Painting the BCS Picture

EP gives you a look at the projected BCS Bowl Games 

By Brett Samuels

Heading into Saturday’s slate of games, there was plenty at stake for several teams. The SEC, Big 12, and Big Ten were all still up for grabs, as was one spot in the national title game. When the final whistle blew, the nation had a pretty good idea who would be playing where in the BCS landscape.

(AP Photo/Dave Goldman)

Alabama tipped Georgia in an SEC championship game for the ages. The Tide stopped the Bulldogs five yards short of the end zone to preserve the 32-28 victory, and all but secure a spot in the BCS title game against Notre Dame.

ESPN.com’s Mark Schlabach wrote that the SEC title game set a high standard for what the BCS title game will have to live up to.

“We can only hope the contest between two of college football's most storied programs will be half as exciting as Saturday's SEC championship game at the Georgia Dome,” Schlabach said.

Other games across the country had a lot on the line, but not quite the same amount of drama as the matchup in Atlanta.

Wisconsin put up 70 points on Nebraska en route to a blowout win that earned the Badgers a trip to the Rose Bowl for the third year in a row. However ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg isn’t so sure that the Badgers big win is good for the league.

“While the Badgers undoubtedly saved their best for last, their advancement likely will increase criticism and mockery of the Big Ten after a rough season,” Rittenberg said.

The victory means 8-5 Wisconsin will take on Stanford in the Rose Bowl in a battle of two teams with big time running games.

The Big 12 was up for grabs at the start of the day, and when Oklahoma beat TCU they earned at least a share of the conference title. However Kansas State handled Texas in the second half to get a 42-24 win, which means the Wildcats will receive the conference’s automatic BCS berth.

In the ACC Florida State squeaked by Georgia Tech to win their conference and an automatic BCS bowl berth, leaving only a few at large bids for teams looking to sneak into the BCS picture.

Outside of the conference champions and Notre Dame, there are still a few teams that will likely earn a place in BCS games. Oregon, Florida, and Oklahoma are considered likely picks. However, if Northern Illinois jumps into the top 16 of the BCS standings, they will be given an automatic spot in a BCS bowl based on a technicality that says if a non automatic qualifier conference is ranked higher than a team from a major conference (in this case Louisville), they are guaranteed a BCS berth.

While the final standings will fully determine how that situation shakes out, the following matchups are likely at this point:

BCS National Championship: Notre Dame vs. Alabama

Sugar Bowl: Florida vs. Oklahoma

Fiesta Bowl: Kansas State vs. Oregon

Rose Bowl: Wisconsin vs. Stanford

Orange Bowl: Florida State vs. Louisville

This could all change if Northern Illinois is ranked high enough, or if the bowl selection committees find certain at large teams more attractive. Regardless of how things shake out in the final standings, there are bound to be at least a few appetizing matchups in the BCS this year.

What If?

By Jasmine Watkins

College football is a game of what 'ifs.'

(AP Photo/Mark Terrill)

What if Kansas State and Oregon hadn’t lost on the same day? What if Notre Dame had lost to USC Saturday night? What if UGA beats Alabama in the SEC title game next Saturday?

What if, what if, what if?

We could play this game all year. But it’s about what does happen, as opposed to what if or what could. The fact that it’s so unpredictable is what makes football on the college level so fun to watch. The excitement and the heartbreak on the players’ faces are what college fans live for. That and wanting your alma mater to win it all.

This year, in the driver’s seat is the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. For the first time, in a long time, the No. 1 team doesn’t belong to the SEC. But the silver lining to this whole scenario is that after the SEC title game is played, there will be a team from the Southeastern Conference in the BCS Championship game.

Yes, after the Crimson Tide were taken down a few pegs by Texas A&M a couple weeks ago, the SEC is back in the driver’s seat yet again.

Alabama is projected to beat UGA, but what if Georgia wins out? Do they have the offensive power in Murray and his receivers to penetrate the Notre Dame defense headed by Manti Te’o?

If the Crimson Tide does follow suit and end up beating the Dawgs, can they keep the score close enough with their offense? The Alabama defense has never been a problem but the Fighting Irish is a horse of a different breed.

Since we’re playing a game of what ifs, what if Notre Dame beats the winner of the SEC Championship and thus ending a streak of 7 BCS Championships won by a member of the SEC? Would that signal the end is near for them as a power conference? Not likely.

After Georgia’s game against Georgia Tech, senior safety, Bacarri Rambo stated that the win was nice but there are bigger and better things on the team’s agenda.

