As we close in towards the end of the college football season, the number of teams who will likely gain berths in the five BCS bowls are beginning to narrow.
Depending on how conference races shake out, there are 14 teams still in the running for BCS bowl berths.
As of now, the Big Ten has four teams that could find themselves in a BCS bowl game with Wisconsin the leading contender for the conference’s Rose Bowl bid.
Virginia Tech appears to be playing much better after some early season troubles and seems to be in line for the ACC’s BCS bowl berth.
In the Big East, Pittsburgh is in the driver’s seat to capture the conference championship and the automatic BCS bowl that comes with it.
The Pac-10 could have two teams in BCS bowls with Oregon on a path to play for the BCS national championship and Stanford in line to play in the Rose Bowl.
The Big 12 will likely send either Oklahoma State or Nebraska to a BCS bowl game, but there’s a possibility both teams could play in BCS games.
The SEC could also have two teams playing in BCS bowls, with Auburn a frontrunner to face Oregon in the BCS national championship and LSU in good shape to capture an additional bowl bid.
Of course TCU and Boise State are most likely to gain BCS bowl berths as well, with both teams still hoping for a shot to play for the national championship.
Even if neither team finds themselves in the title game, both will earn BCS berths.
Other teams that remain hopeful of getting into a BCS bowl include Ohio State, Michigan State and Iowa.
Here are our predictions for the 2011 BCS bowl games.
Orange Bowl
Virginia Tech vs Pittsburgh
Sugar Bowl
LSU vs TCU
Rose Bowl
Stanford vs Wisconsin
Fiesta Bowl
Boise State vs Nebraska
BCS National Championship
Oregon vs Auburn
If Oregon makes the BCS Championship Game, by rule the Rose Bowl would need to take an automatic qualifier to replace the Pac 10 champion in the Rose Bowl. As such, by simple BCS rules the Rose Bowl could not be Stanford-Wisconsin, it would be TCU or Boise State vs. the Big 10 champion.
Is that just for the Rose Bowl or any BCS bowl? I was unaware of that. I know last year when Alabama played for the title Florida played in the Sugar Bowl, the preferred choice having an SEC team.