After their victories on Saturday, the Auburn Tigers and the South Carolina Gamecocks have both clinched a spot in the 2010 SEC Championship Game to be played on December 4th in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Tigers defeated Georgia 49-31 in Jordan-Hare Stadium to stretch their record to 11-0 and 7-0 in conference, which was good enough to secure the SEC West Division Crown.

A victory over Alabama in Thanksgiving weekend’s Iron Bowl against Alabama would give the Tigers an undefeated season, but even a loss there coupled with LSU winning the rest of their games would only be enough to give LSU a tie for the SEC West lead — and Auburn holds the all-important head-to-head tiebreaker.

The Florida Gators and South Carolina Gamecocks played what amounted to a SEC Semifinal on Saturday night, as the winner in the matchup would be awarded the SEC East crown and a spot in the SEC Championship Game. Both teams were two losses clear of the rest of the division after Georgia lost to Auburn, and neither team will play another conference game this season.

The Gamecocks proved too much for the Gators, beating Florida 36-14 on their way to clinching a berth in the SEC Championship Game and their first SEC East title. The Gamecocks stretched their record to 7-3 and 5-3 in conference with the victory.

The Tigers and Gamecocks have already played this season, with Auburn topping South Carolina 35-27 at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

This game will be a neutral site game, and although Auburn is geographically closer to Atlanta than South Carolina is, the Gamecocks will be the “home team,” as designated by the SEC.

A victory in the SEC Championship Game assures the winner a BCS bowl bid, although Auburn will be looking for a bid to the BCS National Championship Game when the final weekend of the season rolls around.

Alabama was struggling, Texas was down big against UCLA and some of the best teams in the nation were looking a little iffy.

About midway through the day on Saturday, a BCS shake up looked to be in store during week four. But it turned out to just be a slight rejiggering of the standings.

Alabama would prove too much for Arkansas, but Texas did eventually fall to UCLA, giving the college football landscape its first shake in the 2010 season.

Waiting right there to take advantage was Florida, who finally looked like the highly skilled team they were supposed to be in dismantling Kentucky on Saturday, and took Texas’s spot among the top of the BCS for their own.

Oklahoma let Cincinnati stay in the game until a perfect executed onside kick just wouldn’t bounce the Bearcats way, and remained undefeated headed into next week’s Red River Shootout.

Boise State and TCU kept on track for what they both hope is a shot at a BCS National Championship Game, but unless something drastic happens above them, may only turn out to be a BCS bowl bid. Both looked strong against non-conference foes.

Oregon, Nebraska, LSU and Auburn all got by on Saturday afternoon and night to keep their hopes alive, although none of the four would likely be ranked among the top eight in the BCS standings if it came out today.

So, here’s what the BCS standings would probably look like if they were released on Sunday, without any polling information.

Projected BCS Standings September 26

When afforded the chance in college football, you have got to take advantage.

On Saturday, teams like Florida and Texas took the opportunity given to them and opened their conference schedules with big wins over very strong opponents.

They were not the prettiest of wins, but the teams did the jobs they needed to do to get out of road conference games with the “W.”

Teams like Iowa, however, may have effectively killed their chances at a national title even before the season really started by losing to Arizona.

So three weeks are in the books in college football, and just like last year, not much has changed week to week.

Last week we saw Boise State get punished in the projected BCS rankings because of Virginia Tech’s shocking ineffectiveness against an FCS team. That will continue this week, but the Hokies victory (which was a struggle in and of itself) gives the Broncos some help in the newest projected BCS rankings. A victory over Wyoming also gives a nice little boost.

Texas and Florida, who had some nice computer rankings in week two, continue to ride the coattails of their computer love, and stay at the No.3 and No. 4 spots.

Not surprisingly, we find Alabama and Ohio State at No. 1 and No. 2 again this week, after the Buckeyes dispatched Ohio and Alabama took care of Duke.

Ohio State’s computer rankings are not nearly as good as they would like early this season, however, a nice boost is coming their way from a very strong Big Ten conference schedule.

Oklahoma, TCU and Oregon round out the projected top eight, all three taking nice strides on Saturday to show their strength.

TCU gets a boost up to No. 7 because of their victory over previously undefeated Baylor, while Oregon’s points massacre of Portland State certainly will not sit well with the strength of schedule hungry computers.

