A few days ago, we debated the strengths of the Alabama and Oregon rosters, with the Crimson Tide's starting 22 emerging as a runaway favorite. The premise of the debate was that the two schools appear destined to meet in the BCS National Championship Game after getting off to strong starts.
Things we learned
From AJ McCarron praising an unsung hero for Alabama's win to Oregon's epic rout, here are the things we learned from the third weekend of college football play. **More ...**
Anything, of course, can and likely will change between now and the postseason, but that didn't stop us from publishing our first bowl projections in this final season with the BCS in place. For now, the projection is the ACC, Pac-12 and SEC will have two teams apiece in the BCS. Notre Dame will be a BCS team if it gets to 10 wins.
A few notes about these projections: Once again, there are 35 bowls, though one bowl changed its name since last season (the Independence Bowl is now the AdvoCare V100 Bowl). And a bowl's tie-in with a conference doesn't necessarily mean it will get the third- or fourth-, etc., place team from the conference; instead, it means it gets the third or fourth, etc., selection from that conference.
BCS rules stipulate that if a team from a non-automatic qualifying conference (C-USA, Mid-American, Mountain West and Sun Belt) finishes in the top 12 of the final BCS standings or finishes in the top 16 of the final BCS standings and is ranked ahead of a conference champion from an automatic-qualifying conference, the team from the non-automatic-qualifying conference is guaranteed a spot.
The first BCS standings of the season come out on Oct. 20. The final standings will be released on Dec. 8.
BCS Matchups
BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Site: Pasadena, Calif.
Date: Jan. 6
Time/TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Matchup: BCS No. 1 vs. BCS No. 2
Projection: Alabama vs. Oregon
Note: Neither has anything close to a clear path to the title game. Indeed, the easier schedules belong to Louisville and Ohio State. Still, these appear to be the two best teams, at least for now.
ORANGE BOWL
Site: Miami, Fla.
Date: Jan. 3
Time/TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Matchup: ACC/BCS vs. BCS
Projection: Clemson vs. Notre Dame
Note: If the ACC champ is not in the BCS championship game, it is contractually obligated to go to the Orange Bowl. The Orange Bowl gets the first pick among the at-large teams. If Notre Dame is eligible for a BCS bowl, it's almost a certainty it will be the first at-large pick.
SUGAR BOWL
Site: New Orleans, La.
Date: Jan. 2
Time/TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Matchup: SEC/BCS vs. BCS
Projection: Florida State vs. Texas A&M
Note: The SEC champ is contractually obligated to the Sugar Bowl if it is not in the national title game. But the Sugar Bowl always wants an SEC team even if the champ is in the title game. The Sugar Bowl gets the second pick among the at-large teams.
FIESTA BOWL
Site: Glendale, Ariz.
Date: Jan. 1
Time/TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Matchup: Big 12/BCS vs. BCS
Projection: Louisville vs. Oklahoma State
Note: The Big 12 champ is contractually obligated to the Fiesta if it is not in the national title game. This season, the Fiesta Bowl gets the last pick among the at-large teams; hence, the AAC champ (Louisville) being picked to go here. Louisville went to the Sugar Bowl last season.
ROSE BOWL
Site: Pasadena, Calif.
Date: Jan. 1
Time/TV: 5 p.m. ET, ESPN
Matchup: Big Ten/BCS vs. Pac-12/BCS
Projection: Ohio State vs. Stanford
Note: The Big Ten and Pac-12 champs head to Pasadena automatically if they are not in the title game. And even if one or both is in the title game, Rose Bowl organizers still crave a Big Ten/Pac-12 matchup.
THE OTHER BOWLS
NEW MEXICO BOWL
Site: Albuquerque
Date: Dec. 21
Time/TV: 2 p.m. ET, ESPN
Matchup: Mountain West No. 4/5 vs. Pac-12 No. 7
Projection: Utah State vs. Arizona State
LAS VEGAS BOWL
Site: Las Vegas
Date: Dec. 21
Time/TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
Matchup: Mountain West No. 1 vs. Pac-12 No. 5
Projection: Fresno State vs. USC
FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL
Site: Boise, Idaho
Date: Dec. 21
Time/TV: 5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Matchup: Mid-American vs. Mountain West No. 6
Projection: Bowling Green vs. Wyoming
NEW ORLEANS BOWL
Site: New Orleans
Date: Dec. 21
Time/TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN
Matchup: Conference USA vs. Sun Belt
Projection: Tulane vs. Louisiana-Lafayette
BEEF 'O' BRADY'S BOWL
Site: St. Petersburg, Fla.
Date: Dec. 23
Time/TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Matchup: AAC No. 6 vs. Conference USA
Projection: SMU vs. Middle Tennessee State
HAWAII BOWL
Site: Honolulu
Date: Dec. 24
Time/TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
Matchup: Conference USA vs. Mountain West No. 4/5
Projection: Tulsa vs. Air Force
LITTLE CAESARS PIZZA BOWL
Site: Detroit
Date: Dec. 26
Time/TV: 6 p.m. ET, ESPN
Matchup: Big Ten No. 8 vs. Mid-American
Projection: Arkansas State vs. Toledo
Note: Projection is Big Ten won't be able to fill its slot.
POINSETTIA BOWL
Site: San Diego
Date: Dec. 26
Time/TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Matchup: Army if bowl-eligible vs. Mountain West No. 2
Projection: Northern Illinois vs. Boise State
Note: Projection is Army won't be eligible.
