http://www.csnbaltimore.com/09/30/12/No-1-Alabama-eases-past-Ole-Miss-33-14/landing.html?stsid=163251&stsq=
Rose Bowl- Jan. 1
Oregon Ducks (12-1, Pac-12 Winner) vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-3, Big Ten Winner)
Seriously, who is going to win the Big Ten right now?
Purdue may honestly win their division and pull off the shocker in Indianapolis, but Nebraska gets the slight edge over the likes of Michigan and Michigan State.
Ohio State will be cracking the top 10 if they remain flawless for a while, but the Big Ten winner will be underdogs if they go up against the Oregon Ducks.
Oregon very well could be playing for the BCS title if they go 13-0, but I have them losing a game down the road in a solid Pac-12 conference.
Orange Bowl- Jan. 1
Louisville Cardinals (10-2, Big East Winner) vs. Clemson Tigers (11-1, ACC tie-in, Projected #3 BCS at-large bid)
The USC Trojans could steal a future at-large bid from the Tigers as could a second Big Ten or non-BCS squad, but Clemson is the safest pick right now.
USC would have to run the table and avoid any sort of a potential beatdown in the Pac-12 title. Three or more losses would not be enough for USC to sneak in the BCS since they would not be high enough in the rankings. If USC goes 11-2 and finishes runner-up in their conference, the BCS would likely take them over even an 11-1 Clemson squad.
USC’s slate however is much tougher (ND, UCLA, Oregon 2x, Utah, UW) and Clemson’s offense actually looks better right now in comparison. Tajh Boyd looked fabulous without Watkins, who should be back from his virus. The defense could improve, but they just need a few stops per game thanks to their devastating passing attack.
Sugar Bowl- Jan. 2
Alabama Crimson Tide (12-1, SEC tie-in) vs. Kansas State Wildcats (11-1, #2 BCS at-large bid)
These projections will be thrown out the door in the wacky SEC that has five of the best teams in the country.
Due to BCS restrictions and dollars, the SEC can only get two teams in the BCS assuming that the SEC Champion does not appear in the SEC and instead two others are the top two in the country (like if UGA beat LSU last year, we would have had BAMA-LSU still arguably).
Kansas State has to go on the road to face West Virginia in a few weeks, but they beat Oklahoma in Norman and get Texas at home in the season finale.
Alabama looks like the best team on the planet still, but their schedule will bite them still in my eyes. Nobody enjoys watching the Crimson Tide more than yours truly, but I am still sticking with the gauntlet of the SEC to bite Alabama.
Fiesta Bowl- Jan. 3
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-2, BCS #1 at-large bid) vs. Texas Longhorns (Big 12 Champions)
The Irish will get whispers of BCS title if they start out 7-0 before they head to Norman, but their offense has still struggled too much to knock off the upcoming talent they will see.
Oklahoma and USC are brutal road games regardless of how much the two storied programs are struggling at the moment. The Irish do have the defense to play with anybody on the schedule, so a BCS bowl would not be a bad consolation prize if they do slip up a time or two.
The Longhorns will have to defeat Oklahoma and survive a Big 12 conference that is the second best conference in the nation.
BCS National Championship- Jan. 7
Georgia Bulldogs (13-0, Projected #1 BCS Team) vs. Florida State Seminoles (13-0, Projected #2 BCS Team)
Those hungry ‘Dawgs come into Columbia as slight underdogs, which may be a bit of a surprise when you realize how well this team is playing overall.
That would not only cost them a crack the BCS title but perhaps the SEC title and the BCS all together (if they lose to SC).
Still, South Carolina is a legit top 10 right now when Connor Shaw is spreading the wealth thanks to a productive Marcus Lattimore. The beast of a back owns UGA, so it will be a tough test for a Georgia defense that was gashed by Tennessee to hold up for an entire game.
Aaron Murray (outside of his pick six) has a bevy of weapons and Malcolm Mitchell is officially back as starting receiver with All-American Bacarri Rambo back in the secondary.
The slate is brutal and they have a long way to go, but a potential matchup with the Noles would be icing on the cake for what has already been a magical college football season.
