Sunday, November 29, 2009

We wrap up Thanksgiving weekend with another Top 25 adjustment in College Football

We will know a week from now who will make up the BCS Title Game for the 2009 college football season. Further, all the bowls will be known. There is still an outside chance for a non-BCS conference team to make the BCS Title Game.

The final candidates for #1 vs. #2 in the BCS Title Game for the 2009 season?
  • Florida
  • Alabama
  • Texas
  • TCU
  • Cincinnati

Boise State is the final undefeated team, but appears clearly out of contention for the BCS title game for this year, based on the current BCS poll.

Here's our take on the current Top 25 in College Football ...

  1. Florida Gators (12-0, 8-0 SEC) - They will face #2 Alabama (12-0, 8-0 SEC) in the SEC title game this Saturday. Did you know that Tim Tebew's first bowl game was vs. Iowa in the 2006 Outback Bowl? The Gators would match up extremely well vs. Iowa, better than 2006, when the Gators beat Iowa 31-24 in Tampa.
  2. Alabama Crimson Tide (12-0, 8-0 SEC) - The Crimson Tide are a little dinged with star sophomore RB Mark Ingram tending to an injury. The game with the Gators in the SEC title game will be a challenge for the Crimson Tide. It would be interesting to see coach Nick Saban and Alabama face off in a bowl game this season. Saban faced Iowa, when he was at LSU in the 2005 Capital One Bowl. The Hawkeyes pulled off the upset 30-25 on the final play. Could a Bama-Iowa match up be on the horizon?
  3. Texas Longhorns (12-0, 8-0 Big 12) - The Longhorns will face the Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-3, 6-2 Big 8) in the Big 12 title game. A loss by the Longhorns would have to go down as the biggest upset in Big 12 title game history. The Longhorns and Hawkeyes faced off in the 2006 Alamo Bowl, when the Longhorns beat Iowa 26-24. It's not likely the Hawkeyes will see the Longhorns in a bowl game this season.
  4. TCU Horned Frogs (12-0, 8-0 MWC) - The Horned Frogs need help to find a spot in the BCS title game. They actually could fall out of the Top 4, if Cincinnati gets enough love in the Bearcats final game. A TCU-Iowa bowl game is possible, but not expected at this point.
  5. Cincinnati Bearcats (11-0, 6-0 Big East) - The Bearcats close out the regular season @ Pittsburgh (9-2, 5-1 Big East) in what is basically the Big East championship game, where the winner will represent the Big East in the BCS. Can the Bearcats make it two year in a row?
  6. Boise State Broncos (12-0, 8-0 WAC) - The Broncos have finished 12-0 in two of the three past seasons now, with a strong season in '09. Could an Iowa-Boise State match up be on the horizon in the Fiesta Bowl? Many are pinning their hopes on such a match up in the Valley of the Sun this season.
  7. Oregon Ducks (9-2, 7-1 Pac 10) - The Ducks close out the regular season Thursday when the host in-state rival Oregon State (8-3, 6-2 Pac 10), in what is basically the Pac 10 championship game. The winner will represent the Pac 10 in the Rose Bowl vs. the Big Ten champ, Ohio State (10-2, 7-1 Big Ten).
  8. Ohio State Buckeyes (10-2, 7-1 Big Ten) - The Buckeyes are waiting to learn the news of who from the Pac 10 will face the Buckeyes in the 2010 Rose Bowl game in Pasadena. The Buckeyes captured the Big Ten birth this season with a OT win at home vs. Iowa two weeks ago.
  9. Iowa Hawkeyes (10-2, 6-2 Big Ten) - The Hawkeyes need some help to figure in the at-large spot in the BCS bowls. An upset in the Big 12 title game would not likely be good for a Big Ten at-large team. Many are projecting Iowa vs. Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. We will find out next Sunday.
  10. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (10-2, 7-1 ACC) - The Yellow Jackets will face Clemson (8-4, 6-2 ACC) in the ACC title game. The Yellow Jackets are going for their third straight win over the Tigers.
  11. Penn State Nittany Lions (10-2, 6-2 Big Ten) - The Nittany Lions are sitting and waiting to see, if they may be the 2Nd Big Ten team picked as an at-large BCS bowl invitee. Some project that the Nittany Lions may favor higher than Iowa for the Orange, should the Orange go with a Big Ten team as their at-large pick. Despite losing head to head to the Hawkeyes, the Nittany Lions may be favored in the Orange?