“We’ll enjoy this win for a couple of hours, but we have to get our minds back on our goal, and that’s to get to Miami, and Alabama is in our way,” Rambo told ESPN. “We just have to get better and work on them.”

Georgia and the rest of Bulldog nation don’t think they will have to play the game of what ifs because they plan to end the run of the Crimson Tide in Atlanta on Saturday.

It’s hard to remain in the realm of reality when the questions of what ifs surface. It’s fun to think about the different possibilities when a particular team is involved. Even though the player’s are taught to go into the season as one week at a time, it is the fan that ends up straying and playing a game of 20 questions.

What Could Have Been

By Brett Samuels

The national title game is all but set. All the drama has more or less been removed from the final few games of the season in college football as Notre Dame held off USC to stay undefeated and clinch a spot in the BCS National Championship Game on Jan 7.

(AP Photo/Danny Moloshok)

It is a general consensus that Notre Dame will face the winner of the SEC title game between No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Georgia. It seemed a few weeks ago the SEC would be on the outside looking in for a spot in the national championship game.

However now the tone has changed, and as ESPN.com’s Edward Aschoff wrote of Georgia, the focus is now on the SEC championship, which is a direct path to the title game for both its participants.

“Now, the Bulldogs can devote all their attention to Atlanta, as they play in what is essentially a semifinal for the Discover BCS National Championship Game,” Aschoff said.

While Notre Dame represents one part of the championship game equation, and the SEC championship seemingly represents the other half, there are plenty of what ifs to be considered around the country.

There are many teams up for biggest disappointment of the year.

Michigan State came in with a top 15 ranking and needed a win in its final game to become bowl eligible.

Arkansas was ranked No. 10 to begin the year, but there season quickly spiraled out of control under coach John L. Smith.

Michigan, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Virginia Tech were all ranked in the top 20 of the preseason polls, and none of those teams have any chance at a BCS bowl except for Wisconsin, who reaps the benefits of Ohio State and Penn State being ineligible for the postseason.

However as CBS Sports’ Archie Manning pointed out on a pregame show Saturday, none of those teams were ranked No. 1 to start the year.

“USC has got to be the biggest disappointment,” Manning said. “They were ranked No. 1 in the country and now they have a chance to lose five games.”

Yes, the Trojans will look back on this season as one that began with optimism. Senior quarterback Matt Barkley returned with top-notch talent around him, and yet they simply didn’t have the depth or consistency to beat high quality opponents.

Outside of the Southern California area, Oregon and Kansas State will both look back on the weekend of November 17^th and wonder what went wrong. The Ducks fell to Stanford in overtime, while Baylor dismantled the Wildcats. Take away those respective losses, and both Kansas State and Oregon are still the front-runners to play each other for the BCS championship.

But as a famous person once said, “That’s why they play the games.”

And so Georgia and Alabama will play the SEC championship game. One team will win and earn the right to face Notre Dame for the crystal football. They will play that championship game, and then we will be able to say with certainty, probably for the first time this season, who the number one team in the country is,

Five Things to be Thankful for in College Football

By Brett Samuels

This Saturday was one of the wildest weekends of the college football season to date, and with Thanksgiving just around the corner, it only seems fitting that we take a look at the things that make college football so great.

(AP Photo)

Especially this season, where there is no consensus on which the two best teams are head and shoulders above the rest. There is no lock for who will win the Heisman Trophy at the end of the year. However there are several reasons to be grateful for what college football has to offer, and here are five of them.

1.    BCS Chaos- Notre Dame is sitting pretty as the only remaining undefeated team in the country. With the top two teams in the BCS standings, Kansas State and Oregon, falling this weekend, the Irish should take over the No. 1 spot. What the polls will look like beyond that is a total mystery, as seven teams with one loss now sit in the top 11. One thing is a guarantee: the SEC will be well represented near the top of the polls.

2.    Heisman Race Wide Open- With Kansas State’s loss to Baylor, the Wildcats championship dreams took a hit, and so too did the Heisman campaign of star quarterback Colin Klein. ESPN.com’s David Ubben called both the championship and Heisman hopes “kaput.” Its fair to say that it was a great run for coach Bill Snyder and his Wildcats, but they are unlikely to benefit from any break down the road to go to the title game, and aren’t even a lock to win the Big 12 over Oklahoma any more.

