Tag Archives: BCS

Finally, Something Good Comes From the BCS

This year’s college football season got off to a bad start for me when Michigan lost its home opener to Utah. Of course, I had no idea back then that Utah would finish the season undefeated and Michigan would win just three games. Fortunately for me, there was a good ending to the season, in part thanks to Utah.

In Erie Times-News columnist Duane Rankin’s BCS challenge, I correctly predicted Utah would defeat Alabama. I also picked USC, Texas, Virginia Tech and Florida to give me a 5-0 mark and the win.

Rankin wrote a column about my “historic” undefeated run through the BCS, which ran today in the sports section of the Erie Times-News and on goerie.com.

Here’s some of what Rankin wrote:

Matt Hubert made history.

He’s the first to go 5-0 in my Bowl Championship Series bowl contest.

Considering he’s a Michigan fan, this was likely the best news he had all college football season, but you have to give the 24-year-old Erie resident credit.

Out of the 35 contest entrants, Hubert and Jeff Taylor, 49, of Millcreek Township, entered the BCS title game with 4-0 records.

Hubert picked Florida. Taylor went with Oklahoma.

Florida won 24-14.

Taylor figured Oklahoma was done when it failed to score twice from the goal line in the first half.

As for Hubert, Tim Tebow is why he picked the Gators.

Hubert should send Tebow a thank-you card. The Florida junior quarterback threw for 231 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another 109 yards.

So for making history, Hubert won a Michigan T-shirt, a calendar that plays the school’s fight song and a 2007 Michigan-Penn State game program from when the Wolverines beat the Nittany Lions in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Congratulations, Matt.

Thanks, Duane. Now I’m just hoping Michigan can get back to its winning ways in ’09 so my bowl-picking success isn’t the highlight of another college football season.

For more information, visit MattHubert.com.

The SEC Owns the BCS

Tim Tebow against Sam Bradford. Urban Meyer vs. Bob Stoops. The SEC against the Big 12. Florida vs. Oklahoma. This year’s BCS National Championship is loaded with intriguing storylines, but the most interesting may be the SEC’s domination of the BCS.

If Florida beats Oklahoma (and they are favored to do so), the Gators will win their second BCS National Championship in three years. It would also make the SEC a perfect 5-0 in the title game since the BCS originated in 1998. Tennessee won that first year. LSU won in 2003 and again last year. And Florida won in 2006.

How good has the SEC been? At 4-0, they aren’t just the best conference in the BCS era—they’re dominant. No other conference has won more than two BCS National Championships and. No other conference even has a winning record in the big game. The Pac-10 is closest at 1-1 thanks to USC.

Here’s the breakdown:

BCS National Championship Success
SEC: 4-0
Pac-10: 1-1
Big 12: 2-3
ACC: 1-2
Big East: 1-2
Big Ten: 1-2

Not that Oklahoma needs any added incentive. They represent the Big 12, and will play in a record fourth BCS National Championship. However, they are just 1-2 in the big game under Coach Stoops.

And conference success on the big stage means more than just bragging rights. It means more media attention. It means a boost in recruiting. And, if everyone plays their cards right, it breeds more success. The SEC’s Georgia Bulldogs began the season as the nation’s top team. Alabama, also of the SEC held the #1 ranking for several weeks. Florida now holds that spot and looks to finish the season on top.

Win or lose, the Gators will be among the top teams again next year along with several other SEC schools. The SEC is 4-2 in the ’08-’09 bowl season heading into the finale. The one loss that sticks out came against an opponent from the Mountain West conference. How come they never get a shot at the BCS?

But until the little guy gets a shot or a playoff system is instituted, the big bad SEC is going to remain king. Tonight, expect plenty of offense from both sides. But in the end, Tebow and the team speed of the Gators is too much for the Sooners.

Florida 42, Oklahoma 35 is the pick.

For more information, visit MattHubert.com.

How Often Do Championship Games Actually Live Up to the Hype?

After watching three of the first four BCS bowl games turn out to be blowouts, I began wondering about the chances that LSU-Ohio State would also be a blowout similar to the Buckeyes-Gators championship from last year. And that got me thinking about championships in general. How often does the final game of the season actually live up to the hype of a championship?
I did some research and compiled tables (see below) from the past nine championship games (the first BCS champion was in 1999) in college football, the NFL, the NBA, college basketball and Major League Baseball. If we set parameters of a “close game” as 7 points or less in football, 6 points or less in basketball, and 2 runs or less in baseball, only 22 of 45 championship-deciding games have been close in the aforementioned sports since 1999.