  12. Virginia Tech Hokies (9-3, 6-2 ACC) - The Hokies regular season has concluded, but they will represent the ACC in a bowl game this season. The Hokies closed out the regular season with a 42-13 win @ Virginia (3-9, 2-6 ACC) that may be the final nail on the Al Groh era at UVA!
  13. LSU Tigers (9-3, 5-3 SEC) - The Tigers closed the regular season with a 33-30 OT win vs. Arkansas (7-5, 3-5 SEC). The Capital One Bowl is a likely spot for the Tigers. Could a rematch be on track vs. Iowa, who squared off in 2005 in Tampa?
  14. Pittsburgh Panthers (9-2, 5-1 Big East) - Despite the loss 16-19 loss @ West Virginia (8-3, 4-2 Big East) this Thanksgiving weekend, the Panthers still have a lot to play for. This week, the Panthers host #5 Cincinnati (11-0, 6-0 Big East) for a birth in a BCS bowl game. This would be the first BCS bid for Pitt, since the 2004 season, under former coach Walt Harris.
  15. Oregon State Beavers (8-3, 6-2 Pac 10) - Can the Beavers play in their first BCS bowl game with a win @ Oregon? The Beavers @ #7 Oregon (9-2, 6-1 Pac 10) for the Pac 10 title and the birth in the Rose Bowl vs. Ohio State.
  16. Brigham Young Cougars (10-2, 7-1 MWC) - The Cougars closed out the regular season with a solid 26-23 OT win over MWC and in-state rival Utah (9-3, 6-2 MWC). Could a bowl bid with Arizona be on the horizon again for the Cougars?
  17. Miami-FL Hurricanes (9-3, 6-2 ACC) - The Hurricanes closed out the regular season with a 31-10 road win @ South Florida (7-4, 3-3 Big East). The Hurricanes await a bowl bid for the second straight season.
  18. USC Trojans (8-3, 5-3 Pac 10) - The Trojans close out the regular season hosting Arizona (8-3, 5-3 Pac 10) in a final Pac 10 showdown of the regular season. The winner will finish in the top half of the conference.
  19. California Golden Bears (8-3, 5-3 Pac 10) - The Cal Bears close out the regular season @ Washington (4-7, 3-5) in a final Pac 10 showdown of the regular season. The Huskies don't have a bowl game, so the Golden Bears need to be careful up North.
  20. Houston Cougars (10-2, 6-2 C-USA) - The Cougars will face the East Carolina Pirates (8-4, 7-1 C-USA), who are the defending C-USA champs, in the C-USA title game. The Cougars are coming off a 73-14 blow out vs. Rice (2-10, 2-6 C-USA) to close out conference play.
  21. Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-3, 6-2 Big 12) - The Cornhuskers will face #3 Texas (12-0, 8-0 Big 12) in the biggest game in the coach Bo Pelini era. Pelini is in his second season at Nebraska. A win in the Big 12 title game would be huge for the Husker nation. The Huskers are coming off a 28-20 win @ rival Colorado (3-9, 2-6 Big 12).
  22. Oklahoma State Cowboys (9-3, 6-2 Big 12) - The Cowboys crashed and burned their BCS opportunity with a 0-27 loss @ Oklahoma (7-5, 5-3) over the Thanksgiving holidays. A solid bowl bid is likely, but the health of the Cowboys team is weakening, after a physical game with in-state rival OU.
  23. Stanford Cardinal (8-4, 6-3 Pac 10) - The Cardinal ended Notre Dame's (6-6) regular season with a 45-38 home win to close out the regular season. Stanford has not been bowl eligible, since the '01 season. Coach Jim Harbaugh is in his third season at Stanford.
  24. West Virginia Mountaineers (8-3, 4-2 Big East) - The Mountaineers pulled off a 19-16 home win over Pittsburgh (9-2, 5-1 Big East) in Big East play. The Mountaineers close out Big East play @ Rutgers (8-3, 3-3 Big East) to end the regular season this weekend.
  25. (tie) Clemson Tigers (8-4, 6-2 ACC) - Next up for the Tigers is a ACC Championship game match up vs. Georgia Tech (10-2, 7-1 ACC). The Tigers are coming off 17-34 loss @ in-state rival South Carolina (7-5, 3-5 SEC), who has lost 10 of the last 12 vs. the Tigers.
    (tie) Utah Utes (9-3, 6-2 MWC) - The Utes concluded the regular season with a 23-26 loss @ Brigham Young to close out MWC play. The Utes await their seven straight bowl bid to close out the 2009 season.

peace

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