3.    Teams that Bounce Back- As mentioned earlier, seven teams sit with one loss and an outside shot at playing for a national championship in January. Now is a good time to give those teams respect for returning to form after unexpected losses. Most notably, Florida State suffered a heartbreaking loss to NC State, but has kept strong and can re-enter the title discussion with a win against Florida this week. Alabama, who was upset at home by Texas A&M, is once again a favorite to get back to the championship. The list goes on, but without teams rediscovering their mojo after tough defeats, they wouldn’t be in the positions they are now.

4.    Parity in Major Conferences- At the start of the season it seemed like the usual suspects would dominate each conference once again. Oregon and USC would lead the Pac-12, Alabama and LSU would fight for the SEC for a second year in a row, Wisconsin and Michigan State would have a rematch for the Big Ten title, and Oklahoma would own the Big 12 as usual. But not this year. While powerhouses Alabama and Georgia will fight it out for the SEC title, the Big Ten title will feature either Nebraska or Michigan playing Wisconsin, who will only be in the title game because of NCAA sanctions on Ohio State. Meanwhile, the Big 12 is Kansas State’s to lose, and in the Pac-12, a Stanford-UCLA title game is very possible.

5.    Season Ending Showdowns- There’s no reason to think this is the end of high ranked teams tumbling. Notre Dame still has to face a USC team  on the road. Frankly, the Trojans have little left to play for but an upset of the No. 1 Irish. Oregon isn’t out of the title race completely, but they still must face in state rival No. 16 Oregon State on the road. Alabama and Georgia both have dreams of heading to Florida for the BCS championship, but will play each other for the SEC crown, thus eliminating one by default. The same will happen with Florida and Florida State, two one-loss teams who face off in this week.

So while celebrating Thanksgiving, remember there is plenty to be thankful for. Whether it’s relating to friends, family, or even the sport of college football.

Where Do We Go From Here?

By Brett Samuels

Bob Dylan once wrote “The Times They Are A-Changin’.” On Saturday, Texas A&M took those lyrics to heart by defeating No. 1 Alabama on the road, a result that could cause major change in college football, the likes of which we haven’t seen in seven years.

(US Presswire/John Mercer)

With the Crimson Tide suffering their first loss of the season, the SEC no longer has an undefeated team. With Oregon, Notre Dame, and Kansas State all owning perfect records at this point, it is difficult to see a one-loss squad climbing its way into the championship game.

For the short term, the Alabama loss means there are still three teams fighting for two spots in the title game. In the long term, it means for the first time since 2005 a team not from the SEC will likely capture the crystal football.

In a way it seems fitting that the SEC would be doomed by its own hand, but Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin told the media after the game that his team shouldn’t be cast as the bad guy.

“You trying to make me the villain?” Sumlin asked a reporter. “Well, there’s 120 other teams that are happy.”

So with the college football crown up for grabs, the question becomes, what now?

Let’s take a look at each of the three teams who have yet to lose to determine the most likely side to make a title run, starting with Oregon.

The Ducks have a fairly tough schedule down the stretch. They still must host No. 14 Stanford, and travel to play in state rival No. 11 Oregon State. Not to mention that the team would then have to beat the Pac-12 South winner in the conference championship game. If they run the table the rest of the way nobody will be questioning if they deserve a shot at the BCS title.

Moving on to Notre Dame, I said last week that they didn’t belong in the championship if there were two other undefeated teams. The least they can do is take care of business and hope for a break. The Fighting Irish play Wake Forest next weekend before visiting USC to close out their regular season. With the Trojans underachieving this season, it will be a big time atmosphere as they try to salvage their season against Notre Dame. If the Irish do manage to have a perfect record at the end of the year, they would present a great defensive challenge for highflying Oregon. But to set up that matchup the Irish will likely need Kansas State to lose.

Speaking of which, the Wildcats go on the road to face a decent Baylor team next week, and then finish the year hosting No. 17 Texas.

What can we make of all this?

Well, frankly it is very possible that two, or even all three current unbeaten squads could suffer a loss down the stretch, potentially re-opening the door for Alabama. Oregon clearly has the toughest schedule left, but the Ducks have been here before, and Chip Kelly knows how to keep his team focused. Kansas State still must play Texas, but it’s a home game and quarterback Colin Klein is putting up Heisman worthy numbers. Then there’s Notre Dame, who could make a strong title case, but their season ending date with USC has upset written all over it. Matt Barkley and friends will essentially treat their matchup with the Irish in the coliseum as a bowl game, and if the Irish are coming in undefeated, the Trojans won’t need to look any farther for motivation.

So that presents Kansas State vs. Oregon as the most likely championship scenario at this point. Is it the glorious matchup fans are hoping for? Probably not. But fortunately for those people, a lot can change between now and January 7.