Love it or hate it, the BCS selection process has come and
gone. Illinois and Kansas are in, Missouri is out; LSU and Ohio State snuck
into the national championship game after both Missouri and West Virginia fell
last Saturday. The craziest regular season in college football history is
complete, but plenty of interesting bowl games lie ahead. Let's take a look at
the five BCS matchups, starting with the national championship.
National Championship: No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 2 LSU
After getting embarrassed by underdog Florida in last year's
national championship game, the Buckeyes have earned an immediate shot at
redemption against yet another SEC foe. Held in New Orleans, this game is a
virtual home game for LSU, which is a definite advantage.
OSU's defense struggled against Illinois, the speediest
offense in the Big Ten. The Tigers' offense is just that: fast, and it put up
38.7 points per game this season. Senior quarterback Matt Flynn gives them more
of a traditional pocket-passing attack, while sophomore Ryan Perrilloux is more
unpredictable and dynamic under center. James Laurinaitis — one of the best
linebackers in the nation — needs to come to play in order for the Bucks to
have a shot at stopping the LSU offense.
Ohio State quarterback Todd Boeckman is one of the most
underrated quarterbacks in the country. In a run-first offense, he threw for
more than 2,000 yards this season while completing more than 64 percent of his
passes in his first year as a starter. He took over for Heisman Trophy winner
Troy Smith. However, the Buckeyes do not want to get into a shootout with the
Tigers. They've ridden on the shoulders of running back Chris "Beanie" Wells
all season, and in order to beat LSU, they need to do it again by controlling
the clock. OSU does have some firepower with wide receivers Brian Robiskie and
Brian Hartline, but Wells is going to be the deciding factor. If he can
successfully run the football against Glenn Dorsey, the best defensive tackle
in college football, the Buckeyes have a legitimate shot at becoming national
champs.
Rose Bowl: No. 7 USC vs. No. 13 Illinois
Although the Rose Bowl is no longer exclusively Pac-10 vs.
Big Ten, it turned out that way, as the Illini crept into the BCS picture,
despite having three losses. Does Missouri belong in Pasadena instead of
Illinois? Probably, but that's beside the point.
Illinois will flat out have its hands full with USC. The
Trojans may be the most talented team in the country and are playing in
basically their own backyard. However, crazier upsets have happened, especially
this year. Juice Williams and Rashard Mendenhall run the triple-option offense
as well as anyone in the land (especially now that Oregon's Dennis Dixon is out
for the season). That said, Pete Carroll's defense is one of the stingiest
around, giving up only 15.9 points per game in the offensive-minded Pac-10. But
if what Oregon and Dixon were able to do to the USC defense is any indication
of how the Trojans defend the spread, the Illini have a shot.
Still, Illinois will have to play a nearly perfect game —
like it did against Ohio State in Columbus — to come away victorious. Senior
linebacker J Lehman is one of the best in the nation and will come ready to try
and stop John David Booty and the Trojan attack.
An Illini victory would certainly help the Big Ten's
reputation out a great deal, after both Michigan and Ohio State got blown out
in their respective bowl games last season.
Sugar Bowl: No. 5 Georgia vs. No. 10 Hawaii
The biggest BCS-related question still lingering may be: Can
Hawaii compete with the top-notch programs that actually play defense? Last
season Boise State — which like Hawaii, is from the WAC — stunned Oklahoma.
The Hawaii offense is centered around quarterback Colt
Brennan, who threw the ball 42.9 times per game this season. It spreads out
five wide receivers and lets it fly, a look that Georgia is not accustomed to
seeing in the SEC.
Brennan and company will put up some points — they averaged more
than 46 points per game — but stopping the Bulldog offense is another story;
Hawaii gave up 24.2 points per game against teams much less explosive than
Georgia.
Bulldogs freshman running back Knowshon Moreno has been a
nightmare for SEC defenses, as he rushed for 1,273 yards in his rookie
campaign.
If Hawaii can somehow find a way to slow Moreno down, it
will come away victorious.
Orange Bowl: No. 3 Virginia Tech vs. No. 8 Kansas
A week after the Jayhawks got stomped by Missouri, they earn
the BCS bid over the Tigers, despite finishing behind them in the BCS
standings. Don't ask.
Kansas had a great season, but its only semi-impressive
victory came against Kansas State. It didn't play Oklahoma, Texas or Texas Tech
and got blown out by Missouri two weeks ago. Virginia Tech won the ACC, beating
Clemson, Virginia and Boston College along the way.
KU quarterback Todd Reesing threw for more than 3,000 yards
and 32 touchdowns this season, but will be tested against one of the best
defenses in the country.
The quarterback duo of Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor will be
up against an underrated Jayhawks defense. Should the game come down to special
teams, Frank Beamer's club is always good for a blocked kick every now and
then.
A shootout favors Kansas; if it's low-scoring, the Hokies will
control the tempo and ultimately the game.
Fiesta Bowl: No. 4 Oklahoma vs. No. 9 West Virginia
All West Virginia had to do was beat Pitt and they were in
the national championship game. Instead, they now face an OU team that may be
even tougher than No. 1 Ohio State.
The question surrounding this matchup is: Can Oklahoma slow
down quarterback Pat White and running back Steve Slaton? If they can, the
Sooners will surely walk away victorious. However, that's easier said than done
— just ask anyone in the Big East. Both White and Slaton rushed for more than
1,000 yards this season, not to mention Noel Divine, who may be the best backup
running back in the nation.
Oklahoma has some ammunition of its own, led by quarterback
Sam Bradford, who tossed 34 touchdown passes this season. Also, the running
back duo of Allen Patrick and DeMarco Murray rushed for 21 touchdowns on
1,600-plus yards.
Both teams can put up points. The team that plays the best
defense and forces turnovers will most likely walk away as the winner.