So, here’s what the BCS standings would look like if they were going to be released tomorrow, without any polling information.

Projected BCS Standings September 19

As part of BCS Know How’s 2010 college football season preview, we will be breaking down each week’s most important games that could have BCS and postseason implications in the “Road to Glendale 2011″.

Let’s move on to week five, where the Red River Shootout is among the many fantastic conference match ups during the first week of October.

Florida at Alabama: Oct. 2, TBA

A rematch of last season’s SEC Championship Game and a game which will feature Nick Saban, Alabama’s defending Heisman trophy winner running back Mark Ingram, and the defending national champion Crimson Tide doesn’t need much hyping.

However, added storylines, including Urban Meyer’s near-retirement, Florida’s new quarterback in John Brantley and the chance for a preview of the 2010 SEC Championship Game only adds to the appeal of this match up.

It’s not a stretch to expect both teams to be undefeated when the Gators travel to Tuscaloosa, although tough match ups do exist for both teams in trips to Arkansas for Alabama and Tennessee for Florida.

Regardless, the strength on both sides of the ball for both squads could make this another classic SEC tussle that have been the most exciting in college football these past few years — and there’s no reason to expect any less.

Texas vs. Oklahoma: Oct. 2, TBA

Alright, lets be truthful, 2009′s edition of the Red River Shootout was a sloppy game.

The 16-13 victory by Texas was marred by injuries, tons of turnovers and Oklahoma rushing for minus-16 yards. Even Colt McCoy, who played the whole game, passed for a measly 127 yards and just one touchdown.

Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford, in his second game back from a shoulder injury in the Sooners’ season opener, was injured in the first quarter and replaced by then-freshman Landry Jones, who struggled.

This year’s edition will hopefully be a better-controlled game, especially since this one game — as has been the case many times in the past decade — will likely decide who has the upper hand in the volatile Big 12 South Division.

Despite the injury that ruined Sam Bradford’s final collegiate year and likely cost Oklahoma a shot at a national title bid, the Sooners were able to help groom Jones for the 2010 season. The sophomore now comes into this season looking ready to lead the Sooners back to the top of the college football landscape.

McCoy’s replacement and Jones’s counterpart at the helm of the Longhorn defense, sophomore Garrett Gilbert also benefited from playing time filling in for McCoy, however his playing time came in the BCS National Championship Game, pressure Jones did not deal with.

So both programs are led by quarterbacks that have unexpected experience, and by the time this year’s edition of the Red River Rivalry arrives, both will have played a full slate of non-conference games. The unplanned extra grooming, along with the annually reloaded roster of both the Sooners and Longhorns could make this a can’t-miss Big 12 battle.

Washington at USC: Oct. 2, 8:00 p.m. ET

Despite not being able to participate in postseason play for 2010 and 2011, USC is still considered among the favorites in the very unpredictable Pac-10 in 2010.

Washington too is considered a strong choice to make their way back to the top of the conference, in large part because of the hype surrounding senior quarterback and Heisman hopeful Jake Locker.

The two teams will meet for the first time in week five since a tussle in Washington state last season where the Huskies knocked off a then-No. 3 Trojan group who seemed to be angling for a Pac-10 championship once again. The loss put a large hole in that hope, and the Trojans would end up missing a BCS bowl bid for the first time in eight years.

Washington, on the other hand, took the victory and ran with it, improving upon a winless 2008 and finishing ’09 with a respectable 5-7 record. Following the season it was expected that Locker would leave for the NFL, but the returning senior gives the Huskies a true hope at a conference crown.

USC will counter at the Coliseum with sophomore Matt Barkley, who won the starting job at ‘SC as a true freshman, and now returns to the field with an extra year of experience. However, Barkley and the Trojans will have to deal with the loss of players transferring out because of the NCAA sanctions.

A victory here would give either team an upper hand in the Pac-10 race, which is sure to be undecided until the end of the season.

Penn State at Iowa: Oct. 2, 8:05 p.m. ET

Although both teams are expected to be chasing Ohio State for the Big 10 crown this season, the conference is shaping up to be a possible two-bid BCS bowl league this season, so a victory here could be very beneficial to that goal for either team.