 

It’s hard to compare across sports because obviously basketball games are higher scoring than football games, and baseball games are much lower scoring. Perhaps there’s some statistical expert out there who knows how to formulate a stat that could eliminate the variables and compare the scoring margin across the sporting world. But until that person steps forward, I’ll just offer the data and my observations.

 

Comparing football to football, the BCS championship games don’t quite stack up against the most recent Super Bowls. The average margin of victory in BCS title games is 15.33 whereas the Super Bowl margin of victory has been just 12.0 since 1999.

 

Judging the World Series and NBA Finals is also difficult because, unlike the other sports, they decide their champion in a series. But judging by the final game of the series, they are slightly more likely to be close games. In the case of Major League Baseball, no deciding game has been decided by more than 3 runs in the past nine years. Unfortunately, five of those years saw the World Series end in a four game sweep, which significantly lessens the drama and intrigue of the closeout game.

 

The Nielsen TV ratings indicate that the BCS is performing strongly. While the Super Bowl remains the standard by which all televised sporting events are measured, the BCS ratings average is greater than all of the other sports listed.

 

What does all this mean? I’m not completely sure, but basically it seems to suggest that even if the game Monday night is a blowout, I’ll probably be watching. Yeah, sounds about right.
(Click the images below to view full size.)


For more information, visit MattHubert.com.

LSU vs. OSU in the BCS Could Spell Blowout

Ten years later, everyone’s still complaining. Well, not everyone. Fans in Louisiana and Ohio are surely excited as the LSU Tigers and Ohio State Buckeyes prepare to meet in the 2008 Allstate Bowl Championship Series Championship Game.

For all its hype, all its hoopla and all its maybe-this-will-make-them-stop-talking-about-a-playoff hope, the BCS leaves fans disappointed. Putting talk of the system aside – you can find plenty of those columns online – the games themselves have failed to deliver the goods.

This year’s bowl season has actually been exciting overall. Of the 29 games played so far, 17 have been decided by 7 points or less. But the average margin of victory in BCS games this year has been 21.5 points.

Shouldn’t the biggest games be the best games? That’s certainly what fans hope for and are led to believe. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always pan out that way. In the nine-year history of the BCS, the average margin of victory in the championship game is 15.3 points. Only four games were decided by less than 10 points.

LSU-Ohio State’s blowout-ability

Personal allegiances aside, everyday fans of football want a competitive game Monday night. But LSU and Ohio State both have a recent penchant for bowl blowouts.

The Buckeyes lost last year’s BCS championship 41-14 against Florida. The year before that, they dominated Notre Dame 34-20. The year before that, they pounded Oklahoma State 33-7.

LSU’s last two bowl performances? A 41-14 romp of Brady Quinn and Notre Dame in last year’s Sugar Bowl and a 40-3 annihilation of Miami two years ago.

To be fair, both the Buckeyes (31-24 in 2OT vs. Miami, 2003 Fiesta Bowl) and Tigers (21-14 vs. Oklahoma, 2004 Sugar Bowl) have won the BCS title in close games within the past five years, but that doesn’t mean this game will be an instant classic.

The Buckeyes had just two games all season decided by less than 10 points. Meanwhile, the Tigers played a number of close games within the SEC, but they also had four wins by 40 or more points.

Explosive offense meets stout defense

If there is a reason to suggest this game stays close, it’s the matchup of LSU’s high-powered offense and Ohio State’s tenacious defense. LSU scores more than 38 points a game. The Buckeyes surrender just over 10 points per game.

Ohio State allowed more than 20 points just once all year – in their lone loss of the season, 28-21 against Illinois. On the flip side, LSU’s two losses came in triple overtime, which inflated the score. But their score at the end of the fourth quarter in those games was 27 and 28, respectively.

If the game is played in the teens or below, the Buckeyes will feel right at home. If it gets into the 20s, they may still have a shot. But if scoring gets into the mid-30s or higher, the game is LSU’s for the taking.

For more information, visit MattHubert.com.

2007 College Bowl Pick ’em

This year, I’m trying my hand at a college football bowl pick ‘em. I cannot believe that it’s taken me until age 23 to latch onto this idea. After all, I’ve been known to fill out dozens of NCAA brackets in March for college basketball.

