Nov 03 2009
BCS Game Projections for Nov. 3
Alabama’s Halloween bye was costly as the Crimson Tide slipped to third in the BCS standings. Texas scored an impressive win at then-#14 Oklahoma State. The pollsters and computers were impressed enough to move the Longhorns to second in this week’s BCS standings. Florida, meanwhile, remains atop the rankings.
Southeastern: #1 Florida (8-0)
The Gators crushed Georgia (4-4), 41-17, to win the annual Cocktail Party in Jacksonville Saturday. With the victory, Florida clinched the SEC East Division title. The Gators will be in Atlanta next month but they are still trying to bring an unbeaten record with them. Vanderbilt (2-7) has struggled mightily in 2009. Suspending star linebacker Brandon Spikes for the first half of the game due to his gouging of a Georgia player shouldn’t make a difference in the outcome.
Florida’s remaining schedule
Nov. 7: Home vs. Vanderbilt
Nov. 14: At South Carolina
Nov. 21: Home vs. Florida International
Nov. 28: Home vs. Florida State
Dec. 5: SEC Championship Game in Atlanta
Big 12: #2 Texas (8-0)
The Longhorns smashed #19 Oklahoma State (6-2), 41-14, in Stillwater to seize control of the Big 12 South division. Texas hosts Central Florida (5-3) in a non-conference game Saturday before traveling to Baylor (3-5) next week.
Texas’s remaining schedule
Nov. 7: Home vs. Central Florida
Nov. 14: At Baylor
Nov. 21: Home vs. Kansas
Nov. 26: At Texas A&M
Automatic At-Large: #3 Alabama (8-0)
The Crimson Tide lost its spot in the BCS title game after its bye last week. Alabama will get a chance to impress voters and computers Saturday though. LSU is coming to Tuscaloosa in a game that will likely determine the SEC West Division champion.
Alabama’s remaining schedule
Nov. 7: Home vs. Louisiana State
Nov. 14: At Mississippi State
Nov. 21: Home vs. Chattanooga
Nov. 27: At Auburn
Big Ten: #4 Iowa (9-0)
The Hawkeyes trailed lowly Indiana (4-5), 24-14, in the fourth quarter before rallying to win, 42-24, in Iowa City. Iowa must sustain a strong effort for 60 minutes to win the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes need to also avoid looking past the game this week against Northwestern (5-4) toward next week’s contest at #16 Ohio State (7-2).
Iowa’s remaining schedule
Nov. 7: Home vs. Northwestern
Nov. 14: At Ohio State
Nov. 21: Home vs. Minnesota
Big East: #5 Cincinnati (8-0)
The Bearcats handled Syracuse (3-5), 28-7, in the Carrier Dome Saturday. Cincinnati was fifth in the first BCS standings two weeks ago, dropped to eighth last week and sits in fifth again this week. The biggest difference is that the Bearcats are now ahead of both the mid-major powers, Texas Christian and Boise State. Cincinnati’s next three games are at home, starting with Connecticut (4-4), which must be shell-shocked after the murder of cornerback Jasper Howard and then two consecutive heartbreaking 28-24 losses.
Cincinnati’s remaining schedule
Nov. 7: Home vs. Connecticut
Nov. 13: Home vs. West Virginia
Nov. 27: Home vs. Illinois
Dec. 5: At Pittsburgh
Mountain West: #6 Texas Christian (8-0)
The Horned Frogs took care of business Saturday against overmatched UNLV (3-6), blanking the visiting Rebels, 41-0. TCU needs to handle a road trip this week to San Diego State (4-4) before preparing for a critical game next week in Fort Worth against Utah.
Texas Christian’s remaining schedule
Nov. 7: At San Diego State
Nov. 14: Home vs. Utah
Nov. 21: At Wyoming
Nov. 28: Home vs. New Mexico
Pacific-10: #8 Oregon (7-1)
The Ducks all-but-ended USC’s seven-year run of dominance within the conference by humbling the Trojans, 47-20, in Eugene. Oregon broke open a 17-17 game late in the second quarter and later scored the game’s last 20 points. The Ducks are on a roll but must remain sharp as they travel to Palo Alto to face Stanford (5-3). The Cardinal is tough at home.
Oregon’s remaining schedule
Nov. 7: At Stanford
Nov. 14: Home vs. Arizona State
Nov. 21: At Arizona
Dec. 3: Home vs. Oregon State
Atlantic Coast: #10 Georgia Tech (8-1)
The Yellow Jackets went to Nashville Saturday and drubbed Vanderbilt, 56-31. The Commodores had no answers for solving GT’s option offense. The Yellow Jackets need to defeat Wake Forest (4-5) at home Saturday before trying to clinch the ACC Coastal Division next week at Duke (5-3). Few would have believed the Blue Devils would be the only team beside GT to have just one conference loss in early November.
Georgia Tech’s remaining schedule
Nov. 7: Home vs. Wake Forest
Nov. 14: At Duke
Nov. 28: Home vs. Georgia
At-Large: #11 Penn State (8-1)
The Nittany Lions trailed Northwestern (5-4), 13-10, at the half in Evanston. The score was 13-13 after three quarters. However, PSU broke the Wildcats’ hearts by tallying three fourth-period touchdowns. The Lions remain tied for second place in the league after a 34-13 triumph. Saturday, PSU hosts Ohio State in a game that will end any Big Ten title hopes for the loser. The winner is likely headed to a BCS game, although perhaps not the Rose Bowl.
Penn State’s remaining schedule
Nov. 7: Home vs. Ohio State
Nov. 14: Home vs. Indiana
Nov. 21: At Michigan State
At-Large: #12 USC (6-2)
The vaunted Trojan defense was no match for Oregon’s offense in the second half Saturday. USC allowed more points in a game than it had in about a half-century en route to a crushing 47-20 defeat. The Trojans have allowed a total of 110 points in their last three games against #22 Notre Dame (6-2), Oregon State (5-3) and Oregon. The good news is that Saturday’s contest at Arizona State (4-4) is USC’s last road game of the year. Win that one, remain nearly unbeatable at home and the Trojans will end the regular season 10-2. With the other options this week Pittsburgh and two mid-majors, USC gets a BCS at-large bid.
USC’s remaining schedule
Nov. 7: At Arizona State
Nov. 14: Home vs. Stanford
Nov. 28: Home vs. UCLA
Dec. 5: Home vs. Arizona
The other teams in the at-large pool are:
#7 Boise State (8-0), Western Athletic
#9 Louisiana State (7-1), SEC
#13 Pittsburgh (7-1), Big East
#14 Utah (7-1), Mountain West
The BCS Championship Game would feature Florida against Texas. Iowa and Oregon are headed to meet in the Rose Bowl. The Sugar Bowl would love to pick Alabama to replace Florida. Since there are already two SEC teams, LSU is now ineligible.
The Fiesta Bowl would select USC to replace Texas. The Sugar Bowl would then choose Penn State. The Orange Bowl would select Cincinnati next. Finally, TCU heads to the Fiesta Bowl. The BCS game projections for Nov. 3 are as follows:
BCS Championship: Florida vs. Texas
Rose: Iowa vs. Oregon
Sugar: Alabama vs. Penn State
Fiesta: USC vs. Texas Christian
Orange: Cincinnati vs. Georgia Tech