And who knows? Ohio State might slip up somewhere down the line, leaving the winner of this game in prime position to take over the conference crown if the Buckeyes falter down the stretch.

Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi is back to lead the Hawkeye offense against Penn State’s defense, while Penn State’s offense is in a period of transition at the QB spot, looking at Kevin Newsome and Matt McGloin to plug the hole left by Daryll Clark.

Whoever does step up to take the reigns of the Nittany Lion offense will be helped by running back and Big 10 Player of the Year candidate Evan Royster.

By the time this game rolls around, Penn State will have gone through a tough non-conference schedule, where they will be tested against Alabama and Temple. Iowa on the other hand seems to have a pretty simple road to 4-0 when they welcome Joe Paterno and the Nittany Lions to Iowa City.

Other Games of Note: Navy at Air Force, Stanford at Oregon

As part of BCS Know How’s 2010 college football season preview, we will be breaking down each week’s most important games that could have BCS and postseason implications in the “Road to Glendale 2011″.

Let’s keep the series going with week three, where strong matchups are in store all around the country.

Arkansas at Georgia

Saturday September 18, 12 PM ET

Two teams that hope they are on their way up in the SEC get a chance to test their 2010 squads against one another, and could propel either team forward in chasing a division and SEC crown.

Arkansas will be coming off two matchups against non-BCS schools to open their season and will be welcomed into 2010 SEC play by a date with the Bulldogs in Georgia. What can the Razorbacks expect when they get inbetween the hedges at Sanford Stadium?

Well beside a likely capacity Bulldog fan-heavy crowd in the nation’s seventh-largest stadium awaiting the Bulldogs’ first home SEC game, Georgia will trot out a squad full of experienced players including what should be among the conference’s best offensive line.

Georgia will struggle to replace Joe Cox at quarterback, and when this game does come around, whoever has been named starter will need to immediately step up to the plate against the Razorback defense if Georgia is to win here. Whoever the quarterback is, however, they’ll have help from early Heisman hopeful wide receiver AJ Green, a weapon all over the field.

For all the turmoil at the QB spot for the Bulldogs, the Razorbacks are pretty confident in their starter behind center, Ryan Mallet. By the time the Razorbacks get to Athens, Mallet will likely have worked out any kinks in his game against the non-BCS competition and will be looking to make an early statement in the SEC.

Nebraska at Washington

Saturday September 18, 3:30 PM ET

Steve Sarkisian’s second year is supposed to be the year he and Washington begin make their way towards the top of the Pac-10 and place themselves amongst the best in the country.

However, the Huskies have scheduled themselves some pretty tough non-conference action to begin the 2010 campaign, including this matchup with last year’s last-second Big 12 runner up Nebraska.

Huskies quarterback Jake Locker could have left for the NFL after last season, but stayed behind. Locker will be welcomed back for one final year by starting his season against BYU, Syracuse and the Cornhuskers. If the Huskies can make this matchup undefeated they will likely have the swagger and national ranking to make this an exciting matchup.

Despite losing all-world defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh the Cornhuskers look to return a strong defense and will be favored to repeat as Big 12 North champions in their final season as a member of the confernece.

One area Nebraska will have to make some strides in will need to be on offense if they hope to hang with Locker and the Huskies. Quarterback Zach Lee returns, but was largely a non-factor during the Cornhuskers run to the Big 12 Championship Game last season.

Florida at Tennessee

Saturday September 18, 3:30 PM ET

By the third week of the season will be able to see where John Brantley is in mastering Florida’s offense for an entire game instead of just during clean-up duty following a Tim Tebow thrashing of an opponent.

A change at the top level of offense could often spell doom for a school, but when we’re talking about Florida and coach Urban Meyer, Florida hasn’t seemed to miss a beat in transition periods. After games against Miami (Ohio) and USF, Knoxville will be Brantley’s proving ground.

The Volunteers, on the other hand, may have some adjustment period to deal with after former coach Lane Kiffin left for USC after just one season. New coach Derek Dooley will take care to appease the fans after the anger shown to Kiffin, however his best course of action would be to win games.

Dooley will certainly be put to the test to try to bring victories back to Tennessee as after their opener against Tennessee-Martin the Vols will welcome Oregon to Neyland Stadium before taking on the Gators.

