Because I have too much time on my hands - is there an off-chance we end up in the Sugar Bowl?
Here's my logic:
- 6 conference winners:
- Championship game: Pac12 (Oregon) v. Big12 (Kansas State)
- Rose Bowl: Big10 (Nebraska) v. at-large Pac-12 replacement
- Fiesta Bowl: at-large Big-12 replacement v. at-large
- Sugar Bowl: SEC (Alabama) v. at-large
- Orange Bowl: ACC (Florida State) v. at-large - that'll be the Big East winner (Louisville) because Orange Bowl has last pick and Louisville is the least desirable BCS team
Teams that are likely to get in one way or another: University of South Bend, a second SEC team (for sake of argument - Georgia), a second Big-12 team (Oklahoma or Texas if at least one of them stays in top 14) leaving 1 BCS spot. If Rose Bowl takes University of South Bend and Fiesta Bowl takes the second Big-12 team and the second SEC Team, Sugar Bowl gets last pick for an at-large.
Of the top 14: top 4 teams are in, second SEC team is in, four out-of-luck SEC teams (max of 2 teams/conference), ACC champ (already in), Big10 champ (already in), second Big-12 team (already in), and 2 remaining top 14 teams.
Of those two remaining spots - if Clemson wins out (tough matchup against South Carolina remaining) - they probably get that Sugar Bowl spot. Stanford's in that last top 14 spot right now, and of the teams below us: Texas isn't eligible (3rd big12 team), a slew of Pac-12 teams (Oregon State, UCLA, USC), Louisville (already in), then a few possibly eligible teams (Louisiana Tech, Michigan, Rutgers), then rounding out the top 25 are two more ineligible teams (Texas Tech, OK State), and then Washington.
Obviously, lots of football to play, lots of things could happen. But, if we stay ahead of those Pac-12 teams and Clemson goes down to the other USC - could we be going to the Big Easy? Did I miss something obvious?