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 agent activity came to light.

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

Georgia Bulldogs

Wide receiver AJ Green is under investigation from both the NCAA and Georgia compliance officials in relation to a party an agent held over Memorial Day weekend of 2010 in Miami, Florida. Green denies being at the party and told media members at SEC Media Day that he had never been to Miami in his life.

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.

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.

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 last season’s Sugar Bowl.

Alabama Crimson Tide

Defensive lineman Marcell Dareus is alleged to have attended the same party as AJ 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.

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 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

With their 32-12 victory in the SEC Championship Game over the Florida Gators, the Alabama Crimson Tide clinched the SEC crown, an undefeated regular season and a spot in the BCS National Championship Game.

Behind Mark Ingram’s three rushing touchdowns and nearly 200 yards of total offense, the Tide never trailed, and ended a 22-game Gator winning streak.

Alabama will also likely be No. 1 in the final BCS rankings.

The Gators are likely to receive a bid to the Sugar Bowl.

Expect full previews of all of the BCS games on Sunday after they are announced.

Find FINAL Projected BCS Bowls (Dec. 6th) HERE

—–

Projected 2010 BCS Bowls

	Rose Bowl Pasadena, California. January 1st
	Ohio State Buckeyes
vs.
	Oregon Ducks
	Comment: Oregon will get the chance to make this matchup official on Thursday when they face off against Oregon State in their “Civil War” to decide the Pac-10 Champ, who will play in Pasadena on January 1st. BCS Know How projects the Ducks will be victorious at home.
	Sugar Bowl New Orleans, Louisiana. January 1st
	Alabama Crimson Tide
vs.
	TCU Horned Frogs
	Comment: TCU is all but assured of a BCS bowl bid, and the Sugar Bowl is as likely as any to take the Horned Frogs, as last year’s BCS buster team, Utah, had great success against the Crimson Tide in New Orleans. Alabama will have a shot at the national title and could be replaced here by Florida, but BCS Know How projects the Gators will win the SEC Championship Game this year.
	Fiesta Bowl Glendale, Arizona. January 4th
	Boise State Broncos
vs.
	Iowa Hawkeyes
	Comment: With Oklahoma State’s loss, Boise State’s BCS bowl bid hopes are great helped. Now the only thing the Broncos will need to hope against will be either Texas or Georgia Tech losing in their conference championship games, which would make either of them likely BCS at-large candidates.
	Orange Bowl Miami, Florida. January 5th
	Cincinnati Bearcats
vs.
	Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
	Comment: Georgia Tech goes in stumbling to the ACC Championship Game, but so do the Clemson Tigers, and BCS Know How projects the Yellow Jackets will pull the victory out at the ACC Championship Game, giving the Jackets a BCS bowl bid, likely to be the Orange Bowl bid. Cincinnati will face Pitt for the Big East crown and is projected to take the victory.
	2009 Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game Pasadena, California. January 7th
	Florida Gators
vs.
	Texas Longhorns
	Comment: What we’ve expected all along, and if both can win out, this is the matchup the country has been waiting to see. Florida and Texas were supposed to get here, and with just one more victory each, that’s exactly what we’re going to get. Hold on to your hats.

We went into this weekend hoping for some upsets, and while we got a couple of interesting ones, it didn’t change a whole lot at the top of the BCS standings.

The upsets came in the final weekend of November, and the final full weekend of college football action as this unusually upset-free season comes to a close.

Georgia Tech – already having secured a spot in the ACC Championship Game – and knowing a BCS bowl bid is the best they could do, overlooked a very game Georgia team and fell to the Bulldogs in the rivalry game.

In Bedlam, Oklahoma State, who had a lot more riding on the game than Oklahoma did – looking for a BCS bowl at-large bid – slipped terribly, not able to score a single point and falling to the Sooners 27-0.

No. 9 Pittsburgh, who had been looking towards a Big East showdown with the Cincinnati Bearcats, obviously overlooked the Backyard Brawl, and fell to West Virginia on a last second field goal.

Texas and Alabama had some trouble finding victory over the long weekend, but neither actually lost. No harm, no foul, and the SEC Championship as a national semifinal holds true for a second consecutive year, as Florida and Alabama will face off to see who gets to represent the conference in the national title game. The loser of the game, although not happy, will likely still see a Sugar Bowl bid in their future.

Surprisingly, five of the six BCS conferences will hold “conference championship” games, although only three (Big 12, ACC and SEC) actually have official games with such a name.

The Pac-10 and Big East will feature matchups that will decide the conference’s regular season title winners and BCS bowls bids after this weekend’s action was not enough to decide either crown.

The Pac-10 will feature a Thursday Civil War between Oregon and Oregon State, the winner likely headed to the Rose Bowl. The Big East will see an undefeated Cincinnati and the aforementioned Pitt face off for the Big East crown.

But that is all the future, for right now all we can do is project this week’s BCS standings, which will be released after the slate of FOX NFL games tomorrow on the OT show:

Projected BCS Standings November 29th