The Vols will rely on their defense to put pressure on the new Gator quarterback and must do so if they hope to pull the upset here.

Other Games of Note: Texas at Texas Tech, Iowa at Arizona, BYU at Florida State

Alright, lets take a quick break from the season preview to address a trend that has emerged just as conference media days began.

Following the conclusion of the investigation into the University of Southern California, Reggie Bush and the Trojan athletic program, a rash of allegations against other Football Bowl Subdivision schools regarding violations of NCAA regulations came to light.

The following schools are the schools under investigation and each contains a short summary of the problems/allegations facing the institution:

Miami Hurricanes

The NCAA is probing the Hurricane football program after allegations arose of improper benefits exchanged between Miami players and convicted Ponzi schemer Nevin Shapiro.

Update 8/16/11: Yahoo! Sports reports there were “thousands” of NCAA violations committed from 2002 to 2010 and that seven coaches from Miami football and basketball were directly involved with known booster Nevin Shapiro.

Update 8/26/11: Miami has declared a number of players ineligible in order to begin the process of reinstatement for the first game of its season. Quarterback Jacory Harris is believed to be among those suspended.

Update 8/29/11: Miami President Donna Shalala released a video stating there is no timetable for the ongoing probe into the reported violations. Miami has also delayed the release of its depth chart to await word on the eligibility of its players.

Update 8/30/11: Twelve Hurricanes have been suspended between one and six games for accepting improper benefits, according to Yahoo! Sports. Jacory Harris and Olivier Vernon are among those suspended.

Ohio State Buckeyes

Various players, including quarterback Terrelle Pryor, were found to have exchanged autographs and memorabilia for money and tattoos. There is some evidence that higher-ups knew about the infractions and did little to stop it. Coach Jim Tressel resigned on Memorial Day 2011.

Update 7/8/11: Ohio State has self-imposed vacation of the 2010-11 season and will await further word from the NCAA.

Update 7/22/11: An NCAA report states investigators found no new violations at Ohio State and former coach Jim Tressel was the only coach or official with knowledge of the violations and did not report them. Therefore the school will not be hit with the “failure to monitor” penalty that has hit so many of the other schools under the microscope of the NCAA.

Oregon Ducks

Controversy surrounds scout Willie Lyles and his relationship both with the university and coach Chip Kelly. Lyles has purported ties to running back LaMichael James.

Update 7/1/11: Scouting service provider Willie Lyles told Yahoo! Sports that Oregon coach Chip Kelly personally approved a $25,000 fee that may have violated NCAA rules by using Lyles as an influence on potential recruits. The investigation is on-going.

Update 7/26/11: The University of Oregon released a statement at Pac-12 media day expressing their faith in the NCAA’s investigation and coach Chip Kelly refused to address the situation head on during the news conference.

Auburn Tigers

Multiple sources are reporting that Heisman hopeful junior transfer quarterback Cam Newton has been implicated in a scheme to secure his commitment signature in return for a payment by Auburn. The investigation has been ongoing since July of 2010, and Newton’s father, Cecil Newton, has submitted financial documents to the NCAA in response.

Newton has moved on to the NFL.

Update 11/11/10: Kenny Rodgers, who allegedly had sought the funds necessary for Mississippi State to sign Newton, told ESPN Radio in Dallas that Cecil Newton put a price tag on Cam’s commitment in the range of $100,000 to $180,000 — although he does not know if Cam Newton knew of the arrangement.

Update 7/14/11: The New York Times reports that the Tigers are still under investigation regarding the recruitment of Newton.

Central Florida Knights

The NCAA is investigating the involvement of Ken Caldwell, a former AAU basketball coach, in Central Florida’ recruitment of both basketball and football players.

Update 8/17/11: ESPN reports UCF has been served its official notice of allegations for the matter and that Caldwell and his son, Erik, might have committed violations.

North Carolina Tar Heels

The NCAA is investigating whether defensive tackle Marvin Austin and wide receiver Greg Little received improper benefits from an agent. Neither player has made any comment regarding the situation, however Tar Heel coach Butch Davis was expected to make his first comment on the investigation during upcoming media appearances.

The NCAA has already visited Chapel Hill to begin their investigation.

Coach Butch Davis has been fired.

