Bold BCS Bowl Predictions At This Point
By Editorial Staff
It looks like #2 Oklahoma State will face #1 LSU if the season ends today in the BCS National Championship. Who would play where in my BCS Bowl predictions? I think a lot of different unlikely scenarios will shake up. I think this season will finish on an extremely crazy note. I have lots of upsets and controversial picks in this segment. In the end I see the BCS working itself out on a very controversial note.
Vizio Rose Bowl
Wisconsin Badgers 11-2 Big 10 Champion VS Arizona State 9-4 PAC 12 Champion
Right now Penn State leads the Big 10 Leaders division. I had Penn State losing to Alabama and then winning out prior to losing their final 3 regular season games to Nebraska, Ohio State, and Wisconsin. Even if Penn State defeats Ohio State they will still lose to Wisconsin. Michigan State is 5-1 in the Legends division and has to play Indiana and Northwestern. We see a Wisconsin VS Michigan State rematch in the debut of the Big 10 Championship. This time Wisconsin wins.
Remember the 1998-1999 Kansas State team that was #1 in the country that lost to Texas A&M in the Big 12 Title Game before ending up in the Alamo Bowl? I think something similar could happen with Oregon. I could see Arizona State winning a rematch against Oregon because they have the defense led by Vontaze Burfict and quarterback in Brock Osweiler. Everyone will write off the Sun Devils and call Oregon a lock to win the PAC 12 Title since the game will be in Oregon. Oregon beat Arizona State at home and crushed Stanford so no main critic in their right mind would give the Sun Devils a chance. This and UCLA’s upset over Arizona State are 2 reasons why Arizona State would get dismissed.
I think this Oregon team loses to Arizona State in the PAC 12 Title if they have a rematch. This would basically screw the Ducks out of a BCS Bowl game because Stanford would be ranked higher in the polls thus qualifying for an At Large Bid.
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
Oklahoma State 11-1 At Large Bid VS Stanford 11-1 At Large Bid
Oklahoma State loses to Oklahoma which causes them to drop to the Fiesta Bowl. I believe Stanford is ranked higher than Oregon in the final BCS Poll which results in Stanford getting an at large bid while Oregon gets screwed out of a BCS Bowl game. Relax Ducks fans. You may hate this prediction, but you will love my Sugar Bowl Prediction.
Allstate Sugar Bowl
Houston Cougars 13-0 At Large Bid VS Arkansas Razorbacks 11-1 At Large Bid
Believe it or not I think Arkansas and quarterback Tyler Wilson will knock off #1 ranked LSU in a few weeks. If Arkansas knocks off LSU it creates a 3 way tie with Arkansas, LSU, and Alabama in the SEC West. This 3 way tie will be similar to the 2008-2009 3 way tie that occurred 3 years ago in the Big 12 South between Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and Texas. The highest ranked team Alabama would move up to #1 in the polls as Arkansas would get the BCS Bowl bid for beating LSU. LSU would get screwed out of a BCS appearance and this would cheer Oregon fans up to a certain degree if Oregon gets screwed out of the BCS due to Arizona State winning the PAC 12.
Houston deserves to play in a BCS Bowl game as an at large bid if Case Keenum guides the Cougars to an unbeaten season. Arkansas lost the 2011 Sugar Bowl to Ohio State so they would look for redemption against an unbeaten Houston team.
Discover Orange Bowl
9-3 Rutgers Big East Champion VS 12-1 Virginia Tech ACC Champion
Rutgers hosts Cincinnati on Saturday. This game could hold Big East Implications. Cincinnati is 7-2 (3-1) in conference play. West Virginia is 7-3 (3-2) in conference play. Rutgers is 7-3 (3-2). Other 3-2 teams in Big East Play like Louisville and Pittsburgh are 5-5 on the year so they may lose the overall tiebreaker to represent the Big East in a BCS Bowl game. These teams are not out yet, but they need to win out and have the conference leaders lose their remaining games. That is a lot to ask almost too much. Below is a list of the remaining schedules for each of these 3 Big East Teams
Cincinnati Bearcats Remaining Schedule
@ Rutgers
@ Syracuse
VS Connecticut
Rutgers Remaining Schedule
VS Cincinnati
VS Connecticut
West Virginia Remaining Schedule
VS Pittsburgh
@ South Florida
Looking at the schedules of those 3 Big East Teams I like Rutgers. I feel like Mohammed Sanu is due for a big homecoming game down the stretch again. Rutgers holds a tiebreaker over 3-2 Pittsburgh.