My earliest memory dates back to first grade. Cootiful girls (this was many years before hormones detected any female as beautiful on my radar) wondered aloud why I was drawing rocket ships all over my notebook. Had any of the girls accurately identified the “rocket ships” as tourney brackets, I may have been the first to ever find a first grade soul mate. Instead, the cooties lingered for another four years or so.

Back to my point. A college FOOTBALL pick ‘em?! How had I missed this until now? I mean, let’s face it: matchups like TCU/Houston and Nevada/New Mexico are not the sexiest sells. Even for serious football fans like myself, it’s hard to get psyched for something known as the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl. But ask me to predict the winner of this game, which I propose should be renamed the San Diego C-CUP Bowl for marketing purposes (I told you the cooties issue was a thing of the past), along with the other 31 bowl games, and suddenly, I’m personally invested. Add to that the power to rank my confidence in my picks in descending order from 32 (most confident) to 1 (least confident), and I’m hooked.

Throw in the option to compete against friends and/or complete strangers online at places like ESPN and Yahoo for free, and I find myself salivating at the mention of the Papajohns.com bowl. And if, hypothetically, I lived in a state where gambling were legal and I could win money based on the success of my picks in a bowl pick ‘em office pool, I might even go gaga over the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl.

Just like that, the BCS becomes Bowl Craziness Season. LSU/Ohio State may be for the national championship, but if I chose to give it a confidence of 1 (I didn’t), it would mean that game could mean less to me than Connecticut/Wake Forest. Take that, Buckeyes!

If you haven’t hopped aboard the bowl pick ‘em express, hurry up. Bowl season begins Dec. 20. And you’re going to need a reason to tune in when 6-6 Alabama battles 6-6 Colorado in the PetroSun Independence Bowl on Dec. 30.

My picks are in bold with my confidence in parentheses. (Remember, 32 is my most confident pick and 1 is my least confident pick. Each game is worth as many points as the confidence indicates. So, for example, my 14 confidence pick is worth 14 points.)

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, Thursday, Dec. 20
Utah (19) vs. Navy

R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, Friday, Dec. 21
Florida Atlantic vs. Memphis (7)

Papajohns.com Bowl, Saturday, Dec. 22
Southern Miss vs. #22 Cincinnati (23)

New Mexico Bowl, Saturday, Dec. 22
Nevada (28) vs. New Mexico

Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl, Saturday, Dec. 22
UCLA (12) vs. #17 BYU

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Sunday, Dec. 23
#24 Boise State (30) vs. East Carolina

Motor City Bowl, Wednesday, Dec. 26
Purdue (27) vs. Central Michigan

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl, Wednesday, Dec. 26
#11 Arizona State (11) vs. #19 Texas

Champs Sports Bowl, Friday, Dec. 28
#14 Boston College (20) vs. Michigan State

Texas Bowl, Friday, Dec. 28
TCU (3) vs. Houston

Emerald Bowl, Friday, Dec. 28
Maryland (15) vs. Oregon State

Meineke Car Care Bowl, Saturday, Dec. 29
#25 Connecticut vs. Wake Forest (10)

AutoZone Liberty Bowl, Saturday, Dec. 29
Mississippi State vs. UCF (5)

Valero Alamo Bowl, Saturday, Dec. 29
Texas A&M vs. Penn State (14)

Petrosun Independence Bowl, Sunday, Dec. 30
Colorado vs. Alabama (9)

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, Monday, Dec. 31
Air Force vs. California (8)

Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl, Monday, Dec. 31
Fresno State vs. Georgia Tech (13)

Sun Bowl, Monday, Dec. 31
#21 South Florida (22) vs. Oregon

Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl, Monday, Dec. 31
Florida State vs. Kentucky (21)

Insight Bowl, Monday, Dec. 31
Oklahoma State vs. Indiana (6)

Chick-Fil-A Bowl, Monday, Dec. 31
#15 Clemson (4) vs. #23 Auburn

Outback Bowl, Tuesday, Jan. 1
#16 Tennessee (17) vs. #18 Wisconsin

Cotton Bowl, Tuesday, Jan. 1
#6 Missouri (26) vs. Arkansas

Capital One Bowl, Tuesday, Jan. 1
#12 Florida vs. Michigan (1)

Konica Minolta Gator Bowl, Tuesday, Jan. 1
#20 Virginia vs. Texas Tech (25)

The Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi, Tuesday, Jan. 1
#7 USC (32) vs. #13 Illinois

Allstate Sugar Bowl, Tuesday, Jan. 1
#5 Georgia (29) vs. Hawaii

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, Wednesday, Jan. 2
#4 Oklahoma (16) vs. #9 West Virginia

FedEx Orange Bowl, Thursday, Jan. 3
#3 Virginia Tech (18) vs. #8 Kansas

International Bowl, Saturday, Jan. 5
Ball State vs. Rutgers (24)

GMAC Bowl, Sunday, Jan. 6
Tulsa vs. Bowling Green (2)

Allstate BCS National Championship Game
#1 Ohio State vs. #2 LSU (31)

There it is for all to see. Check back throughout the bowl season to see how my picks are holding up, and feel free to comment about where you agree and disagree with my selections. Happy bowl season!

