Defense was optional in Pasadena on Monday as Oregon quarterback Darron Thomas and a combination of running backs LaMichael James and De’Anthony Thomas led the Ducks over Wisconsin in the 2012 Rose Bowl, 45-38.

The game got out to a fast start as both offense clicked early, setting Rose Bowl records in the first half for scoring and single play from scrimmage (DeAnthony Thomas’s 91-yard first-quarter touchdown scamper). Wisconsin hung in with every Oregon score, as senior quarterback Russell Wilson and running back Montee Ball had performances reflective of their impressive 2011 campaigns. The Badgers’ first three touchdowns were the result of a beautiful Wilson play-action pass, a Wilson run and a Ball 3-yard score.

Through the first half, the Badgers had far outpaced the Ducks in terms of time of possession, but James — who finished with 161 rushing yards — and Oregon were quick to score, including James’s first-ever touchdown rush in a BCS bowl game.

The second half was not quite as offense heavy as the first, as the defenses began to adjust. A key fumble by Wisconsin reciever Jared Abbrederis — who earlier scored the game’s first touchdown — with Wisconsin driving for the potential game-tying touchdown gave Oregon the chance to put the game away.

For Wisconsin, the result was all too familiar, as the Badgers have now lost two straight Rose Bowls, after falling to TCU in last year’s granddaddy of them all.

For Oregon, the victory snapped a three-game losing streak in the Rose Bowl that spanned more than 90 years, with the Ducks’ last victory in the game coming in 1917 Rose Bowl, when they topped the Pennsylvania 14-0.

The 83 total points scored by the Ducks and Badgers also set an all-time Rose Bowl record.

Oklahoma State receives the third spot. Is it enough?

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USA Today Coaches’ Poll – December 4

A year of debate and consternation about the system, the teams and everything in between has come to a close. With 14 weeks in the books, we’re finally at the moment where the BCS is readying its slate of games.

Are we headed for a rematch in the title game? Or is Oklahoma State going to get the support they need to make a trip to the title game?

Whether you agree with it or not, the BCS certainly has delivered the framework for another slate of interesting games, and when the bowls are announced Sunday night, we’ll have the opportunity to revel in some really solid college football matchups.

For reference, the at-large selection order for the 2012 bowl slate (after hosting contracts have been filled and the NCG is filled) is: Fiesta, Sugar, Orange.

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BCS National Championship Game: LSU Tigers (BCS No. 1) vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys (BCS No. 2)

Comment: Risky as this prediction is, the public’s view point has been swayed, and there’s no denying it. LSU deserves this bid, no doubt, but so does Oklahoma State. The 174 voters will have to own up to their selections tomorrow, and how can they justify denying Oklahoma State its first shot at LSU when Alabama already had its shot?

Rose Bowl: Oregon Ducks (Pac-12 Champion) vs. Wisconsin Badgers (Big Ten Champion)

Comment: Two teams that simply needed to cash in opportunities in their respective conference championship games to get to the Rose Bowl did just that, as Oregon and Wisconsin were victorious in the Pac-12 and Big Ten’s first annual championship games. Oregon took care of UCLA while Wisconsin took care of Michigan State, and now the two will meet in Pasadena on Jan. 2.

Sugar Bowl: Alabama Crimson Tide (At-large selection) vs. Boise State Broncos (At-large selection)

Comment: Not losing Alabama to the title game slots them right into the Sugar Bowl, as the bowl will be ecstatic to grab an SEC team with its first replacement selection.

Pitting Boise State against Alabama would be an intriguing matchup for the Sugar Bowl, plus the growing national appeal of the Broncos could be attractive for the Sugar Bowl.

Orange Bowl: Clemson Tigers (ACC Champion) vs. West Virginia Mountaineers (Big East Champion)

Comment: Clemson, early season surprises and then surprising entrants in the national title conversation, saw their stock slide dramatically in the middle of the season. But the Tigers persevered, clinching a spot in the ACC title game. Then, when faced with a Virginia Tech team they had already beaten this season, the Tigers put on a show, and will represent the conference in the Orange Bowl as ACC champs.

