Posted on 11/30/2006 2:29:05 PM PST by MikefromOhio
Weekend Thirteen cleared up the BCS title picture a bit. USC won convincingly against Notre Dame while Florida failed to get the style points needed to make a run at the Trojans and Wolverines. With Arkansas losing to LSU, Florida only theoretically has a chance at the title game. The weekend was not without surprises as Texas lost for the 2nd time in a row while West Virginia eliminated itself from Big East and BCS contention by losing to South Florida. The weekend also featured some great finishes with BYU, Georgia, Oklahoma and Tennessee pulling games out late. This week is Championship Week. The conference championship games for the MAC, Conference USA, ACC, SEC and Big XII will be played. Each of those games, along with the Army-Navy game, is the feature this week.
vs 
The MAC champion goes to The Motor City Bowl in Detroit, MI to face either the 7th best Big Ten team or an at-large team. As the Big Ten is getting 2 into the BCS, it will be the at-large team. Central Michigan can score in bunches while Ohio is on a roll.
vs. 
The winner of this game goes to the Liberty Bowl to play against an SEC school while the loser of this game will most likely be heading to Mobile, Alabama for the GMAC bowl against a MAC team (probably Central Michigan). Houston lost a close game to USM earlier this season while it was still in the post-Miami funk after nearly defeating the Hurricanes in Miami.
at 
I can’t believe I’m actually going to pick this. Wake Forest is the better team. Georgia Tech has the weapons to win, but not the quarterback. Their defense will keep them in this game, but the pick is Wake. The winner goes to the Orange Bowl while the loser goes to the Chick-Fil-A bowl (formerly the Peach Bowl).
vs. 
The winner of this game is going to the Sugar Bowl unless Florida wins big and something absolutely screwy happens in the BCS. Arkansas must win this game to get into the BCS at all. Otherwise, LSU is going. It comes down to if Florida will be able to score consistently or if Arkansas will be able to make some plays through the air. Special teams will play a big factor in deciding this game. That favors Arkansas. With LSU not playing this weekend, the loser of this game is probably relegated to the Capital One bowl.
vs. 
The winner of this game is going to the Fiesta Bowl. A good old school match-up that will be played in the Big XII championship for the very FIRST time in the 10 year history of the conference. Since the loss to Texas back in October, Oklahoma has been on a roll. Nebraska, minus a slip up against Oklahoma State, has only lost to USC and Texas, which was a much better team at the time of the loss. I have to give the edge to Oklahoma. Bill Callahan gets too conservative in big games like this and I think the Oklahoma offense will be able to move the ball against the Nebraska defense. The loser of this game will go to the Cotton Bowl.
vs. 
Army and Navy square off again. This year Navy is the home team. Navy is the better team but Army did almost knock off Texas A&M earlier this season. This game will win Navy the Commander in Chief’s trophy for the best service team. Navy is slated to go to the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte, North Carolina.
(2) USC (-13.5) at UCLA
USC 43 – UCLA 17
(3) Michigan BYE
Next Game: projected to be in the Rose Bowl
(5) LSU BYE
Next Game: projected to be in the Rose Bowl
Connecticut at (6) Louisville (-27)
Louisville 42 – Connecticut 21
(7) Wisconsin BYE
Next Game: Accepted bid for the Capital One Bowl
(10) Boise State BYE
Next game: projected to be in the Fiesta Bowl
(11) Auburn BYE
Next Game: projected to be in the Outback Bowl
(12) Notre Dame BYE
Next Game: projected to be in the Sugar Bowl
(13) Rutgers at (15) West Virginia (-10)
Rutgers 22 – West Virginia 20
(14) Virginia Tech BYE
Next Game: projected to be in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl (Peach)
(17) Tennessee BYE
Next Game: projected to be in the Cotton Bowl
(17) Texas BYE
Next Game: projected to be in the Gator Bowl
(20) BYU BYE
Next Game: accepted bid for the Las Vegas Bowl
Stanford at (21) Cal (-29)
Cal 43 – Stanford 7
(22) Texas A&M BYE
Next Game: accepted bid to be in the Holiday Bowl
(25) Boston College BYE
Next Game: projected to be in the Champs Sports Bowl
Texas A&M BYE
Next Game: accepted bid to be in the Holiday Bowl
Florida State BYE
Next Game: Accepted Bid to the Emerald Bowl
Oregon St. at (24) Hawaii (-7.5)
Hawaii 43 – Oregon St. 40
Oh, I hadn't thought of that. You're probably right.
The Rose Bowl will sell out regardless. There will be less interest in a game that is a rematch of a blowout, especially when the blowoutee was just blown out again.
The Rose Bowl can do better in the ratings than scheduling Notre Dame, so they will.
Let the Razorbacks have them in the Sugar.
The match up you suggest may be a better game, but I can think of no team that draws an audience like Notre Dame does. As much as I detest them, I do respect them and acknowledge that they draw an audience, on the national level, that no other team can approach.
What you say is true, but I don't think the Rose Bowl will select a rematch with a team that just got whipped again.
You get a much better story line with two teams that haven't played each other who are higher ranked.
LOL
I think I am too.
The Rose doesn't want to appear to lose face, which is what selected ND will do to them.
They should pick the best matchup possible. If that was Notre Dame, fine, but it's LSU vs. either Michigan or USC.
Even LSU/USC would be an interesting story line, what with the divided national championship three years ago.
Good point! We shall see!
Last year number 3 Penn State got paired with a team that was ranked like 22.
grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Oklahoma had no business being in that game. We Trojans were proud to share the title with LSU.
But after the outcome against Oklahoma, few doubted that USC would have prevailed against LSU.
LSU was the team deprived of opportunity, that is a certainty.
*Sigh*....why'd you have to bring that up? I was having a good day until you reminded me of that.
Are you saying that, if they lose, the 9ers will demand a recount?
FWIW, Gore is having a much better season.
yeah but I think USC would be a bit down because they had their shot within their grasp...
LOL
sorry :)
The 43 points you think USC will score against ucla is simply for the 1st half, right?
Yeah. Parity has been a b!tch!
Unheard of.
It won't mean a thing unless they win Saturday and then again on January 8th....
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.