As the BCS standings poured in last weekend during an ESPN primetime broadcast, the nation sat on the edge of its collective seats waiting to see where their team would fall. The suspense was mind bending as teams were revealed according to their rankings in the BCS formula but in the end, what does this ranking really mean?

Does anyone truly believe that the current nine undefeated teams will stay that way (it’s impossible due to games such as LSU vs Auburn and Utah vs TCU in the future)? As usual, the college game is one of excitement and unpredictability but here we sit halfway through the season, asking what the future will hold. Everybody wants their team to win, naturally. At this point though, all we can do is wait and hope.

BCS Bowl Game Predictions

National Championship:

VS 

As it stands now, Boise State sits third in the standings while Alabama holds the eighth spot but as we have seen in previous weeks, these rankings are bound to change. Though Alabama has one loss, it has survived the gut of its schedule and will be primed to be the first one-loss team selected by the computers.

Though Alabama has lots of ground to make up, it still travels to LSU and hosts Auburn in what could be the most important instalment of the Iron Bowl to date. Assuming the only unscathed teams in the pack are Boise State and TCU, Alabama should have no problems with the Auburn and LSU wins potentially on their resume. Boise State on the other hand will have a tougher road to the National Championship as it is far from controlling its own destiny.

It is nearly a foregone conclusion that Boise State will win it’s final 6 games of the season as Nevada will probably be the toughest game, but Boise State will need lots of chips to fall its way if they want to book a trip to Glendale this year. They will need Michigan State to lose (presumably to Iowa), Oklahoma to lose and Oregon to fall if they want to be considered for the title game (along with Alabama knocking off LSU and Auburn as previously predicted). Assuming TCU goes undefeated as well, voters will have a conundrum as TCU will have played a tougher schedule, with Utah and Air Force on the docket for the Horned Frogs, but voters won’t forget last years Fiesta Bowl loss to Boise State with most players on each team the same.

Result: Boise State wins 28-20

We have seen Boise State bottle up a good run game before, (Oregon last year and Virginia Tech this year) and this game should be no different as Coach Chris Peterson will force Greg McElroy to beat them with his arm. A steady dose of NFL ready receivers Austin Pettis and Titus Young should allows the nations most efficient passer, Kellen Moore, to thrive against a susceptible Alabama secondary.

Rose Bowl:

vs

Though Oregon is a great team with the most explosive offence in the nation, I believe that USC has the athletes to match up with them, thus leaving Oregon to fill the Pac-10’s spot in Pasadena. As for the Spartans, their favourable schedule down the line will allow them to escape the Big Ten with a loss to Iowa who will play spoiler many times over the next few weeks but will lose at least one more in its gauntlet of a conference schedule.

Result: Oregon wins 45-17

Simply put, Michigan State has no answer for LaMichael James AND Darron Thomas

Fiesta Bowl:

vs 

Oklahoma currently sits atop the BCS standings but it is safe to say that they are not the best team in the nation. With scares versus Utah State, Cincinnati and Air Force, Oklahoma is vulnerable and bound to lose one of the games on the back end of its schedule, (don’t be surprised if Baylor sneaks up on them looking ahead to Oklahoma State in the last week of the season). This loss will drop them down the standings and pit them against the top scoring defence in the nation, TCU. As previously mentioned, TCU will be in a tough position as voters recall their Fiesta Bowl loss to Boise State last year, so an undefeated record probably will not have them leapfrog (no pun intended) into the title game. This will be a game to watch as it pits a dynamic, multi-faceted offence against a defence with teeth and a chip on their shoulder.

Result: TCU wins 21-13

A thriller of a game will come down to the side of the ball people did not expect to see, Andy Dalton vs Oklahoma’s secondary. Sooner fans will be having flashbacks to its Fiesta Bowl loss to Boise State as they fall to a non-AQ team again. If Oklahoma had any chance of winning this game, it was on DeMarco Murray to put the team on his back but TCU’s defence should stifle that plan.

Sugar Bowl:

vs 

Auburn, on the back of Cam Newton, will fall just short of a shot at the title with a loss to Alabama and they will have to settle for the Orange Bowl. It will be disappointing for most Auburn fans to lose out on a chance at the title to a rival school but in hindsight, this season would be a rousing success with a BCS Bowl win under it’s belt.On the flip side, West Virginia should run away with the disappointing Big East on the back of senior Noel Devine. This result will please West Virginia fans but it will become blatantly obvious that West Virginia is the worst team amongst the BCS Bowl contenders

Result: Auburn wins 45-10

People wonder whether Cam Newton’s skills will translate onto the next level but if they do not he can always fall back on his dancing skills as he will waltz through this West Virginia defence like a hot knife through butter. Newton should top off a great season by obliterating a far inferior West Virginia team.

Orange Bowl:

vs 

Both teams will be content with a BCS appearance and both will have vital games to win down the stretch in order to make it here. Stanford will face Arizona on November 6th and with Nick Foles likely not back to 100%, Stanford should pull out a victory and be ranked high enough to grab an at-large bid. On the other end of this matchup, Virginia Tech was expected to contend for a BCS spot early but fell off the map fast with two quick out of conference losses. It will upset many Miami fans to not see the Hurricanes in this spot playing in front of  their home crowd but they will control their own destiny of sorts as they play Virginia Tech on this same field with a chance to shut me up on November 20th.

Result: Stanford wins 35-30 in OT

Two fairly evenly matched teams will gut this one out until the end as this becomes one of the more entertaining games of the year. In the end, Andrew Luck will solidify himself as the #1 pick in the 2011 draft by leading Stanford to overtime victory.

Heisman Trophy:

QB Cameron Newton – Auburn Tigers

Just edging out LaMichael James, Cam Newton will follow in the footsteps of the man whose shadow he tried to escape. As Tebow announced his intent to return for his senior season, Cam Newton decided it was in his best interests to transfer to Auburn. Two years later, Cam Newton will be accepting the Heisman Trophy as he separates himself as the best dual-threat quarterback in the nation. Runners-up should include Kellen Moore (he won’t put up the numbers due to the fact that he sits the second half of most games) and LaMichael James (who could easily replace Newton if the Ducks go undefeated).

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