A tie atop the final regular season standings among West Virginia, Louisville and Cincinnati turned the onus for deciding the conference’s BCS participant to the BCS standings. When the standings are released late Sunday night, West Virginia will likely be the one to grab that tiebreaker by finishing highest among the three in the final set of BCS standings.

Fiesta Bowl: Stanford Cardinal (At-large selection) vs. Michigan Wolverines (At-large selection)

Comment: Losing Oklahoma State to the title game, the Fiesta Bowl receives the second replacement pick, and with no strong Big 12 team to support the Fiesta Bowl, don’t be surprised if they call Michigan’s name. Of course, the Wolverines will have to be eligible, but it seems that Michigan will just get enough support tomorrow to make itself available for this game.

Stanford’s growing national appeal should be enough to allow the Cardinal to grab another BCS bowl bid. Plus, as a top-four BCS team, Stanford being left out of the BCS would look unfortunate for the BCS as a whole.

With its 49-31 victory over UCLA in Friday’s Pac-12 Championship Game, the Oregon Ducks have clinched the Pac-12′s automatic bid to a BCS bowl.

After a season in which the Ducks were among the nation’s top-ranked teams, losses to LSU and USC stopped the Ducks from making a return appearance in the BCS National Championship Game.

The Ducks, in all likelihood, are headed to the Jan. 2 Rose Bowl to play the Big Ten champion. The Pac-12 champion is automatically slated to play in the game unless the team is headed to the BCS title game. Michigan State and Wisconsin will play Saturday night in the Big Ten championship game to determine the Big Ten’s automatic bid to the BCS.

LaMichael James rushed for 219 yards and three touchdowns to help the Pac-12 North division champion Ducks beat the South division champion Bruins.

Virginia Tech is the beneficiary of Arkansas’s loss Saturday to No. 1 LSU, moving up to No. 3.

LSU remains a unanimous No. 1.

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USA Today Coaches’ Poll – November 27

After last week, it felt like it wouldn’t have been a surprise to see every favorite in the nation get upset and throw the BCS into chaos once again.

It wasn’t to be, however, as favorites around the country prevailed throughout the extended Thanksgiving weekend, although some did have some trouble in the early goings and set up a drama-filled final weekend.

Even LSU had relatively little trouble with last week’s BCS No. 3 Arkansas. So the BCS standings aren’t going to be very shaken up come Sunday night, but the implications haven’t been bigger this season.

Not surprisingly, LSU and Alabama will be set to stay atop the rankings. Alabama, despite missing the chance to play in the SEC title game, is likely secure in its positioning to make it to the BCS title game. Of the five teams to finish in the top two in the seventh BCS standings who didn’t play in the season’s final week in the BCS era, all have made the title game.

LSU will still have to beat Georgia to absolutely secure its spot in the title game, but of course, there are scenarios where a loss would still give the Tigers a chance at the BCS national title. Who would take LSU’s place if they were to fall out of the picture? Well, it wont be Arkansas, which will take a fall after its loss to LSU, but it shouldn’t be too harsh. Arkansas’s computer support should remain strong, and a loss to LSU in Baton Rouge shouldn’t sway voters away from the Razorbacks too much.

It could be new No. 3 Oklahoma State, who will be the main benefactor from Arkansas’s drop. With strong computers support and likely resurgent human poll support, the Cowboys might recover nicely from their loss to Iowa State last weekend. And with a strong victory over Oklahoma next weekend, the Cowboys will have a compelling case for a shot at the BCS title. But a compelling case might not be enough  to overcome behemoths Alabama and LSU this season.

Virginia Tech, Stanford and Arkansas should fill in spots four through six, followed by Boise State and Houston, with little differential changes from last weekend, the only difference being Arkansas’ small drop. Many will be looking for BCS bids next weekend, both at-large and automatic, including Virginia Tech’s attempt at another ACC champion; Stanford and Boise State’s quests for at-large bids, and Houston’s hopes for the automatic bid given to the highest-ranking non-AQ conference champion.

Oklahoma and Oregon should come in at Nos. 9 and 10, although either could finish ahead of the other depending on human poll support tomorrow as the distance between the Ducks and Sooners was quite small last weekend.

