BCS Bowl Predictions: Bet on Oklahoma

Well as we all know it's that time again: BCS Bowls for eight of college football's elite. Not that everyone else who makes a bowl isn't elite but only the best can make it to the BCS' four bowls. First off let's look at the conference championships and see who wins and goes to the Orange, Rose, Sugar, and Fiesta Bowls....

In the biggest conference championship, the SEC, featuring No.1 Alabama (12-0, 8-0) and No.4 Florida (11-1, 7-1).

Both are great offensive teams, but this is a defensive struggle. Gator quarterback Tim Tebow is shut down and held to only 21 yards on the ground and Florida’s lone touchdown. Alabama’s Glen Coffee scores the game clincher behind his 100 yards on the ground in a 17-7 Crimson Tide victory, sending them to the BCS Championship in Miami.

No.8 Penn State (11-1, 7-1) has already won the Big 10 Championship with a 49-18 win over No.21 Michigan State (9-3, 6-2) and is for the first time in 14 years headed to the Rose Bowl.

No.13 Cincinnati (10-2, 6-1) is the Big East champion after a big Pittsburgh win over West Virginia, and a 30-10 Cincy win over a hapless Syracuse team.

The ACC Championship is between No.17 Boston College (9-3, 5-3) and No.25 Virginia Tech (8-4, 5-3).

Last season's title match also featured these two programs. They had met earlier in the year with the BC Eagles pulling out a come from behind 14-10 win over the Hokies. However, in the title game the Hokies came out on top with a 30-16 upset as the ACC champs.

This year BC won 28-23 in their regular season matchup. And although Virginia Tech has played well in its last few games, BC's defense will be too much for the Hokies, resulting in a 24-13 Eagles win.

In the Pac-10 championship, No.5 USC (10-1,7-1) will battle UCLA.

Oregon State's big loss to rival Oregon last week opened the door for the Trojans to become Pac-10 champions with a win over the Bruins of UCLA.

No contest. UCLA gains early momentum with a first quarter field goal that puts them up 3-0, but thats as close as they get to the upset as the Trojans score 63 unanswered points, including 6 touchdown passes from Mark Sanchez.

Finally, there is the Big 12 Championship, No.2 Oklahoma (11-1, 7-1) vs No.20 Missouri (9-3, 5-3).

Again this is a repeat of a conference championship; the only difference is that the roles are reversed. Last year Missouri was on it's way to the BCS title game with a No.1 ranking and a 11-1 record, with the only blemish being a 41-31 loss on the road to the crimson clad Sooners. In the title game Oklahoma once again defeated the Tigers 38-17, to win its second straight Big 12 Championship.

Oklahoma almost did not return this year because of Texas' 45-35 win over OU in the annual Red River Rivalry. However, winning six straight games (four of them scoring 60+ plus points), defeating the second ranked team in the nation by 44 points, and the BCS smiling upon the Sooners, Oklahoma finds itself playing in it’s third straight Big 12 Championship.

Missouri will fight hard, keeping the Sooners guessing for the first quarter on defense, but in the end the Sooners are too much for Missouri.

Sooner quarterback Sam Bradford will throw for 350 yards and three scores, and DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown add 200 yards and three touchdowns on the ground in a 42-10 victory.

With these likely conference champions, a BCS prediction can be made:

First comes the Rose Bowl, where we will see the Pac-10 champion No.4 USC (12-1, 8-1) matched up against the Big-10 champion No.7 Penn State (11-1, 7-1) in a shootout with the 45-42 win going to the Nittany Lions.

Next comes the Fiesta Bowl between No.3 Texas (11-1,7-1) and the undefeated Mountain West champions No.5 Utah (12-0, 8-0).

The disadvantage in the game for Utah is, they haven’t played a team as good as the Longhorns all season.

Although they keep it close, Texas’ Heisman runner-up Colt McCoy passes for 320 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-28 Longhorn win over the Utes.

Then we have the Sugar Bowl which features the No.9 Ohio State Buckeyes (10-2, 7-1) and the Tim Tebow led No.8 Florida Gators (11-2, 7-2).

The Gators pull out to a 14-0 lead at the half, due to two passing scores by Tebow. But the Gator defense can’t contain the Buckeyes leading rusher, Chris Wells all game as he rushes for 210 yards and three second half touchdowns in a 24-14 Ohio State win.

Now we come to the Orange Bowl where we find No.16 Boston College (10-3, 6-3) and No.12 Cincinnati (11-2, 6-1).

The Eagles give a great effort gaining 200 yards rushing, and lead 21- 14 at halftime, but their defense gives up four touchdowns through the air to the Bearcats who score 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, in a 35-21 victory.

For classic sake we will look at the Cotton Bowl where we will find No.6 Texas Tech (11-1, 7-1) matching up against 15 Georgia (9-3, 6-2).

This is a high powered offensive game as both the Bulldogs and Red Raiders combine for over 1,000 yards and 110 points.

But it is Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree leading Tech to a 60-50 victory, and Tech’s first ever 12 win season.

Now for the grand finale, the BCS National Championship:

 No.1 Alabama (13-0, 9-0) and No.2 Oklahoma (12-1, 8-1).

The Crimson Tide runs the ball well as Glen Coffee finishes with 190 yards and two touchdowns. But unfortunately, Bama’s defense can’t stop Oklahoma’s high powered offense.

Heisman trophy winner Sam Bradford finishes with 435 yards and five touchdowns as the Sooners end their four BCS bowl game losing streak with a 35-14 win and their eighth National Championship , second under Bob Stoops.

So there you have it, the 2008 BCS Bowl projections. Well, more of a prediction that MIGHT occur. But whatever happens , ENJOY the 2008 season endings.