TOP
25 - by Ricky
Sixx
1. Miami 9-0 - Canes look to capture their third
consecutive Big East title vs. Pittsburgh.
2.
Ohio State 12-0 - So what if they barely win
name
me another team (other than Miami) that has zero
losses and you can place them at #2.
3.
Iowa 11-1 - Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show,
Hawkeyes. You're going to the Rose Bowl.
4.
Washington State 9-1 - The Apple Cup and a late
game vs. the Bruins won't be easy, but two wins
could lead to something more than just a Rose
Bowl.
5.
Oklahoma 9-1 - A trip to Tempe looks bleak. The
Sooners still have a division, conference, and
a BCS bowl still to play for.
6.
Georgia 10-1 - It wasn't easy, but the Bulldogs
take the SEC East and now have a week off to ponder
Georgia Tech.
7.
Alabama 9-2 - The Tide won the SEC West unofficially
and will take its probation-fueled frustrations
out on hated rival Auburn.
8.
Kansas State 9-2 - The Wildcats do not have conference
championship game to play for, but a 10-win season
is a goal they can and should achieve.
9.
Southern Cal 8-2 - Go Blue? Not Bruin blue but
Michigan blue. If the Wolverines can beat Ohio
State, the Trojans could be looking at a possible
Rose Bowl visit. Of course, that is assuming they
get by UCLA and Notre Dame.
10.
Notre Dame 9-1 - Rutgers this week, USC next
does
it really matter? Unless Rutgers Coach Schiano
can pull of the shocker of century, Notre Dame
will be in a BCS bowl game.
11.
Michigan 9-2 - Not much to play for? How about
giving a hundred thousand plus Buckeye fans something
to cry about. Ghosts of John Cooper
.
12.
Texas 9-2 - Since the Longhorns don't have to
worry about a BCS game, they can now concentrate
on beating the Aggies.
13.
Virginia Tech 8-2 The Hokies look to break a two
game losing streak against West Virginia.
14.
Penn State 8-3 - The Lions entertain Michigan
State before they sit back and wait for the bowl
season to begin.
15.
Florida 8-3 - Gators look to rest up, while Ron
Zook prepares to do something Steve Spurrier has
never done
win in Tallahassee.
16.
Pittsburgh 8-2 - Panthers look to upset Miami
this Thursday. Their rewards - the Big East title,
an Orange Bowl bid, and congrats from every team
who has failed to beat Miami in the past three
seasons.
17.
Florida State 8-3 - If the Seminoles can just
win one of the next two games, a BCS bowl birth
would be locked up. The Wolfpack and Gators won't
make it easy.
18.
Maryland 9-2 - Maryland is probably playing best
in the ACC. However, a Gator Bowl looks to be
their destiny.
19.
Colorado State 9-2 - Beat New Mexico this weekend
and the Mountain West Conference belongs to the
Rams outright, as well as a trip to the Liberty
Bowl.
20.
Colorado 8-3 - The Buffs locked up a shot at defending
their Big 12 title by beating Iowa State. Next
on the list is a Nebraska squad looking for revenge
from last year's blow out loss.
21.
LSU 7-3 - It is a bit unfair to judge this LSU
team without Matt Mauck. With a healthy quarterback,
the Tigers are easily top 13.
22.
TCU 8-1 - Looks like the Horned Frogs are on their
way to a 10-1 season and a visit to the Liberty
Bowl to face Colorado State.
23.
Texas Tech 8-4 - A big win over Texas has the
Red Raiders controlling their own destiny in the
Big 12 South. Now all they need to do to get to
Dallas and a shot at the Big 12 Championship Game
is beat Oklahoma. Good luck!
24.
UCLA 7-3 - The Bruins actually have a shot at
getting to the Rose Bowl. With games against the
Pac-10's two best teams
don't count on it.
25.
Boise State 10-1 - The record looks nice so you
figure why not? The Broncos have enough offensive
firepower to give any team fits.
