NCAA Football Championship Week at a Glance

It started with recruiting, and followed with grueling practices before ever playing a game. Rosters were aligned, rotations were complete, and programs looked to plow through the schedules laid before them. And with all the hard work, sacrifices, and preparation, for some, everything comes down to this…Championship Week.

Penn State, Utah, and Cincinnati have completed their schedules and season’s goal, each securing BCS bowl bids and awaiting their competitors. The remaining seats will be filled this weekend, and the Bowl Championship Series will be painted to reflect destinations. By Sunday, two programs will be the most colorful, positioned to represent their schools in the BCS championship game.

BCS Semifinal | The SEC Championship Game: When (4) Florida and (1) Alabama take the field on Saturday, the SEC will be searching for its third consecutive BCS Championship game appearance, after winning the previous two. Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide enters with a record unblemished, and with one more victory, the storied program will be playing for another national championship in January. The Florida Gators are only two years removed from hoisting the crystal ball, and a defeat of the nation’s No. 1 team may assure them an opportunity to again perform on college football’s biggest stage.

BCS Semifinal | The Big 12 Championship Game: Despite a week filled with controversy over the Big 12 tie-breaking rules, (2) Oklahoma can solidify their entry into the national championship game with a victory over Northern champ (20) Missouri.

The Texas Longhorns are on the outside looking in, though they’ve defeated both teams playing in this conference title game. But a Missouri victory could give (3) Texas new hope, if they are able to hold off Florida in the final polls and jump to the second position of the BCS standings. The task is difficult, as the Horns are disadvantaged, having completed their season schedule and lacking a final opportunity to impress voters.

ACC Championship Game: Several programs squandered opportunities to represent their divisions in this year’s ACC championship game, and we get a repeat of 2007. Remarkably, after losing the nucleus of the program (Matt Ryan) to the NFL, (17) Boston College fought through the schedule to make another appearance and gun for January’s Orange Bowl. (25) Virginia Tech began the season with high hopes, but despite underachievement and quarterback shuffling, the Hokies are still poised for a BCS bid.

The Pac 10 Championship: Although it’s not impossible for (5) USC to find themselves in South Florida and playing for a national championship, it’s likely improbable. A victory over crosstown rival UCLA isn’t going impress anyone or provide enough points to overtake the programs above them, but a Saturday victory will earn the Trojans their seventh consecutive BCS bowl appearance, and seventh straight Pac 10 championship.

A UCLA victory creates a 3-way tie in the Pac, which would launch the Oregon State Beavers into the Rose Bowl, and likely snap Southern Cal’s BCS string. Full game preview here.

Army vs. Navy: Called the greatest rivalry by most, these military academies have no bearing on the BCS standings or any championships to be won or lost. They play for themselves and the tradition. From the pre-game festivities to post-game songs, live the pageantry of one of America’s oldest and most respectful gridiron rivalries.

Upset Special: Alabama over Florida