Update 8/26/10: The NCAA has expanded their investigation to include the possibility of academic impropriety. Austin, defensive end Robert Quinn and linebacker Bruce Carterf are alleged to have received ineligible tutoring from coach Davis’s nanny.

Update 9/17/10: Austin will appear before the Secretary of State’s office to give testimony after he was subpoenaed by the office on September 5. Austin will be testifying about whether agents violated the Uniform Athletes Agents Act.

The act prohibits agents from giving any athlete not under contract with an agency from furnishing said athlete with anything of value. The act also requires notification of a school’s Athletic Director within 72 of reaching an agreement with any athlete.

Update 9/23/10: Among the 12 players under investigation by the NCAA, the first two have received their punishments. Kendric Burney will receive a six-game suspension, while Deunta Williams will receive four. The NCAA found that Burney received improper benefits equivalent to $1,333 and Williams received the equivalent of $1,426.

In order to regain eligibility, Williams and Burney must repay their benefits in full.

Update 9/30/10: A Yahoo! Sports investigation has revealed ties between former North Carolina assistant coach John Blake and NFL agent Gary Wichard which seem to indicate that Blake was paid to steer Tar Heels in the direction of Wichard’s firm.

Update 10/1/10: Williams and Burney’s appeals to the NCAA were unsuccessful and both will serve out the entirety of their suspension.

Update 10/11/10: Marvin Austin has been dismissed from the North Carolina football team. Greg Little and Robert Quinn have been ruled permanently ineligible.

Updtae 11/11/11: The University of North Carolina has released a letter stating that student athletes were provided “impermissible” financial and academic support by Jennifer L. Wiley, a family friend of coach Butch Davis, who had been tutoring his son.

Update 6/16/11: UNC will release important phone records in the case, as requested by a variety of media sources.

Update 7/26/11: At ACC media day, UNC coach Butch Davis said he took responsibility “fully and completely” for the events that led to UNC being served its notice of allegations last month. Davis, however, said he has no plans of quitting the position.

Update 7/27/11: UNC has fired coach Butch Davis just two days after he said he had no intention of leaving the job.

Boise State Broncos

Boise State’s football program is being investigated for improper benefits given to potential recruits.

Update 5/2/11: The benefits allegedly given to potential recruits adds to $4,934 for housing, transportation and meals provided to 63 potential Broncos, reports the Idaho Statesman.

Update 9/2/11: Three Broncos will be forced to miss the Broncos game against Georgia pending a review of the three player’s eligibility.

Tennessee Volunteers

The NCAA is reportedly investigating the single season former Volunteer coach Lane Kiffin was in Knoxville — specifically his recruiting practices during his short stay. Previously the school was being investigated for the use of “hostesses” to attract players to the team, however now the investigation has asked to talk with former Volunteer Bryce Brown.

Brown was recruited to Tennessee under Kiffin, but decided to rescind his commitment after Kiffin took a job with the University of Southern California in January 2010. The NCAA hopes to question Brown about Kiffin’s recruiting practices.

Update 6/11/11: The NCAA has begun its hearing on the case.

Update 8/24/11: The NCAA announced it had insufficient evidence to hand down punishment for major infractions, but was “troubled” by the plethora of secondary violations under former coach Lane Kiffin.

Georgia Bulldogs

Georgia and former USC linebacker Jarvis Jones was named in a police report saying he received benefits from a state Parks and Recreations officer with ties to Jones’ AAU basketball team. These benefits are estimated to be worth $828.40, which might have been used to fly Jones from Atlanta to Los Angeles.

Update 7/18/11: Jones is still eligible to play, and it is unclear whether or not the NCAA is in fact investigating. Georgia is handling its own investigation at this time.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Demaryius Thomas’ eligibility had been called into question following an apparent gift of clothing valued at $312. Morgan Burnett, who was allegedly at the event at which Thomas recieved the gift, did not receive any himself. Both deny either received any improper gifts.

Update 7/14/11: The NCAA has placed Georgia Tech under four-years probation and vacated its 2009 wins. The school was also fined $100,000. The punishment stems from what the NCAA called “uncooperative and manipulative” behavior during their investigation into the claims.

Update 7/28/11: The university will file an appeal to the NCAA to restore it 2009 ACC title.

