Sunday, November 4

Oh how the mighty fall again

The BCS picture is still murky yet the NC game seems pretty clear: Should OSU win out, they will face LSU in the title game if LSU does the same. Oregon doesn't stand a chance in the polls against LSU, and their loss against the Cal Bears looks worse and worse every week. Oklahoma, Kansas, or Missouri will lose one, and whomever wins out will have a hard time comparing their schedule to LSU (who has played 6 ranked opponents so far, and their only loss was to a strong Kentucky team in triple overtime).

So now, that there's a clearer picture for the NC game, let's see who else will make it to a BCS bowl...

From the Pac 10: The winner of the ASU/USC game will be the second Pac 10 BCS team. Oregon wins the conference and goes to the Rose bowl, but at least one more will make it to the BCS glory.

From the Big 10 - Ohio state is going to the NC game if they win against Michigan, and because of that loss there won't be another Big10 team in the BCS bowls.

Big East - West Virginia is quietly in the NC hunt, however their schedule isn't strong enough to overcome LSU, Oregon, or a Big12 team... but they will be in the BCS bowls.

Big 12 - Whomever wins out out of Oklahoma, Missouri, or Kansas has a great chance to make a bid for the NC game, Kansas more so since they would come out of the Big 12 unscathed. Two of these teams will make it to the BCS games, and Kansas is the only one that has a chance to unseat LSU if they go undefeated.

SEC - LSU will win out. If they don't I'll be surprised - they have gone through the meat of their schedule and with gut and grit have pulled through on 4 of the 5 most difficult games, the Florida game being an instant classic for Miles' gutsy calls. However, the only other SEC team that has much of a chance is Auburn to be the second team - mainly because the winner of the SEC east will have to face LSU in the championship game and is not likely to come out alive.

ACC - Boston College fell from the ranks of the undefeated, which now puts Virginia Tech in an interesting situation. It would have been one thing to lose to just LSU, but it's very likely that BC and Tech will meet in the championship game. Whomever wins will go BCS, and the other will not, and now there really is no chance that either of them will be in the NC hunt.

BCS Busters - Hawaii or Boise State - both of them have had pretty weak schedules, but their season ending meeting is going to be about last year's Cinderella and this year's hopeful. Brennan will need to put up a ton of points, considering both the defenses aren't nearly up to par. If Hawaii wins, they're in. If BSU wins, they have an outsiders chance. If the Smurf Turfers win it may mean another big team from the BCS conferences get in (likely a second ACC team if they're still up there in the ranks).