State will play in the Sugar Bowl in January.
5. Wisconsin
21 of 25
No drama left here since Wisconsin's regular season is done and they can't get into the top two. They will be the Big Ten representative in the Rose Bowl, likely against TCU.
Prediction: Wisconsin goes to the Rose Bowl versus TCU.
4. Stanford
22 of 25
Stanford has got to be pulling for an Oregon victory over Oregon State. If Oregon wins, then Stanford will get to play in a BCS game. If Oregon loses, then Stanford would get bumped out of the BCS because Oregon would take their spot as the Pac-10 BCS representative.
An Oregon loss would likely move Stanford to the Sun Bowl on December 31.
Prediction: Stanford plays in the Fiesta Bowl against the Big 12 champion.
3. TCU
23 of 25
TCU's regular season is done and they know that at the very least they will be playing in a BCS bowl game, likely in the Rose Bowl. TCU can sneak into the national championship game if one of three things happens. The easiest scenario is that both Auburn and Oregon lose.
If Oregon loses, and Auburn wins, there is a great chance that TCU would move up to number two in the BCS and would play for the national title. If Auburn loses, and Oregon wins, the great debate will begin, because there is a chance that even with an Auburn loss, they could still stay in the top two of the BCS and play for the national championship.
Prediction: TCU plays in the Rose Bowl.
2. Oregon
24 of 25
Oregon has a much easier road to the national title than Auburn. They have to play a pretty mediocre Oregon State team.
The only way that Oregon loses is if they miss their bus to the game and are forced to forfeit.
Oregon wins this game and they win big. LaMichael James has a huge day, and Darron Thomas gets in on the action too as the Ducks torch the Beavers.
Prediction: No controversy for Oregon this time, as they run all the way to Arizona for a matchup with Auburn on January 10 for the BCS National Championship.
1. Auburn
25 of 25
Auburn will have a tough time against South Carolina this week, I think. The Gamecocks have a great running back in Marcus Lattimore and their quarterback, Stephen Garcia, is accurate and hasn't been making mistakes like he did early in the year. Plus, they play pretty good defense and were able to hang with Auburn in their first game back in late September.
For Auburn, it's simple: win and play for the national title. Lose and there is a chance that they could still play for the national title, at the very least they could get into a BCS bowl.
Prediction: Auburn beats South Carolina and plays for the national championship.
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