So what did we learn in Week 7 as we get set to look at this week's BCS Bowl projections? Well West Virginia’s lack of defense finally caught up with them, LSU gave South Carolina a lesson about coming into Death Valley at night cocky and who saw the current leader of the Big XII standings as a legitimate BCS team?
Rose Bowl: Michigan vs. Oregon State – After Wisconsin’s dismissal of Purdue, it seems that they’ll be Indianapolis-bound. Michigan’s the current team to beat out of the Legends division and no one appears up to that task. Look for the Wolverines to be the Big Ten’s flag bearer despite what happens in The Game.
Oregon State’s taking this “Top Ten” thing seriously as they dispatched BYU in easy fashion and are only one of three Pac-12 teams undefeated in conference play. The Civil War looks to be an even more pivotal game as the weeks go by.
Orange Bowl: Cincinnati vs. Florida State – The Bearcats’ exhibition against Fordham should help them stay limber before clashing with one of the two biggest threats to a Big East crown: Louisville. The Cardinals have been bumbling and stumbling their way to wins while Cincinnati has looked crisp overall.
Florida State should be able to tackle all remaining ACC foes, but their regular, season-ending showdown versus the Gators looms large. Not because it’ll affect the Seminoles’ conference record, but due to the brutal nature of that rivalry, the ‘Noles may be a bit more banged up than their ACC Championship opponent and ripe for an upset.
Sugar Bowl: Oklahoma vs. Florida – After frying the Longhorns with Coke, bacon, hub caps and just about anything else you can imagine at the Texas State Fair, the Sooners finally look like a contender for the Big 12 title. They do have to face West Virginia and Notre Dame, but after the Mountaineers’ showing against Texas Tech, Oklahoma’s likely more concerned about the Irish.
Second Half” Muschamp versus Bob “BCS-Busted” Stoops would make for an entertaining game, if only to see how many points Stoops would spot the Gators before the inevitable Floridian second half surge. To get here, Florida has to beat South Carolina and Georgia in consecutive weeks. The good news: neither is on the road. South Carolina travels to the Swamp and the Gators get Georgia at the cocktail party in Jacksonville.
Fiesta Bowl: Notre Dame vs. Kansas State – Notre Dame continues to win with stellar defense and an offense just good enough to not entirely ruin their chances. Manti Te'o’s is looking more like a legitimate Heisman candidate by the week as the heart and soul of the nation’s No. 2 scoring defense.
Kansas State’s the team to give the Irish a legitimate bowl brawl. Wildcat quarterback Collin Klein may not be the prettiest runner, but he knows how to take angles and can get three or four yards when you expect him to get dropped for a loss.
Since Geno Smith and the Mountaineers choked in such an impressive manner, the likelihood for a Te’o-Smith showdown drops considerably, but Te’o-Klein would be equally entertaining.
BCS Championship Game: Oregon vs. Alabama – Last week, it appeared West Virginia or Oregon had what it takes to knock off a team part of what could officially be called a dynasty if they win their third national championship in four years . Thanks to Texas Tech, the Ducks are the only ones who can claim that title today. Oregon’s defense isn’t stellar, but it’s far more cohesive and talented than WVU’s.
Will Alabama stumble before they can reach this game? Anything’s possible, but they’re holding the opposition to just over seven points per game. The Tide’s getting into the meat of their schedule, though. A trip to Death Valley to face the Tigers looks to be their biggest threat outside of who they meet in the SEC Championship game.
News, views and the hilarity of college football can be found by following Brandon on Twitter: @eightlaces
