First round of bowl predictions

BCS National Title



Jan. 8
Glendale, Ariz.
BCS #1 vs. BCS #2
Comment: With Rutgers upsetting Louisville, Florida now moves back into the title picture had has put itself in position to run the table and face the No. 1 team in the nation in Ohio State. Florida last won the national title in 1996, while Ohio State will be playing for its second in five years (winning it all in 2002).
Post your National Championship game picks.


Updated Nov. 9

Each week, college football producer J. Darin Darst will predict where your team will land during the bowl season. Don't agree? Post your picks on the message board.

The champions of selected conferences are contractually committed to certain bowls, unless they are No. 1 or No. 2. (ACC: Orange; Big Ten: Rose; Big 12: Fiesta; Pac-10: Rose; SEC: Sugar).

If a Bowl loses a host team to the title game, then the bowl gets first choice at a replacement team. The rest of the selection order is as follows: Sugar, Orange, Fiesta.

Notre Dame earns an automatic berth if it is in the top eight of the final BCS Standings, while non-BCS schools can earn bids if ranked in the top 12 of the final BCS Standings.


Sugar Bowl


Jan. 3
New Orleans, La.
BCS vs. BCS
Comment: By losing Florida to the national title, the Sugar Bowl will select Notre Dame. Auburn will be ranked high enough to receive an at-large bid and give the Sugar Bowl a replacement SEC team. Louisville could also land here.
Post your Sugar Bowl picks.
Orange Bowl


Jan. 2
Miami, Fla.
BCS vs. BCS
Comment: In the ever-changing ACC, Wake Forest is now our favorite to win the conference and play in the Orange Bowl. Rutgers is the odds-on favorite to win the Big East Conference and land here.
Post your Orange Bowl picks.


Fiesta Bowl


Jan. 1
Glendale, Ariz.
BCS vs. BCS
Comment: Texas will win the Big 12 conference and land here. Boise State goes undefeated and grabs an automatic bid for being ranked in the Top 12 of the BCS. If Boise State falls, Louisville or an SEC team could land here.
Post your Fiesta Bowl picks.
Rose Bowl


Jan. 1
Pasadena, Calif.
BCS vs. BCS
Comment: California gets the edge in the Pac-10 now that USC lost to Oregon State. The Rose Bowl will also select a one-loss Michigan as a replacement Big Ten school.
Post your Rose Bowl picks.



Non-BCS Games
Bowl Date Matchup Prediction
GMAC Jan. 7 C-USA No. 2 vs. MAC Tulsa vs. Central Michigan
International Jan. 6 MAC No. 3 vs. Big East No. 4/5 Western Michigan vs. Pittsburgh
Capital One Jan. 1 SEC No. 2 vs. Big Ten No. 2 Tennessee vs. Wisconsin
Outback Jan. 1 Big Ten No. 3 vs. SEC Penn State vs. LSU
Cotton Jan. 1 Big 12 No. 2 vs. SEC Nebraska vs. Arkansas
Gator Jan. 1 ACC No. 3 vs. Big 12 or Big East Clemson vs. Oklahoma
MPC Computers Dec. 31 WAC vs. ACC No. 8 San Jose State vs. Florida State
Chick-fil-A Dec. 30 ACC No. 2 vs. SEC No. 5 Georgia Tech vs. South Carolina
Meineke Car Care Dec. 30 ACC No. 5/6 vs. Big East/Navy Boston College vs. Navy
Liberty Dec. 30 C-USA No. 1 vs. SEC Houston vs. Kentucky
Alamo Dec. 30 Big 12 No. 4/5 vs. Big Ten No. 4/5 Missouri vs. Purdue
Insight Dec. 29 Big Ten No. 6 vs. Big 12 No. 6 Wyoming* vs. Oklahoma State
Sun Dec. 29 Big 12 or Big East vs. Pac-10 No. 3 Louisville vs. Wash. State
Music City Dec. 29 SEC No. 6 vs. ACC No. 5/6 Georgia vs. Miami (Fla.)
Champs Sports Dec. 29 Big Ten No. 4/5 vs. ACC No. 4 Iowa vs. Virginia Tech
Holiday Dec. 28 Pac-10 No. 2 vs. Big 12 No. 3 Southern Cal. vs. Texas A&M
Texas Dec. 28 Big 12 vs. Big East or C-USA Texas Tech vs. West Virginia
Independence Dec. 28 Big 12 No. 7/8 vs. SEC No. 8 Kansas State vs. Alabama
Emerald Dec. 27 ACC No. 4/5 vs. Pac-10 No. 4/5 Maryland vs. Oregon
Motor City Dec. 26 MAC vs. Big Ten No. 7 Ohio vs. Cincinnati*
Hawaii Dec. 24 Pac-10 No. 6 vs. WAC Arizona State vs. Hawaii
Armed Forces Dec. 23 MWC No. 2/3 vs. C-USA No. 4 TCU vs. East Carolina
Birmingham Dec. 23 C-USA vs. Big East or MAC Southern Miss vs. South Florida
New Mexico Dec. 23 MWC No. 4 vs. WAC New Mexico vs. Nevada
New Orleans Dec. 22 Sun Belt vs. C-USA Middle Tennessee vs. Rice
Las Vegas Dec. 21 Pac-10 No. 4 vs. MWC No. 1 Oregon State vs. BYU
Poinsettia Dec. 19 MWC No. 2/3 vs. at-large Utah vs. Northern Illinois

 

wf vs rutgers in the orange bowl. who would have ever thunk it?