Just outside: Arkansas, Virginia, West Virginia,
NC State, Auburn
MUST-WIN
GAMES FOR BOWL BUBBLE TEAMS - by
INSIDE99
28
bowls and 56 teams sum up why the NCAA has decided
to allow schools playing .500 football into the
post-season with a 6-6 record. This brings us
to several marquee match ups this weekend, all
must-win situations. With rivalry weekends rolling
around and conference championships on the line,
many of these games have gone unnoticed. NationalChamps.net
will attempt to open those doors. Here is a list
of teams floating on the bowl bubble this weekend
of November 23rd.
WAKE
FOREST is struggling to keep its bowl hopes alive
this weekend at home against Navy. The Demon Deacons
are not your typical bowl game regulars and have
not seen the post-season since 1999. With a trip
to Maryland the following week, Navy becomes a
must-win situation.
PURDUE
will have to beat in-state rival Indiana to close
out the season. A win should lock the Boilermakers
into a pre-New Years Day bowl.
WISCONSIN
is playing for more than the "Little Brown
Jug" against neighboring rival Minnesota.
The 6-6 Badgers have slipped from a team once
undefeated (5-0 in the beginning of October) to
a team that has lost six of their last seven.
Coach Alvarez gets a second chance in Madison
with a victory.
MISSOURI
will be playing a bad hand against a full house.
They have to beat a red hot Kansas State team
in Columbia to become bowl eligible. The Tigers
best be able to bluff their way through this one
a
daunting task.
OKLAHOMA
STATE sits at 5-5 while lining up against Big
12 bottom-dweller Baylor this Saturday. The following
week Oklahoma comes a callin' with much more at
stake for the Sooners. Since OSU has not seen
a bowl game since 1997, the Cowboys need to take
care of business now. The Baylor game may not
be very big for the rest of the country, but it
sure is big in Stillwater.
TULANE
has a shot if they can even up their record by
beating regional rival Southern Miss. This is
the closest the Green Wave has come to sniffing
holiday play since Tommy Bowden left an undefeated
program in 1998.
UAB
needs to win one of their next two. Both are on
the road against tough conference foes Louisville
and Cincinnati. The Blazers backs are against
the wall.
BRIGHAM
YOUNG is playing a grand finale. A victory in
Salt Lake City against hated in-state rival Utah
is required. The Cougars are the only team in
the state with a shot at making the round of 56.
NationalChamps.net
has marked NEW MEXICO at Colorado State as a 'Top
Game to Watch'. Why? The 6-5 Lobos not only need
to win this one to stay bowl worthy, but, believe
it or not, this game is also for the Mountain
West crown. Most of the Lobos loses have been
out of conference.
WASHINGTON
is sitting on the bubble at 6-5. A win over rival
Washington State guarantees an invitation. The
team from Pullman has bigger rewards on the line,
like a shot at the Rose Bowl or possibly a National
Championship. The Huskies have been playing better
football as of late. This game is big for both
ball clubs, not just for bragging rights.
SOUTH
CAROLINA must beat Clemson in 'Death Valley' for
Lou Holtz' club to make a bowl
period. This
one has all the makings of a 'Death Match' in
more ways then one.
OLE
MISS needs to win just one of the next two. Take
your pick
either LSU this weekend or Mississippi
State the following weekend in the great Egg Bowl
Thanksgiving Day match up. A loss to LSU makes
it double tough to beat rival MSU. If Eli Manning
wants better consideration for the Heisman next
fall, he needs to win one of these and get the
Rebs eligible.
SAN
JOSE STATE AT FRESNO STATE is a great regional
rivalry most won't pay much attention. Both these
squads are teetering on the bubble. The winner
is in the driver's seat; the loser probably goes
home for the holidays.
SOUTH
FLORIDA should already be locked into a bowl with
a current 8-2 record. Being an Independent does
not bode well for the Bulls. They need to close
out the season by beating Houston to make their
case airtight.
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