How the C. Football Season Will End

With so many teams with one loss, and only 3 relevant D-1 (I'm still calling it D-1...this "FBS" crap is stupid) schools undefeated (sorry Utah and Boise St.), it's time to figure out the Big 12's possibilities for BCS bowls.

10 teams go to the BCS:
1. Big 12 Champ
2. Big 10 Champ
3. Big East Champ
4. SEC Champ
5. ACC Champ
6. Pac-10 Champ
7. 4 open slots.

The champ of Conference USA, Mountain West, Mid-American, Sun Belt, and WAC automatically qualifies if that team is ranked among the top 14 teams in the BCS final rankings. So who's in? Here is a look at each conference and the number of bids they will get in parentheses.

BIG 10 LOCK:

Penn St. (1) - They aren't going to lose 2 out of their last 3 games, and since they have a tiebreaker over anyone they would be tied with that has one loss....they're in. If they go undefeated they probably go to the BCS title game (though they shouldn't).

SEC:

Florida, Alabama (2): Barring a huge upset, these teams should meet in the SEC title game, most likely with 1 and 0 losses respectively. The winner of the title game automatically goes, and I would be surprised if the loser doesn't go to a BCS bowl as well - especially if the title game is competitive. Two fan bases that travel well and two traditional powers that are playing great football. Georgia and LSU may still be on the bubble, but after getting blown out by the two above teams, I can't imagine one of those would jump AL or FL to get into the BCS.

BIG EAST:

West Virginia or whoever wins this crapfest of a conference (1): Remember when West Virginia was a preseason national title contender? Me either. But they've been playing better recently, and neither Pitt nor South Florida has done much to make me think they can better West Virginia.

PAC-10:

USC, Oregon St. or both (1 or 2): Right now, Oregon St. controls their own destiny after beating USC in Corvallis earlier this year. If Oregon St. wins out, they go to the Rose Bowl. If USC wins out they would still go to a BCS bowl easily...again, they put people in the seats. If Oregon St. loses another game and USC wins out, this conference only gets one bid.

ACC:

Who knows? (1): Right now, I like Georgia Tech but realistically there are about 5 teams who could win this surprisingly competitive conference. Despite taking a lot of criticism these past few years, the ACC is full of above-average football teams. they don't have one marquee team, but top to bottom they are much tougher than the Pac-10. There will only be one bid out of this one.

Big 12:

Again, who knows? (2): Unlike the ACC, 2 of the Big 12 teams will go the BCS but it could be any of Texas Tech, Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma St. and Missouri. Missou only goes if they can upset the South champion, which seems unlikely at this point. Tech still has OU and OSU to play, and OU and OSU play as well...so the next few weeks will sort things out. I don't see Tech going 2-0 in those games, but if they do they're likely in, unless they were to lose to Missou...then all bets are off. OU and UT travel more fans and if UT runs the table, I believe they are in the BCS regardless because one of the below situations will have occurred:

1. Tech loses to either OU, OSU or both, and doesn't win the South
2. OU or OSU loses another game to give them 2 Ls (UT having beat them both twice)
3. Tech runs the table, giving both OU and OSU two losses.

the only situation I can see where UT doesn't go (barring another loss of course), is if Tech runs the table then loses to Missou in the title game. Missou has to go, and with Tech having beaten UT, a bowl COULD choose them over UT...though it's doubtful.

My prediction: Texas wins the big 12 south after both OU and OSU beat Tech the next two weeks, regardless of the OU-OSU outcome. Two Big 12 teams that go: UT and OU.

WAC:

Boise St. (1) - They aren't going to lose to anyone from here on out, and will automatically qualify.

Mountain West:

Utah or TCU (1) - BYU has started playing like crap, and is struggling to beat lesser teams. Utah should beat BYU in the last game of the year, thus making this weekend's Utah/TCU game the BCS qualifier. HUGE game for both of these schools...and I like TCU to beat 'em and put the Horned Frogs into the BCS.

My predictions for the 5 BCS games (not who I think SHOULD play in them, but I believe will):

BCS National Title Game: Penn St. vs. Florida
Orange Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. TCU
Rose Bowl: USC vs. Oklahoma
Fiesta Bowl: Texas vs. Boise St.
Sugar Bowl: Alabama vs. West Virginia

NOTE: After talking about this with one of my friends, Ball St. (currently leading the MAC and #17 in the BCS polls) has a chance to move into the top 14, which would mean that we could have THREE BCS busters (Ball St. Boise St and Utah/TCU) in this year's crop of games. Bring on the chaos!