Now we know
BY MIKE ROSE
As we all predicted, Oklahoma moved ahead of Texas to No. 2 in the latest BCS standings.
Texas is No. 3 and Texas Tech remained at No. 7.
With all three teams finishing 7-1 in the Big 12 South and all three having one win in head-to-head (Texas beat Oklahoma (on a neutral field), Texas Tech beat Texas, and Oklahoma beat Texas Tech (by 44 points)), the tiebreaker came down to BCS ranking.
It was no secret that Oklahoma would move to No. 2. Oklahoma beat then-No. 12 Oklahoma State 61-41 in Stillwater on Saturday night. Texas beat Texas A&M (4-7 heading into their game with the Longhorns) 49-9 on Thanksgiving night.
So Oklahoma heads to the Big 12 championship on Saturday night to Big 12 North winner Missouri. Oklahoma, with a win over Missouri, will play the Alabama-Florida winner for the national title.
If Oklahoma wins, Texas will likely get a BCS at-large bid, possibly heading to the Fiesta.
As for Texas Tech, the Red Raiders will likely end up in the Cotton Bowl against Mississippi.
Also, .....
-- The Pac-10 race is a lot clearer. Oregon State's crushing 65-38 loss to rival Oregon in the Civil War knocks the Beavers out of the BCS. Oregon State, with a win over USC earlier in the season, only needed to beat Oregon to win the Pac-10 title and head to the Rose Bowl for the first time in 45 years. Now USC only needs to beat UCLA on Saturday to win the conference and head to the Rose Bowl to play Big Ten champion Penn State. Also, Oregon State's loss helps Ohio State's chances of landing a BCS at-large bid.
-- Notre Dame got beaten badly, losing 38-3 to USC on Saturday night. The Irish managed just four first downs and 91 yards of total offense. I don't think Charlie Weis is as safe as we think. Weis might get another year since he says he expects the team to be very good next year. Plus, he'll have another recruiting class. But I think it's 50-50 that he returns.
Now with the dust somewhat settled, here's my BCS bowl predictions (and a few others):
National title: Oklahoma vs. Florida
Rose Bowl: Penn State vs. USC
Fiesta Bowl: Texas vs. Ohio State
Sugar Bowl: Alabama vs. Utah
Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech vs. Cincinnati
Cotton Bowl: Texas Tech vs. Mississippi
Capital One Bowl: Georgia vs. Michigan State
Outback Bowl: Iowa vs. LSU
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Comments (2)
I know that this is almost entirely outside the realm of possibility, but what do you think will happen if Missouri beats Oklahoma? Didn't everyone make the case last year that Georgia should be pushed out of the national championship because it didn't win its conference?
Furnk,
Here's my take: If Oklahoma loses to Missouri, Texas or USC will get one of the spots in the national title game. The SEC champion -- either Florida or Alabama -- gets the other spot.
The Georgia point is a good one. But I don't think Texas not winning the Big 12 will have any impact. The BCS ranking is all that matters these days.
MRR