I also feel like West Virginia could lose either of their final 2 games. The Backyard Brawl against Pittsburgh is a classic rivalry that can go either way. This may be the last time these teams play with Pittsburgh going to the ACC and West Virginia moving to the Big 12. After the game VS Pittsburgh the Mountaineers travel to Raymond James Stadium to face South Florida who I could see pulling an upset on West Virginia with the home crowd.
Everyone is crowning Clemson a lock to make a BCS Bowl game because of how they played against Auburn. Virginia Tech was a team that I thought could go unbeaten up until the ACC Championship game before losing to Florida State due to their easy schedule back in the preseason. The fact that everyone is picking Clemson kind of makes me nervous if I’m a Clemson fan. Virginia Tech is just as capable of getting to the Orange Bowl.
Virginia Tech could have trouble running executing their option attack against a battle tested NFL factory of defensive line players with Clemson. Defensive Tackle Brandon Thompson is the only defensive tackle worthy of a top 16 pick. Right End Andre Branch could also pressure Logan Thomas. At the same time Clemson is ranked 90th in run defense and David Wilson leads the nation in rushing yards which could be an advantage for Virginia Tech. David Wilson VS the Cle
Virginia Tech’s secondary will keep the game low scoring by containing Clemson’s passing attack. Clemson has the right guard and right tackle who excel in run blocking plus they have a back with Andre Ellington going up against a top 15 Virginia Tech run defense that currently ranks 13th. Jarret Boykin could get covered well because Clemson’s pass defense ranks 20th.
I really am torn between picking Clemson or Virginia Tech. I could see that ACC Championship game going either way.
Clemson has played in 7 games where they surrendered 24 points or more. Virginia Tech played 7 games where they surrendered 20 points or less. I think that could be the difference as I take the Hokies 17 to 16 over Clemson. I had the Hokies going 12-0 in regular season play before losing to Florida State in the ACC Title. Virginia Tech lost to Clemson and they use this game to exact revenge.
BCS National Title Game
#2 Oklahoma 11-1 Big 12 Champion VS #1 Alabama 12-1 SEC Champion
I still believe we see Oklahoma and Alabama in the title game in the event that LSU and Oregon both lose down the stretch. I think Arkansas has a better chance than Georgia to knock off LSU which is why I have Oklahoma facing Alabama.
Believe it or not since the BCS went to their BCS National title game in 2006-2007 they added a technicality clause. The #1 overall and #2 overall BCS ranked teams at seasons end have to either downright won their conference or played in the conference Championship Game. Unbeaten teams who do not represent an automatic BCS qualifier conference by playing in the SEC, PAC 12, Big 12, Big 10, ACC, or Big East are not guaranteed a National Title appearance. This is why you are seeing teams like Boise State, Houston, and Central Florida fill in the empty spots in the Big East.
Your probably asking yourself what happens if Oklahoma beats Oklahoma State, Georgia beats LSU, and Arizona State or UCLA beats Oregon? Below is how the top 5 would shake up in that event.
#1 Oklahoma Sooners 11-1 Downright Big 12 Champion Oklahoma would be the only downright Champion in one of the 6 power conferences so they would reclaim the top spot even after their loss to Texas Tech.
#2 LSU Tigers 12-1 SEC LSU Lets say LSU loses to Georgia in the SEC Title Game. In this event you would have 1 loss LSU who is coming off an SEC Title loss. You would have 1 loss Alabama in addition to an unbeaten Houston team making National Title cases. LSU managed to represent the SEC in the SEC Title Game so they would fall no further than #2 overall in this event due to a technicality clause in the BCS that was placed in effect in 2006. Auburn would have faced a similar situation in 2010 if South Carolina had managed to defeat Auburn in the SEC Title Game.
#3 Alabama Crimson Tide 11-1 Alabama would rank just ahead of an unbeaten 13-0 Houston Cougars team because they only lost to LSU by a field goal in overtime.
#4 Houston Cougars 13-0 Houston would be ranked 4th in the event that they go 13-0 and win the Conference Title if Oregon lost the PAC 12 Title.
#5 Stanford Cardinal 11-1 Stanford would reclaim a spot in the top 5 if LSU loses to Georgia and a PAC 12 North team defeats Oregon.