Next to Last Bowl Predictions

* Final bowl destinations for the ten fortunate programs will be announced the evening of Sunday, December 6th. My final predictions will be up by the morning of the same day.

BCS Championship- Florida (13-0) vs Texas (13-0)

Rose- Ohio State (10-2) vs Oregon (10-2)

Fiesta- TCU (12-0) vs Iowa (10-2)

Sugar- Boise State (12-0) vs Alabama (12-1)

Orange- Cincinnati (12-0) vs Georgia Tech (11-2)

These seem pretty set in stone as long as Texas and Cincinnati win this weekend against Nebraska and Pitt. If Florida loses, then put Alabama in the championship game.

The only way that these games would change is if the Orange Bowl decides having undefeated TCU is more glamorous than undefeated Cincinnati. Since the Orange Bowl has contractual obligations to the Big East generally, and TCU isn't a BCS conference team, Cincy will probably travel to Miami for the second year in a row. However, there is the whole thing about having a team play two years in a row at the same venue...hmmm...I wonder if/do you think the Bearcats made a good enough impression on the Orange Bowl committee this past January to be extended another invitation back? My thoughts: probably, but I dislike Cincinnati enough right now to hope that they get stuck playing Alabama/Florida. Seeing them try and defend Florida would be hilarious.

My Final Top Ten

1. Florida (12-0, vs Alabama)
2. Alabama (12-0, vs Florida)
3. Texas (12-0, vs Nebraska)
4. TCU (12-0)
5. Cincinnati (11-0, @ Pitt)
6. Boise State (12-0, vs New Mexico State)
7. Ohio State (10-2)
8. Oregon (9-2, vs Oregon State)
9. Iowa (10-2)
10. Penn State (10-2)

Three Big Ten teams? Two of them can validate their stay in the top ten. Penn State...eh, not so much. PSU probably will not go to a BCS game this season, but will certainly be glad to accept a Capital One Bowl invitation.

Georgia Tech and Pitt were the big names to fall this past week.

Quick Holiday Predictions

Texas will barely beat Texas A&M 49-39 (I'm a genius)

For real...

Cincinnati will hold off Illinois in a GREAT game.

Alabama takes care of Auburn.

Boise State remains unbeaten.

The final straw will be pulled in the Charlie Weis saga after Notre Dame falls to Stanford. Expect his status to be announced this coming week.

Georgia will come close to beating Georgia Tech, but not close enough.

Ohio State will still be 10-2 and the undisputed Big Ten champions.

* Next week will be a championship week preview, including my final bowl predictions (once during the week and the night after the championship games are played).

Chaos Theory

What will happen if Texas loses tomorrow to Texas A&M or in the Big 12 Championship game against Nebraska?

What if that happens, and Cincinnati falls to Illinois or Pitt?

That is what you call absolute, unadulterated chaos.

I've been trying to think of anyway to get around the inevitable with this one, but I just can't seem to figure it out. See, the first thing that would come to mind here is that you simply have Florida and Alabama play all over again. Why not? The SEC is the mega-power conference these days, and the two teams have been at the top of the polls since day one. Who wouldn't want to see that kind of entertainment again? Well, even if you would want to see it, it is doubtful considering you have to be a conference champion (technically) to be in the national championship game. Throw that scenario out the window.

What's next? Hmm... well if Pitt were to win out and beat Cincinnati, why not the Panthers? They would have beaten such teams as Rutgers, South Florida, Notre Dame, West Virginia and Cincy to get to the national championship game. That is somewhat justifiable. To add to that, they are actually from a BCS conference. Only issue? Just about everyone in this country has forgotten about the Big East outside of Cincinnati. There is no way that an 11-1 Pitt team would get into the national championship game. I just can't see the voters doing that.

This doesn't seem to far fetched in my mind,: Georgia Tech playing for all the marbles. They have an intriguing storyline to go with their cruise to what should be an eventual 12-1 mark in regular season play. The Jackets run the triple option to perfection, they play tough defense and have taken care of just about every formidable opponent on their schedule. Then again, they are in the ACC which garners little to no respect these days. I personally wouldn't mind seeing Georgia Tech play for the national championship. The voters/computer polls might. The chances of this happening are slim to none.

Sigh.... I guess it really would happen. It would almost have to.

For the first time in the BCS era of major college football, a non-BCS affiliated school would play for the national championship. The TCU Horned Frogs, in this scenario, would inflict chaos from sea to shining sea.

Simple solution for Texas and/or Cincinnati: DON'T LOSE!

BCS Bowl Predictions (Thanksgiving Week)

BCS Title- Florida (13-0) vs Texas (13-0)

Rose- Oregon (10-2) vs Ohio State (10-2)

Fiesta- Boise State (12-0) vs Iowa (10-2)

Sugar- Alabama (12-1) vs Cincinnati (12-0)

Orange- Georgia Tech (11-2) vs TCU (12-0)

I have a strange feeling, as of right now, that the Orange Bowl will utilize its power to select the best available at-large team this season to take undefeated TCU over Big East champion Cincinnati. I have no idea why. It would make perfect sense to have two conference champs play each other, while Bama could play TCU in the Sugar Bowl. To be honest, that is what will probably happen. But I have a gut feeling that G Tech will face the Horned Frogs in Miami while the Sugar Bowl will feature Alabama and Cincinnati. Boise State vs Iowa in the Fiesta Bowl seems inevitable at this point in time.

My Top 10- Thanksgiving Week

1. Florida (11-0, vs Florida State)

2. Alabama (11-0, @ Auburn)

3. Texas (11-0, @ Texas A&M)

4. TCU (11-0, vs New Mexico)

5. Cincinnati (10-0, vs Illinois)

6. Boise State (11-0, vs Nevada)

7. Georgia Tech (10-1, vs Georgia)

8. Pitt (9-1, @ West Virginia)

9. Ohio State (10-2, end of regular season)

10. Oregon (9-2, bye week)

Note: The conference championship games (in the BCS affiliated conferences) have all been set. They will all take place on December 5th, the day before the bowl game match ups are released.

ACC Championship-

Clemson Tigers vs Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Big 12 Championship-

Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Texas Longhorns

SEC Championship-

Alabama Crimson Tide vs Florida Gators

SIX IN A ROW!!!! OSU- 21, UM- 10

Will January 1st, 2010 be a repeat of January 1st, 1997? We will find out in a month and eleven days, but in the mean time....

Congratulations to the Ohio State Buckeyes for winning their fifth straight Big Ten championship (third outright since 2006) and going into the Rose Bowl with yet another victory over Michigan.

If Oregon wins tonight, don't book them as OSU's opponent just yet. They still have to play against the feisty Oregon State Beavers and Stanford is still sneaking around. Arizona has a shot if they beat Oregon tonight and win out as well.

The Rose Bowl watch is in official overdrive starting tonight.