1. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (12-0) LW 1
With their spot in the National Title game all wrapped up, the Irish got to sit back and watch the SEC Championship Game to see who they will play. It will be interesting to see how Notre Dame does against the Crimson Tide who will be far the best team they played.
2. Alabama Crimson Tide (12-1) LW 2
They didn't look pretty doing it, but the Crimson Tide were able to hold off a final Georgia drive to secure their second consecutive spot in the BCS Championship Game. The Crimson Tide matches up well against a Notre Dame team whose offense is pretty pedestrian. If the Tide can crack the Irish defense they could bring home another National Title.
3. Oregon Ducks (11-1) LW 4
The Ducks might not have won their conference, but they'll make it back to another BCS Game as they face off against Kansas State in the Fiesta Bowl. The match should benefit the Ducks whose speed will give KState all sorts of fits.
4. Georgia Bulldogs (11-2) LW 3
Its a shame that Georgia only loses two games all year but since they lost in the Conference Championship Game Florida moves ahead of them and the Bulldogs have to settle for the Capital One Bowl. Ignoring the fact that Georgia beat Florida.
5. Florida Gators (11-1) LW 5
By losing to Georgia and not playing Alabama in the conference title game, the Gators were able to sneak their way back into the BCS in a Sugar Bowl game against Louisville. The Gators should make easy work out of a Louisville team that has struggled late in the season.
6. Kansas State Wildcats (11-1) LW 6
In their final game of the season the Wildcats were able to use a 35 point 2nd half to blow out Texas and win the Big 12. The win secures the Wildcats spot in the BCS as they face off against Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl.
7. LSU Tigers (10-2) LW 7
Must be rough to be in a conference where you only lose two games, finish in the top 10, but don't make it to a BCS Game. Because Florida took the SEC's second spot, the Tigers are now heading to Atlanta to play Clemson in the Chik-Fil-A Bowl. Should be a fun game to watch though.
8. Texas A&M Aggies (10-2) LW 8
It was quite the first year in the SEC for the Aggies. Picked to finish towards the bottom of their division they rode freshman QB Johnny Manziel to 10 wins and an upset over then #1 Alabama. Their reward for this season in a Cotton Bowl match up against former Big 12 rival Oklahoma.
9. Stanford Cardinal (11-2) LW 9
For the second week in a row the Cardinal beat UCLA. But this time it was for the Pac 12 Title and a birth in the Rose Bowl. But unlike their first meeting, the Cardinal needed to score 10 straight points to get out with a 3 point victory. Next up is Wisconsin, which if your a fan of smash mouth power football you'll love.
10. Ohio State Buckeyes (12-0) LW 10
Ohio State ended their season two weeks ago with their win over Michigan. You gotta love Ohio State's ignorance that they didn't take their bowl ban last year when they finished with a 6-6 record. They could have easily missed out on the Gator Bowl and be possibly playing in the National Title Game this year. But that's Ohio State for you.
11. South Carolina Gamecocks (10-2) LW 11
Even though they beat Georgia in the regular season by 28 points, because they lost two additional games they weren't able to go to the SEC Title Game. They also missed out on a possible BCS Game because of it also. Now they face off against a Michigan team in the Gator Bowl who should bring an interesting offense.
12. Florida State Seminoles (11-2) LW 12
Florida State entered the ACC Championship against Georgia Tech as a heavy favorite. It looked like the Seminoles would roll to an easy win after a 21-3 start. But then their offense stalled and the Yellow Jackets were able to add 12 more points to make an interesting finish. But FSU won and will make it back to their second straight BCS Bowl.
13. Oklahoma Sooners (10-2) LW 13
Oklahoma was all set to play Florida State in the Orange Bowl, but with Northern Illinois win over Kent State gave them enough to bust the BCS and knock the Sooners out. So instead of a high profile match up and a big check. The Sooners will settle for a high profile match up with a smaller check. But it should be a fun shootout to watch against former Big 12 foe Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl.