MILITARY BOWL
Site: Washington, D.C.
Date: Dec. 27
Time/TV: 2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Matchup: ACC No. 8 vs. Conference USA
Projection: Pittsburgh vs. Marshall
TEXAS BOWL
Site: Houston
Date: Dec. 28
Time/TV: 6 p.m. ET, ESPN
Matchup: Big Ten No. 6 vs. Big 12 No. 6
Projection: Michigan State vs. TCU
KRAFT FIGHT HUNGER BOWL
Site: San Francisco
Date: Dec. 27
Time/TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Matchup: BYU if bowl-eligible vs. Pac-12 No. 6
Projection: BYU vs. Arizona
PINSTRIPE BOWL
Site: New York
Date: Dec. 28
Time/TV: 12 p.m. ET, ESPN
Matchup: AAC No. 4 vs. Big 12 No. 7
Projection: Cincinnati vs. Texas
BELK BOWL
Site: Charlotte, N.C.
Date: Dec. 28
Time/TV: 3:20 p.m. ET, ESPN
Matchup: AAC No. 3 vs. ACC No. 5
Projection: Rutgers vs. North Carolina
RUSSELL ATHLETIC BOWL
Site: Orlando
Date: Dec. 28
Time/TV: 6:45 p.m. ET, ESPN
Matchup: AAC No. 2 vs. ACC No. 3
Projection: UCF vs. Maryland
BUFFALO WILD WINGS BOWL
Site: Tempe, Ariz.
Date: Dec. 28
Time/TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, ESPN
Matchup: Big Ten No. 4 vs. Big 12 No. 4
Projection: Northwestern vs. Texas Tech
ARMED FORCES BOWL
Site: Fort Worth, Texas
Date: Dec. 30
Time/TV: 11:45 a.m. ET, ESPN
Matchup: Mountain West No. 3 vs. Navy if bowl-eligible
Projection: San Jose State vs. Navy
MUSIC CITY BOWL
Site: Nashville
Date: Dec. 30
Time/TV: 3:15 p.m. ET, ESPN
Matchup: ACC No. 6 vs. SEC No. 7
Projection: Georgia Tech vs. Auburn
ALAMO BOWL
Site: San Antonio
Date: Dec. 30
Time/TV: 6:45 p.m. ET, ESPN
Matchup: Big 12 No. 3 vs. Pac-12 No. 2
Projection: Oklahoma vs. UCLA
HOLIDAY BOWL
Site: San Diego
Date: Dec. 30
Time/TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, ESPN
Matchup: Big 12 No. 5 vs. Pac-12 No. 3
Projection: Kansas State vs. Washington
ADVOCARE V100 BOWL
Site: Shreveport, La.
Date: Dec. 31
Time/TV: 12:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Matchup: ACC No. 7 vs. SEC No. 10
Projection: NC State vs. Vanderbilt
Note: This formerly was known as the Independence Bowl.
SUN BOWL
Site: El Paso, Texas
Date: Dec. 31
Time/TV: 2 p.m. ET, CBS
Matchup: ACC No. 4 vs. Pac-12 No. 4
Projection: Virginia Tech vs. Oregon State
LIBERTY BOWL
Site: Memphis
Date: Dec. 31
Time/TV: 4 p.m. ET, ESPN
Matchup: Conference USA No. 1 vs. SEC No. 8 or 9/AAC No. 6
Projection: East Carolina vs. Arkansas
CHICK-FIL-A BOWL
Site: Atlanta
Date: Dec. 31
Time/TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
Matchup: ACC No. 2 vs. SEC No. 5
Projection: Miami vs. South Carolina
HEART OF DALLAS BOWL
Site: Dallas
Date: Jan. 1
Time/TV: 12 p.m. ET, ESPNU
Matchup: Big Ten No. 7 vs. Conference USA
Projection: Iowa vs. Rice
GATOR BOWL
Site: Jacksonville
Date: Jan. 1
Time/TV: 12 p.m ET, ESPN2
Matchup: Big Ten No. 5 vs. SEC No. 6
Projection: Nebraska vs. Ole Miss
CAPITAL ONE BOWL
Site: Orlando
Date: Jan. 1
Time/TV: 1 p.m. ET, ABC
Matchup: Big Ten No. 2 vs. SEC No. 2
Projection: Michigan vs. Georgia
OUTBACK BOWL
Site: Tampa
Date: Jan. 1
Time/TV: 1 p.m. ET, ESPN
Matchup: Big Ten No. 3 vs. SEC No. 3/4
Projection: Wisconsin vs. Florida
COTTON BOWL
Site: Arlington, Texas
Date: Jan. 3
Time/TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Fox
Matchup: Big 12 No. 2 vs. SEC No. 3/4
Projection: Baylor vs. LSU
BBVA COMPASS BOWL
Site: Birmingham, Ala.
Date: Jan. 4
Time/TV: 1 p.m. ET, ESPN
Matchup: AAC No. 5 vs. SEC No. 8/9
Projection: Houston vs. Missouri
GODADDY.COM BOWL
Site: Mobile, Ala.
Date: Jan. 5
Time/TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN
Matchup: Mid-American vs. Sun Belt
Projection: Ball State vs. Louisiana-Monroe
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