For more information, visit MattHubert.com.

Bowl Season Breakdown

Chanukah has eight nights. Christmas has twelve days. And this year, bowl season is 32 games and 19 days long. So put your dislike of ridiculous sponsorship and lack-of-a-playoff related frustration aside because those battles will have to wait.

We have sponsors and bowls galore, and unless you’re planning to stage a coup, you might as well embrace what college football has to offer: games, and plenty of them. The bowl season provides college football fans with the opportunity to watch 32 games giving 64 teams one last chance to end their season on a winning note.

Everyone knows what’s at stake on Jan. 7, but what about the other 31 games leading up to LSU and Ohio State in the Allstate BCS National Championship game? For those involved in a college bowl pick ‘em poll or those simply looking for an excuse to feed their football hunger throughout the holiday season, here’s a quick look at each game leading up to the championship.

Jump to: Dec. 20-26 Dec. 28-31 Jan.1-7

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, Thursday, Dec. 20
Utah vs. Navy

Navy beat Notre Dame for the first time in 44 years this season. Their quarterback, Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada, gives fits to both spellers and defenses, helping the Midshipmen put up numbers rivaling the letters in his name. Meanwhile the Utes are riding a six-game bowl winning streak.

R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, Friday, Dec. 21
Florida Atlantic vs. Memphis

Florida Atlantic’s football program is younger than your average kindergartener. Their program began in 2001. Memphis battled back from a 2-4 start and the tragic shooting death of defensive lineman Taylor Bradford in October to become bowl eligible.

Papajohns.com Bowl, Saturday, Dec. 22
Southern Miss vs. #22 Cincinnati

A tale of two coaches in this one: Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly was named Big East Coach of the Year in his first season with the Bearcats. On the opposing sideline, Southern Miss will be playing its last game under Jeff Bower, who resigned Nov. 26, and may have been forced out by the school.

New Mexico Bowl, Saturday, Dec. 22
Nevada vs. New Mexico

New Mexico lost in the inaugural New Mexico Bowl last season. Nevada, who boasts a top-20 scoring offense, suffered two point losses to each of the WAC’s two best teams, Boise State and Hawaii.
Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl, Saturday, Dec. 22
UCLA vs. #17 BYU

BYU is playing in their third consecutive Las Vegas Bowl. Last season they defeated Oregon 38-8 in the game. The Bruins topped BYU 27-17 on Sept. 8, but finished the season winning just four of their final ten games. UCLA is also the only bowl team who lost to Notre Dame this season.

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Sunday, Dec. 23
#24 Boise State vs. East Carolina

This is only the second year since the bowl’s inception in 2002 that Hawaii will not play in the Hawaii Bowl. Boise State will make a rare return trip to Honolulu. The Broncos lost to Hawaii 39-27 in November. Most teams would welcome two trips to the Aloha State, but the Broncos are disappointed after they wowed the nation with a Fiesta Bowl upset victory over Oklahoma last year. East Carolina is looking for their first bowl victory since 2000.

Motor City Bowl, Wednesday, Dec. 26
Purdue vs. Central Michigan

Purdue finished with a 3-5 conference record but the Boilermakers are still playing in a bowl game. Their opponent is a Central Michigan team looking for revenge. Purdue handled team 45-22 on Sept. 15.

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl, Wednesday, Dec. 26
#11 Arizona State vs. #19 Texas

The Sun Devils’ only two losses came against a Dennis Dixon-led Oregon Ducks team and the Pac-10 Champion USC Trojans. Texas is 1-2 all-time in the Holiday Bowl.

Champs Sports Bowl, Friday, Dec. 28
#14 Boston College vs. Michigan State

The Eagles were ranked as high as number two this season before dropping three of their final five. Quarterback Matt Ryan’s Heisman hopes were vanquished along with BC’s shot at the BCS. Ryan’s final collegiate game comes against a Spartan squad making its first bowl appearance since 2003 under first-year coach Mark Dantonio.