14. Clemson Tigers (10-2) LW 14
Despite not playing for the ACC Championship or going to a second straight BCS Game it was a pretty good season. The Tigers continue to improve and as long as QB Tajh Boyd comes back, they should be right in the mix for the ACC Championship and a dark horse candidate for the National Championship.14. Clemson Tigers (10-2) LW 14
15. Northern Illinois Huskies (12-1) LW 17
With their victory over Kent State the Huskies continued their record setting year and now will go to their first BCS Bowl in school's history. This is also the first BCS Bowl that a MAC school has had. But with their HC Dave Doren taking the NC State job, it will be interesting to see how they do since he isn't coaching. It's too bad for the players who really matter here.
16. Louisville Cardinals (10-2) LW 19
In a conference where it seemed nobody wanted to win, it was the Cardinals who finally won the Big East outright with their 20-17 victory Thursday night over Rutgers. The win gets the Cardinals back into the BCS for the first time since Bobby Petrino was the HC. But it could come at a cost as current HC Charlie Strong is top target for coaching openings this year.
17. Oregon State Beavers (9-3) LW 21
It seems weird that Oregon State played a game on the same weekend as the Pac 12 Title game, but that was because their game got postponed due to Hurricane Issac earlier this year. But Nichols State might have been better off canceling the game since they gave up 77 points to the Beavers in a complete route.
18. Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-3) LW 15
It would be very easy for me to drop the Huskers quite a bit after their drubbing at the hands of Wisconsin. It was an embarrassing loss in a game that the Huskers were favored to win. But it's hard to ignore the season Nebraska had winning 10 games and their division. Now they'll face Georgia in the Capital One Bowl and look to end the season on a high note.
19. Northwestern Wildcats (9-3) LW 22
Northwestern doesn't get a lot of attention or praise, but their three losses all were games that they had won. Penn State used some returns to take the lead, Nebraska came from double digits to win, and Michigan had a hail mary that allowed them to win in OT. That's the difference between playing for the Big 10 Title and the Gator Bowl.
20. UCLA Bruins (9-4) LW 20
Jim Mora Jr. was emphatic that UCLA didn't tank the first meeting with Stanford, but with the way they played on Friday the critics will have a lot of fuel. Unlike their beating they took in the first game, the Bruins controlled most of the Pac 12 Championship before giving up 10 straight points to lose the game. But the Bruins improvement this season is quite remarkable and they are set up for a bright 2013 season.
21. Kent State Golden Flashes (11-2) 16
Their MAC Championship Game against Northern Illinois was one of the top games of the season with both teams fighting for the title. Kent State came up short and watched as Northern Illinois got a BCS invite. But Kent State is no slouch and should be proud of the season they had.
22. Michigan Wolverines (8-4) LW 23
When the season started the Wolverines had high expectations. They were favored to win the Big 10 and contend for a National Title. Instead they struggled against the top teams and as a result dropped four games. But they did find out that Devin Gardner can play QB and they have somebody to build around in the post Dennard Robinson era.
23. Utah State Aggies (10-2) LW 24
It's too bad that the WAC Bowl tie ins are so bad because Utah State's prize for winning the conference is to go to Boise to play in the Potato Bowl. With the season the Aggies are having it would have been nice to see them matched up against a BCS caliber team. But instead they'll have Toledo in what should still be a pretty good game.
24. Boise State Broncos (10-2) LW 25
Well the post Kellen Moore era of Bronco football has had it's successes (10 wins) and it's struggles (55th in scoring offense). It will be interesting to see how they continue to do. They've always had a good QB, but this team relied on a stingy defense that only gave up 14.9 points per game (6th best).
25. Texas Longhorns (8-4) LW 18
Texas loss to Kansas State was a perfect synopsis of how their season went. Leading 17-14 towards the end of the 3rd quarter it looked like the Longhorns were going to pull the upset. Instead their defense couldn't stop Collin Klein and gave up 4 straight TDs and put the game out of reach. You have to wonder what this program will do next. Because you have to know these years of mediocre football is not sitting right down in the heart of Texas.
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