Next weekend will be full of important championship games and BCS positioning battles. Some of the highlights and their implications:

• SEC Championship Game: LSU vs. Georgia (LSU victory gives Tigers BCS title game bid. A Georgia victory? Chaos.)
• ACC Championship Game: Virginia Tech vs. Clemson (Orange Bowl bid on the line)
• Big Ten Championship Game: Michigan State vs. Wisconsin (Rose Bowl bid on the line)
• Pac-12 Championship Game: UCLA vs. Oregon (Rose Bowl bid on the line)
• C-USA Championship Game: Southern Miss vs. Houston (Houston victory gives Cougars the automatic BCS bid)
• Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State (Fiesta Bowl bid on the line, and possible title game bid for Oklahoma State)
• West Virginia vs. South Florida and Cincinnati vs. UConn (Victories by WVU and Cincinnati make the BCS the tiebreaker for the Big East’s automatic BCS bowl bid)

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Remember, we’ll be here to take you through all of it, starting with tomorrow’s releases of the human polls, computer rankings and BCS. Follow along all day tomorrow @BCSKnowHow and right here to stay up to the second with projections, mathematical breakdowns of all of the computers, human polls and everything in between. Then follow along this week as we break down scenarios and implications.

Got all that? Hope so.

Here’s what the BCS standing will likely look like when they are released tomorrow at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN:

Projected BCS Standings – BCS Week Seven (November 27th)

After a week that was admittedly difficult to comprehend, this week’s action in college football was a little less hectic. That doesn’t mean, however, that the implications weren’t there.

Teams looking to make a run at BCS bowls were in action around the country, and with just one week remaining in the college football season, the importance of each and every game was huge.

Though no changes are afoot, many teams still have big hurdles to cross next weekend if they’re hoping to play in one of the five BCS bowls.

For reference, the at-large selection order for the 2012 bowl slate (after hosting contracts have been filled and the NCG is filled) is: Fiesta, Sugar, Orange.

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BCS National Championship Game: LSU Tigers (BCS No. 1) vs. Alabama Crimson Tide (BCS No. 2)

Comment: All that stands between us and this rematch in the BCS title game now is next week’s SEC Championship Game. With Alabama’s season complete after a dominating victory over Auburn, LSU has its final meeting with Georgia in Atlanta to clear before they can assure themselves of a spot in the game.

As far as the Tide are concerned, they seem to be well positioned to make the title game. Of the five teams to have been ranked in the top two and not played on the final weekend in the BCS era, all five have made it to the title game after the final BCS rankings were released. The Tide look set to go.

Rose Bowl: Oregon Ducks (Pac-12 Champion) vs. Wisconsin Badgers (Big Ten Champion)

Comment: Taking care of business Saturday meant both the Badgers and Ducks clinched berths in their respective conference championship games. Victories there would give both Oregon and Wisconsin all they’ll need to make it to the Rose Bowl. Oregon will be faced with UCLA while Wisconsin will take on Michigan State in a rematch of a classic mid-season, last-second upset victory for the Spartans.

Sugar Bowl: Michigan Wolverines (At-large selection) vs. Houston Cougars (At-large selection)

Comment: As we explained last week, by losing both Alabama and LSU to the title game, the Sugar Bowl is in an odd situation. Usually, the bowl replaces the  SEC chanpion with another SEC team, but unless the two SEC teams in the title game prove to non-conference champs, the bowl can’t make that move this time. They will receive two replacement picks. Looking to first replace an SEC host with a crowd-pleaser, the bowl might select the resurgent Michigan Wolverines, whose victory over Ohio State all but assured them of having BCS eligibility come the final weekend of the season.

With the second pick, the bowl might just try to grab some geographic crowd support and select the Houston Cougars. Houston is still in the driver’s seat for the non-AQ BCS bowl bid as the highest ranking non-AQ conference champion in the top 16. With a victory in the C-USA title game next week, the Cougars would be assured of a BCS bid, and could very easily land here in the Sugar Bowl.

Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech Hokies (ACC Champion) vs. West Virginia Mountaineers (Big East Champion)

Comment: Tech took care of business against Virginia to secure its spot in the ACC title game and will face Clemson next weekend for the opportunity to host this game. The Hokies certainly looked like the better of the two teams these past few weeks, so for now, Virignia Tech looks like the team for the opportunity.