LSU Tigers

The NCAA is investigating whether the recruitment of a certain play violated NCAA regulations. An assistant coach is being investigated for providing the recruit with transportation, lodging and a phone.

Update 7/19/11: The NCAA has placed LSU on a one-year probation and classified the violations as major, also hitting LSU with recruiting and scholarships.

South Carolina Gamecocks

Gamecock tight end Weslye Saunders, who is good friends with Tar Heel Marvin Austin has been questioned in regards the inquiry into North Carolina.

No immediate allegations were levied against South Carolina, sources told ESPN that they were looking into the time Saunders and Austin spent in Florida this spring, seemingly in relation to the party Georgia’s Green was present at.

Update 8/13/10: Further investigations have taken place into the living arrangements of certain players, especially those who may have stayed at the Whitney Hotel in Columbia, South Carolina. Saunders is among the at least three players with rooms at the Hotel.

Update 8/16/10: The NCAA is insisting its investigation is squarely on Weslye Saunders, and not the Gamecock program as a whole, reports The Big Spur.

Florida Gators

Both Florida and NCAA investigators are looking into suspicious relationships between former Gator offensive lineman Maurkice Pouncey and an agency representative or “runner”. The alleged activity includes a $100,000 payment made to Puncey between last season’s SEC Championship Game and the Sugar Bowl.

If the charges hold, the Gators may be forced to vacate their victory over Cincinnati in the 2010 Sugar Bowl.

Alabama Crimson Tide

Defensive lineman Marcell Dareus is alleged to have attended the same party as A.J. Green, Marvin Austin and Weslye Saunders and both NCAA and Alabama investigators are looking into the situation. The investigators aim to determine who supplied or paid for food, transportation and accommodations during the extended weekend stay of the players.

Update 10/3/10: Further Yahoo! Sports reports have alleged that former North Carolina assistant John Blake recommended agent Gary Wichard to Dareus during the summer of 2009. This would further earlier allegations of Blake steering college players to Wichard and his Pro Tect Management agency.

West Virginia Mountaineers

On August 5, West Virginia admitted that it was under investigation for hiring practices and the activities of “graduate assistant” coaches. The time period in which the investigation is looking spans from 2005-2009 and includes both current coach Bill Stewart and former coach Rich Rodriguez.

Update 7/12/11: The NCAA has approved West Virginia’s self-imposed punishment for their violations: two-years probation and the elimination of two graduate assistant positions.

Cincinnati Bearcats (12-0) vs. Florida Gators (12-1)

A couple of votes here or there earlier in the season, or more help from the computers, and we could have easily been talking about Cincinnati playing in the National Championship Game. But the BCS conspired against those hopes for the undefeated Bearcats and the Big East champs were instead rewarded with a Sugar Bowl bid against an equally disappointed Florida Gators squad.

On a 22-game winning streak, the Gators faltered in the most important game of their season — the SEC Championship Game — and were unable to continue their run at back-to-back championships. However, Tim Tebow and the senior class will want to end their season on a high note in New Orleans.

The Big East isn’t supposed to be a power conference, but the Bearcats were about as powerful as they came this season in terms of offensive output, and a victory here might do wonders for the Big East moving forward. Lets get into the meat of the preview:

Offense: The quarterback duo of Zach Collaros and Tony Pike together headed the Big East’s most productive offense — their output was so prolific that many suggested the two be entered for Heisman contention as on entity, saying that Collaros and Pike together were more productive than any other quarterback in the nation, which isn’t far from the truth. Cincinnati can strike at any time, at any place on the field, and that quick-strike ability helped them avoid an upset on the final day of the season when they had to come back from a six-point deficit with time running out. Wide receiver/kick returner Mardy Gilyard contributes to firepower of the offense, in the mold of former Gator Percy Harvin.

Without Harvin, the Gator offense struggled a bit this season, but once again senior quarterback Tim Tebow led one of the SEC’s most prolific offensive teams. scoring less than 20 only twice. Tebow broke a bevy of SEC records in his final season including the career rushing touchdown mark. Tebow’s favorite mark, tight-end Aaron Hernandez, also helped lead the team’s offense, which averaged 442 yards per game.