Texas Bowl, Friday, Dec. 28
TCU vs. Houston

Houston is fourth in the nation in total yards, but they will play the game without their coach, Art Briles, who left for Baylor. TCU won their last two games by a combined 36 points in order to secure bowl eligibility.

Emerald Bowl, Friday, Dec. 28
Maryland vs. Oregon State

Both of these teams made noise this season by knocking off high-ranked opponents. Maryland defeated tenth-ranked Rutgers and later eighth-ranked Boston College. Oregon State beat number two California and state rival, number 17 Oregon.

Meineke Car Care Bowl, Saturday, Dec. 29
#25 Connecticut vs. Wake Forest

Emeka Okafor and Tim Duncan will not be in uniform for this one. Neither will Ray Allen or Randolph Childress. It turns out these schools play football this time of year, too. Despite skidding to a 1-2 finish, UConn finished as co-champions of the Big East. As for the Demon Deacons, they managed to overcome an 0-2 start to earn back-to-back bowl berths for the first time in school history.

AutoZone Liberty Bowl, Saturday, Dec. 29
Mississippi State vs. UCF

Sylvester Croom has coached Mississippi State to its first winning season since 2000. The school’s reward is the Liberty Bowl where they’ll meet Central Florida and the nation’s leading rusher, Kevin Smith, who has rushed for 2,448 yards and 29 touchdowns on the year.

Valero Alamo Bowl, Saturday, Dec. 29
Texas A&M vs. Penn State

The legendary Joe Paterno brings an underachieving Nittany Lions team to the Alamo Bowl. Penn State beat just one ranked opponent all season (Wisconsin). They lost badly in a showcase game against number one Ohio State and also missed opportunities to move up in the conference with losses against Illinois and Michigan. Texas A&M finished its season on a high note, knocking off Texas to end a three-game conference losing streak.

PetroSun Independence Bowl, Sunday, Dec. 30
Colorado vs. Alabama

This is a Jekyll and Hyde game for you. Colorado beat Oklahoma but lost six games, including a 47-20 drubbing versus Kansas State. Alabama also went 6-6. They beat Tennessee, played LSU tough and then lost to Mississippi State, Louisiana-Monroe and Auburn to end the season.

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, Monday, Dec. 31
Air Force vs. California

After beginning the season 5-0 and being ranked number two in the country, it’s safe to say Golden Bears fans were not dreaming of a trip to the Armed Forces Bowl, but their season began to tailspin after a loss to Oregon State. They won just one of their final seven games. At 9-3, Air Force had its first winning season since 2003.

Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl, Monday, Dec. 31
Fresno State vs. Georgia Tech

The Yellow Jackets’ best win was a 13-3 victory over Clemson back in September. Fresno State’s best win? Probably a 49-41 victory over Nevada on Oct. 6. Needless to say, both teams would like to go out with a bowl victory.

Sun Bowl, Monday, Dec. 31
#21 South Florida vs. Oregon

The Ducks have been anything but mighty since losing Dennis Dixon. Oregon was 8-1 and ranked number two in the country when they faced Arizona on Nov. 15. Dixon went down with a knee injury. The Ducks lost 34-24 and proceeded to drop their final two games as well, looking like a shell of their former selves. Without Dixon, and now unranked, the Ducks meet another team who rose to number two this season, South Florida. Their rise in the ranks also fell with a three game skid, but they rebounded to win their final three games, averaging 48 points per game in the three wins.

Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl, Monday, Dec. 31
Florida State vs. Kentucky

Kentucky was another basketball school making news on the gridiron this season. Their three overtime defeat of LSU was undoubtedly the signature moment of the team and quarterback Andre’ Woodson’s rollercoaster season. After throwing for 36 touchdowns this season, Woodson will likely face an FSU team decimated after being caught in an academic scandal.

Insight Bowl, Monday, Dec. 31
Oklahoma State vs. Indiana

The last time Indiana played in a bowl game, quarterback Kellen Lewis was five years old. This year he led the team to wins over conference opponents Minnesota, Iowa and Purdue. Oklahoma State Coach Mike Gundy reminded everyone earlier this season that he’s a man, he’s 40, so he may actually remember Indiana’s last bowl appearance. His team will look to rebound from their last game, an embarrassing 32-point loss against Oklahoma.