As usual, the Big East’s BCS chase is muddled and confusing, but with just one week to go, its clearing up at least a little. As it stands now, with a victory over USF on Friday, West Virginia would be in a good position to clinch this spot. All the Mountaineers would need to do would be to root for Cincinnati to top UConn and then for the BCS to place West Virginia atop the three teams tied atop the conference — the Mountaineers, Bearcats and Louisville.

Fiesta Bowl: Stanford Cardinal (At-large selection) vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys (Big 12 Champion)

Comment: Oklahoma State, while still hoping that the BCS will break open for them to make a run at the title game next weekend, should be in good position to make its way to the Fiesta Bowl with a victory over Oklahoma in Bedlam next weekend. A home game for the Cowboys should give them the edge, but the Sooners will certainly not go quietly.

Stanford would be the final key to the BCS puzzle, and with a growing national appeal the Cardinal would be an attractive pick for the Fiesta Bowl. Though the Cardinal did not dominate Notre Dame on Saturday and will not play in the Pac-12 title game, they remain a very appealing selection for the Fiesta Bowl.

Story to come

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USA Today Coaches’ Poll – November 20

Editor’s Note: These projections are for the November 20th, BCS week six standings, to see the November 27th, week seven projections, CLICK HERE.

There are college football weekends. And then there are the college football weekends we’ll remember as season-defining.

This was one of them. Oklahoma State, Oregon, Oklahoma and Clemson were all victims of upsets in one of the most incredible, unpredictable and awe-inspiring weekends in recently college football history.

When it was all over, however, the talk turned immediately to the BCS. What more can be said about the chaos we’re about to encounter? A whole lot.

More than obviously, LSU will be on top once again. The Tigers are aiming to go wire-to-wire with this thing. Next, and not surprisingly, you’ll find Alabama, the beneficiaries of teams falling all around them, while the Tide were barely punished after their one loss of the season — to LSU.

Third you ask? Well, how about another SEC West team, Arkansas. All but forgotten in the commotion over ‘Bama and LSU, the Razorbacks just keep climbing and will be right in the middle of the conversation come tomorrow. And with a game against LSU looming Thanksgiving weekend, we’re not out of the woods in terms of controversy and chaos quite yet with the Razorbacks.

The teams that took that big fall this weekend will start filling in spots after that. Oklahoma State, Oregon and Oklahoma will be a part the next sector of teams, all with lots of work to be done if they want to even think about the title game. Oklahoma State does have the computer support to maintain overall BCS support, and will likely just fall just two spots to No. 4.

Virginia Tech and Stanford, forgotten in all of the mess of the BCS this season, will both be suddenly thrust back into the conversation, although on the outside looking in in terms of a birth into the national title game.

The non-AQ darlings, Boise State and Houston round out the top 10, although it is the Cougars, and not the Broncos, in the driver’s seat for the automatic bid afforded to the top ranking conference champion of a non-AQ conference. Neither has the computer support to break into the title picture anymore.

It’s gotten as crazy as it has ever been this late in the season. Could we actually have a rematch in the BCS title game? We’ll just have to watch these last two weekends of college football with bated breath.

Remember, we’ll be here to take you through all of it, starting with tomorrow’s releases of the human polls, computer rankings and BCS. Follow along all day tomorrow @BCSKnowHow and right here to stay up to the second with projections, mathematical breakdowns of all of the computers, human polls and everything in between. Then follow along this week as we break down scenarios and implications.

Got all that? Hope so.

Here’s what the BCS standing will likely look like when they are released tomorrow at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN:

Projected BCS Standings – BCS Week Six (November 20th)

Some weeks go by with no impactful upsets. Others have a couple that shake things up, but really have little bearing on the end of the season.

And then there was this past weekend in college football.

BCS Nos. 2, 4, 5 and 7 all took a tumble this weekend against lesser foes, giving us the most upheaval in the BCS picture that we’ve seen in quite some time as a result of just one weekend.

Who remains at the top of the heap? How would the Sugar Bowl replace two SEC teams if we are to have a all-SEC title game? How does Houston still fit into this messy picture?

All the answers to these questions are just temporary, at least for now. Who knows what’s next?

