What a wild year, and just when you thought it couldn't get any more crazy, it did.
LSU and Kansas, the consensus top two teams in the country, both lost over the weekend, meaning that both the spots in the BCS National Championship are up for grabs. With that being said, here's a look at who now has the inside track to not only be in the national title game, but also, the rest of the four BCS games.
BCS Title Game: West Virginia vs. Missouri/Kansas/Ohio State
In my opinion, LSU's loss to Arkansas ended any shot of them winding up in the national title game. In no way should a two-loss team even be considered to play here. Clearly, with the 66-21 trouncing of UConn, West Virginia is definitely in. After a slip-up against South Florida for the second year in a row, the Mountaineers played with a vengeance the rest of the way, and boast perhaps the best running backfield in running backs Steve Slaton and Noel Devine, coupled with quarterback Pat White (more on him later).
The question now is, who will play West Virginia? With their win in Kansas City last night, Missouri has shown that they are an offensive powerhouse, once again scoring over 30 points, and in doing so, remain the only team in the country this year to put up 30+ in every game they have played in. If Missouri can get their revenge on Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship, after the Tigers were handed their first loss of the year at Norman back in October, then they are definitely in.
However, if the Sooners can beat Mizzou for the second time, it opens up a world of possibilities. If you look at one-loss teams around the country, it would seem to me that Kansas would once again be the No. 2 team in the country. They steamrolled through their schedule, and their only loss will have come against a top-five team on a neutral site. Ohio State's loss came at Columbus to Illinois, a team that was not even ranked at the time. If Missouri beats Oklahoma, then this is an easy one to predict, but if not, it will all come down to who will be the No. 3 team heading into that game. I think the Jayhawks deserve another chance to get a national title shot.
Sugar Bowl: LSU/Tennessee vs. Kansas
LSU may not play for a national title, but if they beat Tennessee at the Georgia Dome next week, they will still be playing a BCS game in the Superdome. Tennessee looked all but finished after getting whooped by Alabama 41-17 in Tuscaloosa, but have roared back, and capped off their regular season with a quadruple OT win over Kentucky. If the Vols don't win next week, I still expect a fairly close and low-scoring game. If Missouri prevails over Oklahoma, then this will be Kansas' consolation prize for their outstanding run this year.
Fiesta Bowl: Arizona State/Oklahoma/LSU/Florida vs. Hawaii
Despite their home loss to USC, the Sun Devils still could be in the BCS mix, and much like LSU, could get a nifty runner-up prize and play a BCS game on their home territory. Oklahoma will play if they win the Big 12 Championship, and will be looking for revenge after last year's OT thriller against Boise State. If LSU loses again in a wild game, they still could be considered to play in a big bowl game despite having three losses.
Also, an argument can be made for Florida, who have losses against two top-10 teams, and Auburn, who should re-enter the top 25 after their win in the Iron Bowl over Alabama.
Hawaii has run the table and have beaten every team on their schedule. They are now the lone undefeated team after the Jayhawks' loss. Their victory over Boise State should be a ceremonial passing of the torch, as the Cowboys ended last year as the only unbeaten team in the nation. Also, wasn't it just fun to see a team from a small conference like Boise State play in a big game last year?
Orange Bowl: Boston College/Virginia Tech vs. Georgia
The Eagles and Hokies will play in a highly anticipated rematch this Saturday in Jacksonville. After being outplayed basically all game in their first meeting, BC stormed back in the closing minutes, led by quarterback Matt Ryan's heroics, and beat Tech at Blacksburg 14-10. Now, at a neutral site, it will be interesting to see how the Hokies will respond. Look for Tech to continue using a rotating quarterback scheme, with both Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor getting snaps from center. Georgia clearly proved its worth all year long, including quality wins over Florida, Auburn, Alabama, and Kentucky.
Rose Bowl: USC/Arizona State/UCLA vs. Ohio State/Kansas
USC now has the inside track to the Rose Bowl after beating Arizona State on Thanksgiving night. It seems as though what the Trojans needed was to get their young horses some playing time, and now look to be the USC that we have all come to know. A-State can still get in if they beat Arizona next week and have USC fall to UCLA. The big winners could be UCLA. After beating a helpless Oregon team at home, the Bruins have put themselves in a position where, if they beat USC, and Arizona State loses, they are in the Rose Bowl. Ohio State is a lock in this game unless they are somehow able to move up to No. 2. The committee has to put Kansas somewhere, so this could be the spot for them to go.
Heisman Hopefuls
Tim Tebow, QB, Florida — In my opinion, the race starts and ends with Tebow. No QB has ever thrown for 20 TDs and rushed for 20 in the same season. You're now looking at a guy who, in his first year as the starting QB, has thrown for over 3,000 yards, completed 67.5% of his passes, and has 29 TDs. In addition, he's the team's leading rusher, compiling over 800 yards and 22 TDs. No player is more indispensable in the country than Tebow.
Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas — He was the preseason Heisman pick for many people, and after his performances against South Carolina and LSU, has to be back in the top three or four in most ballots. McFadden certainly has lived up to the hype surrounding his second place finish in last year's voting, but Tebow could once again give the Hogs' runner yet another runner-up prize.
Pat White, QB, West Virginia — The Mountaineers have flown under the radar for most of the season, but while teams at the top were moving and shaking with every passing week, West Virginia and their trusty southpaw have slowly been ascending the rankings, and now will play for a national title. White has to be given a lot of credit; he has two outstanding backs behind him, but he has shown a tremendous amount of poise in what can be, at times, a very hectic offense to run.
Chase Daniel, QB, Missouri — If you didn't know the name before, you certainly do now. Daniel has been simply outstanding this year, throwing for nearly 4,000 yards, 33 TDs, and is completing over 70% of his passes. The junior may have had his finest game against Kansas, throwing for 361 yards on 40-of-49 passes, scoring 3 touchdowns and 0 INTs.
Colt Brennan, QB, Hawaii — It is now evident that Brennan has to be in the top five with the Warriors sitting as the last undefeated standing. Brennan passed on the NFL last year, deciding to come back for one more year. While his draft stock may not have improved that much (if anything, it's gotten worse), Brennan still put up gaudy numbers, and could have Hawaii poised for their first-ever appearance in a BCS bowl game.
Leave a Comment