Defense: Florida prides itself on its defense, led by coordinator Charlie Strong. Strong’s apparent ascension to the head coaching spot at Louisville may be a distraction for a squad that let up more than 20 points just once — in that SEC Championship Game to Alabama’s offense. Defensive end Carlos Dunlap, who was last season’s BCS National Title Game defensive MVP was suspended for that game, and his status for the Sugar Bowl remains to be seen. The Gators certainly missed his presence against Mark Ingram, Greg McElroy and the Tide offense last weekend.

Defensive was certainly a weak spot for the Bearcats in their final regular season game, where they let freshman Pitt running back Dion Lewis run all over them as they were seemingly unable to stop the Panthers at any point during the game. In their last four games, the Bearcats have given up 44, 36, 41 and 45 points to their opponents, something they cannot do against Florida and still hope to win.

Prediction: Florida 42 vs. Cincinnati 21. Despite the fact that the Gators will be disappointed to be at the Sugar Bowl and not in the National Championship Game, coach Urban Meyer will have them fired up to face his alma mater. Tim Tebow and the Gator offense will tear up the Bearcat D, and Tony Pike’s offensive efficiency will not be enough to match the Gators score for score.

The 2010-11 BCS bowl matchups have been announced, take a look HERE.

The BCS Bowl matchups have been announced and are as follows:

Winners in RED

Rose Bowl – January 1^st 2010

Oregon Ducks 17 vs. Ohio State 26 F

FULL PREVIEW

Comment: We’ve known this matchup for a while, and this may be the best game on the slate of BCS bowl games when all is said and done. Oregon comes into the game as one of the nation’s hottest teams after clinching the Pac-10’s BCS bid in their “Civil War” against Oregon State. Ohio State hasn’t played in quite some time, but the Buckeyes are used to taking long breaks between their final game and their bowl game due to the early end to the Big 10 schedule.

Sugar Bowl – January 1^st 2010

Florida Gators 51 vs. Cincinnati Bearcats 24 F

FULL PREVIEW

Comment: All season the goal for Florida was to repeat as National Champions. The Gators will not get a chance to do that after losing in the SEC Championship Game, but they still receive a bid to the Sugar Bowl to face off against the Cincinnati Bearcats. The Bearcats come off a last minute comeback victory against Pittsburgh which secured the Big East crown for Cincinnati. This will be the Bearcats second straight BCS bowl game.

Fiesta Bowl – January 4^th 2010

Boise State Broncos 17 vs. TCU Horned Frogs 10 F

FULL PREVIEW

Comment: For the first time in the history of the BCS, TCU is headed to a BCS bowl game. Also a first, two non-BCS schools have received BCS bowl bids. The two teams ran through their seasons without much competition, completing undefeated seasons and winning their conferences. This might as well be considered as the non-BCS National Title game and is sure to be a shootout.

Orange Bowl – January 5^th 2010

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 14 vs. Iowa Hawkeyes 24 F

FULL PREVIEW

Comment: The ACC Champion Yellow Jackets and the Big 10 corunner-up Iowa Hawkeyes meet in Florida to decide the Orange Bowl champ. Georgia Tech needed to hold of CJ Spiller and the Clemson Tigers to get the ACC’s automatic BCS bowl bid as the conference champion. Iowa gets one of the BCS’s four at-large bid mainly on the strength of their early season success, which led to the Hawkeyes best season in a few years and a BCS bowl bid for the first time since 2003.

BCS National Championship Game – January 7^th 2010

FULL PREVIEW

Alabama Crimson Tide 37 vs. Texas Longhorns 21 F

Comment: The nation’s two best teams according to the BCS are the Tide and Longhorns, and the two will meet in Pasadena to figure out just who is the best in the nation. The Tide clinched their spot here with a victory over Florida in the SEC Championship Game, while Texas needed a field goal with all zeros on the clock in the Big 12 Championship Game to secure their spot here. Both teams have struggled at times during the season, but did just enough to finish the season undefeated and make their way to the National Title Game.

BCS Know How will have full previews of these games in the coming days. Stay tuned!

