mrandyk

Most of this really isn't relevant though. What is relevant is how many non-champs get automatic bids for being in the top 4 (almost certainly Alabama), whether a non-AQ team gets in automatically (pretty likely to be Houston, TCU or Southern Miss), and then it's just who else is in the top 14 and is attractive to bowls to fill the other two spots The Big 12 loser probably takes one. The other is between us (IF we make the top 14) , Stanford, the ACC loser or Boise to fill the last spot. Bowl selection order makes a huge difference here. Since the Fiesta gets the first pick, they aren't going to take the unbound Big East champ or the ACC loser. Stanford? maybe. Boise? doubtful. Nebraska, especially vs OU? Seems like a winner. Still plenty of games left that could shake things up, and of course the #1 thing is for us to win out, and win the B1G championship if we get there. You want the worst scenario? LSU loses the SEC championship, Oregon loses again, and OU or OSU loses this month but wins Bedlam. That probably puts LSU vs. Alabama in the championship, and Georgia goes to the Sugar Bowl. That's the one way a conference gets 3 teams in, and it takes away the spot we'd be shooting for. Im pretty certain that a conference could only get a maximum of 2 bids in BCS. So once LSU-Alabama get picked for there respective games, Geogria/Arkansas/South Carolina are out, please correct me if Im wrong. This is why some have Nebraska going to Fiesta Bowl, that and they will travel more. Once a bowl comes up to pick for the atlarge spot, they can take any team available in the top 14. The one scenario he presented is the only way for a conference to get 3 bids. If the SEC has LSU and Alabama at #1 and #2 but neither are the champion then the champion gets a bid too. This scenario is entirely plausible this year, but still unlikely.

If LSU lost to Georgia or South Carolina then they would be out of the BCS. Alabama would move up a spot past LSU to #2 and play in the BCS title game, but all 3 could end up in the BCS if both LSU and Oklahoma State get upset. If LSU doesn't drop below Oregon with their loss then it would be LSU Alabama for the title with Georgia/South Carolina in the Sugar Bowl. I just don't see LSU losing though. Some of you aren't quite getting this, but it seems almost guaranteed that a non AQ will make a BCS bowl. The BCS is required to take the highest ranked champion of a non AQ conference if they are in the top 16 and ranked higher than the champion of any BCS conference (Big East champion isn't going to be ranked). Houston is already #11 and TCU and Southern Miss are going to slide into the top #16 since they don't have to play anyone that is remotely near being bowl eligible. In order to be picked at large you need to be in the top 14, so in all likeliness there are going to be two at large spots and five teams eligible for those spots. The pool will likely be Oklahoma/OSU (both are locks) and VT/Clemson losers, Stanford, Boise, and Nebraska. I really hope that whichever bowl picks the second at large team likes us more than they like Stanford, Boise, or VT/Clemson.

The way I see it, the Huskers should find themselves with an at large bid to a BCS bowl if they can win out and either Stanford loses a game or if both the MWC and CUSA champions finish lower than 16th. It will be tough to win both of these final two games, but it's still fun and surprising to see the team still alive for a berth to the Sugar, Orange, or Fiesta Bowl (NU v. OU anyone?). Or pray that Northwestern can upset Michigan State while we win out.