For reference, the at-large selection order for the 2012 bowl slate (after hosting contracts have been filled and the NCG is filled) is: Fiesta, Sugar, Orange.

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BCS National Championship Game: LSU Tigers (BCS No. 1) vs. Alabama Crimson Tide (BCS No. 2)

Comment: Above all of the turmoil in the BCS, LSU cruised to victory against Ole Miss. The equation is simple for the Tigers, beat Arkansas and win the SEC title game, and they’re in the BCS title game. But that is certainly no easy task.

Alabama sat back and watched as chaos enveloped the BCS picture. A victory over Georgia Southern seemed like nothing Saturday morning, but without Oregon, Oklahoma State or Oklahoma chasing the Tide, they now hold the cards to a rematch in the BCS title game. Beat Auburn next week, and Alabama would be sitting pretty. And yes, that’s two SEC teams in the title game.

Rose Bowl: Oregon Ducks (Pac-12 Champion) vs. Wisconsin Badgers (Big Ten Champion)

Comment: Taking care of business since losing two straight games during the middle of Big Ten play, Wisconsin is now in control of its own destiny to make its way to a Rose Bowl. If the Badgers can beat Penn State next weekend, they’ll represent the Leaders division in the conference title game, where they will have a chance to make their way to Pasadena.

Oregon had the chance Saturday night to give the nation a taste of just what it could do, and stake a claim to a bid for the BCS title game. Instead, the Ducks faltered, as a late comeback fell short. The Ducks can still secure this bid to the Rose Bowl with a victory next week against Oregon State (which would clinch the Pac-12 North for the Ducks) and then a victory in the Pac-12 championship game.

Sugar Bowl: Michigan Wolverines (At-large selection) vs. Houston Cougars (At-large selection)

Comment: By losing both Alabama and LSU to the title game, the Sugar Bowl is in an odd situation. Usually, the bowl has the chance to replace an SEC team with another, but unless the two SEC teams in the title game prove to non-conference champs, the bowl’s hands are tied. They will receive both the first replacement pick and the second draft pick. Looking to first replace an SEC host with a crowd-pleaser, the bowl might select the resurgent Michigan Wolverines. If the Wolverines can top the Buckeyes next week, they’ll be a very attractive at-large selection.

With the second pick, the bowl might just try to grab some geographic crowd support and select the Houston Cougars. Houston is still in the driver’s seat for the non-AQ BCS bowl bid as the highest ranking non-AQ conference champion in the top 16. TCU would also have a chance at this spot if they can win out, but for now, the Cougars are riding high and would provide the bowl with a very interesting matchup.

Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech Hokies (ACC Champion) vs. West Virginia Mountaineers (Big East Champion)

Comment: Virginia Tech now looks the class of the ACC after Clemson took a tumble against NC State. The Hokies will of course need to win the ACC title game to get to the Orange Bowl, but if they are able to just that, and are not part of the BCS national title game discussion, they’ll be on their way to play for the oranges.

The Big East, not surprisingly, is a jumbled mess with just two weeks remaining in the college football season. For now, the team we’re going to go with is West Virginia. Only because their losses are more impressive, and voters are often inclined to give the Mountaineers the benefit of the doubt — important if the tiebreaker becomes the BCS standings. The Mountaineers are one of five teams in the conference with two losses. At this point, your guess is as good as mine.

Fiesta Bowl: Stanford Cardinal (At-large selection) vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys (Big 12 Champion)

Comment: Oklahoma State spent weeks in the BCS title game driver’s seat. But in classic BCS fashion, Oklahoma State slipped up just when the Cowboys were getting comfortable. Combined with Oklahoma’s second loss of the season, the Cowboys now are just in the driver’s seat for the Big 12 conference championship. A win over Oklahoma would give the Cowboys a bid to the Fiesta Bowl.

Stanford’s record, although battered slightly by losing to Oregon, will prove quite attractive to the Fiesta Bowl, picking first among the pool selectors. Even if the Cardinal don’t make their way to the Pac-12 championship game, if they finish the season by winning out, they’ll likely be a top-five BCS team and will command plenty of respect from the BCS bowls. Don’t be surprised if the Cardinal make a trip to Arizona.