Projected 2010 BCS Bowls

	Rose Bowl Pasadena, California. January 1st
	Ohio State Buckeyes
vs.
	Oregon Ducks
	Comment: Oregon made this matchup official on Thursday by clinching the Pac-10 Championship by defeated Oregon State. Ohio State clinched a spot in the Rose Bowl weeks ago, and now will prepare for the talented Duck attack
	Sugar Bowl New Orleans, Louisiana. January 1st
	Florida Gators
vs.
	TCU Horned Frogs
	Comment: TCU is assured a BCS bowl with their final BCS ranking as the highest ranked non-BCS school. Florida, after losing the SEC Championship Game will likely still receive a BCS bowl bid, and the Sugar Bowl will be happy to take a replacement SEC team after losing Alabama to the National Championship Game.
	Fiesta Bowl Glendale, Arizona. January 4th
	Boise State Broncos
vs.
	Iowa Hawkeyes
	Comment: Boise State continues to be the most attractive candidate for a BCS at-large selection that hasn’t already been assumed, and the Fiesta Bowl, after losing Big 12 Champ Texas to the National Title game, will want an attractive game. Boise State put together one of the greatest games in college football history at the Fiesta Bowl just a few years ago, and the Fiesta Bowl remembers it and will want more excitement. The Hawkeyes are the next most attractive candidates for at-large selection, and will likely land here.
	Orange Bowl Miami, Florida. January 5th
	Cincinnati Bearcats
vs.
	Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
	Comment: Both teams need late comeback victories to clinch their respective conference championships, but pulled out victories late. The ACC and Big East Champs have met here many times before, and could easily be doing it again this year. Georgia Tech is assured of this bid as the ACC Champion.
	2009 Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game Pasadena, California. January 7th
	Alabama Crimson Tide
vs.
	Texas Longhorns
	Comment: While its not what we expected, this Alabama vs. Texas matchup has been in the cards for quite some time. After Alabama clinched the SEC championship earlier in the day, they replaced the Gators in this slot. The Longhorns followed suit in the Big 12, although had a bit more trouble, but won all the same. Therefore this matchup is basically in the books. Its gonna be a good one.

Oh what could have been.

We waiting weeks for this weekend to come, hoping that it would deliver the drama and intrigue that the rest of the season was missing, and it did not dissapoint.

Texas, playing in what was supposed to be a cakewalk of a Big 12 Championship Game instead needed instant replay on the clock and a 46-yard field goal that just sneaked in the uprights to clinch victory and a likely shot at the national title game.

Alabama and Florida were supposed to play in the season’s most intriguing game. Instead what we got was an Alabama romp, blowing out the Gators and likely clinching their shot at the national title.

So it’s likely that we’ll get that SEC Champ vs. Texas game when the last BCS standings are released tomorrow.

But it could have been much different.

If Texas had lost, we would have entered one of the messiest final BCS rankings in the system’s history, but we avoided that by the slimmest of margins.

So here’s our reality for tomorrow, and what we know so far:

• We know that Oregon and Ohio State will make the Rose Bowl game and continue the Big Ten vs. Pac-10 rivalry.
• We know that Cincinnati will receive a BCS bowl bid, we just don’t know from where.
• We know that Georgia Tech is going to get a bid to the Orange Bowl with their victory over Clemson in the ACC Championship Game, as the bowl and the conference have ties that allow for the conference champion to receive an automatic bid there.
• We are almost 100% sure that Alabama and Texas will meet for the national title game after winning every game they needed to in order to get to the biggest game of the season.
• We can also be pretty sure that Florida will receive a Sugar Bowl bid despite losing the SEC Championship Game, as the Sugar Bowl will likely want an SEC team despite the SEC Champ going to the National Title Game.
• Another thing that’s guaranteed: TCU will get a BCS bowl bid due to the BCS’s automatic bid qualifying policy for non-BCS schools.

So the six BCS conference bid are set, and two at-large bids are also nearly set in stone.

That leaves two openings. Iowa, Penn State, Boise State, Virginia Tech, LSU and BYU will all likely be eligible tomorrow.

It seems like the Big Ten teams that trail behind Ohio State; Iowa and Penn State, will be one of the at-large selections. The other selection cannot be a Big Ten team, but could be any of the other teams mentioned.

If logic holds up, Boise State would receive that bid, and we at BCS Know How project that they will in fact get that final bid.

Here’s a look at what the BCS standings might look like when they are released tomorrow:

Projected BCS Standings December 6th