Chick-Fil-A Bowl, Monday, Dec. 31
#15 Clemson vs. #23 Auburn

Clemson went 4-3 against bowl teams this season. They won five of their last six and are very familiar with Auburn. These teams have fought 45 times since 1899. Auburn’s season included a victory against Florida and a 35-point loss to Georgia, but it won’t be complete without a bowl victory. Auburn has won four of their last five bowl games under coach Tommy Tuberville.

Outback Bowl, Tuesday, Jan. 1
#16 Tennessee vs. #18 Wisconsin

The Vols rebounded after losing two of their first three games this season to win the SEC East. Wisconsin will hope a healthy P.J. Hill can run wild against Tennessee. Hill ran for more than 1,000 yards and 14 touchdowns on just 217 carries this season.

Cotton Bowl, Tuesday, Jan. 1
#6 Missouri vs. Arkansas

No one took a more dramatic fall during the final week of the regular season than Missouri. After losing to Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship, Missouri dropped from number one in the nation to number six and missed out on a BCS bowl bid altogether. They’ll have to settle for the Cotton Bowl where they’ll meet Arkansas. As a subplot, Heisman trophy finalists Chase Daniel and Darren McFadden will go head-to-head in this game.

Capital One Bowl, Tuesday, Jan. 1
#12 Florida vs. Michigan

One year ago Michigan fans griped about Florida’s inclusion in the BCS Championship instead of them. After the Gators dominated Ohio State and Michigan fell to USC, those complaints were forgotten. Now many of the main pieces of that Wolverine team, including coach Lloyd Carr and running back Mike Hart get their shot at Heisman trophy winner Tim Tebow and the Gators, in what will be their final game for the maize and blue.

Konica Minolta Gator Bowl, Tuesday, Jan. 1
#20 Virginia vs. Texas Tech

Texas Tech makes the New England Patriots offense seem tame. Exaggeration? Not really. Quarterback Graham Harrell has thrown for 5,298 yards and 45 touchdowns while completing nearly 73 percent of his passes. Leading receiver Michael Crabtree has caught 125 balls for 1,861 yards and 21 touchdowns. Needless to say, Chris Long and the Cavalier defense will have their hands full in this one.

The Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi, Tuesday, Jan. 1
#7 USC vs. #13 Illinois

Illinois has not been to the Rose Bowl since 1983. USC was there as recently as 2005 when it lost a 41-38 thriller against Texas for the national title. For Illinois, this game is a reward for a surprise season that featured an upset of number one Ohio State. For USC, it’s a consolation prize after being knocked out of the national championship picture by unranked Stanford way back in October.

Allstate Sugar Bowl, Tuesday, Jan. 1
#5 Georgia vs. Hawaii

This is the biggest game ever in the career of Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan. Oh, it’s also the biggest game in the school’s history, playing a top-five opponent in a BCS bowl. The undefeated Warriors earned this spot. Will the Bulldogs, winners of six in a row, become victim to the underdogs from the island, or will Goliath squash David this time around?

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, Wednesday, Jan. 2
#4 Oklahoma vs. #9 West Virginia

The Sooners thought they played their way into the BCS championship with a win over number one Missouri in the Big 12 championship game. West Virginia played itself out of that game by losing the season finale to unranked Pittsburgh. They still have a dynamic offense led by Pat White and Steve Slaton but will be without recently departed coach Rich Rodriguez.

FedEx Orange Bowl, Thursday, Jan. 3
#3 Virginia Tech vs. #8 Kansas

The Hokies only lost twice this season, but one of those losses was a 41-point beatdown against LSU. The Jayhawks lost just once but played just two ranked teams all season. Needless to say, several teams are unhappy that the Jayhawks received this invite.

International Bowl, Saturday, Jan. 5
Ball State vs. Rutgers

Playing after New Year’s Day usually means big things, unless you’re in this game. In the second edition of the International Bowl, teams that combined to go 14-10. But Rutgers coach Greg Schiano did make headlines when he proclaimed he was staying at Rutgers rather than going to coach Michigan. The Scarlet Knights have their coach’s support, if nothing else.

GMAC Bowl, Sunday, Jan. 6
Tulsa vs. Bowling Green

This BCS championship appetizer should feature plenty of excitement. Both teams rank in the top 18 in the country in passing yards. Tulsa’s Paul Smith will look to add to his 42 passing TDs.

Allstate BCS National Championship Game, Monday, Jan. 7
#1 Ohio State vs. #2 LSU

(For Matt’s picks of all 32 games, check out his bowl pick ’em blog post)

For more information, visit MattHubert.com.