TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Could Texas Still Be A No. 1?

ADVERTISEMENT

By JOEY JOHNSTON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 7, 2008

The Texas Longhorns (11-1), it appears, will not have an opportunity to play in the BCS Championship Game.

But if the right things break, Texas still can claim a piece of the national championship.

With Oklahoma (12-1) winning Saturday night's Big 12 Championship Game, the Sooners are expected to face SEC champion Florida (12-1) in the BCS title game Jan. 8 at Miami.

The Jan. 5 Fiesta Bowl, after losing its Big 12 anchor team, should select Texas to oppose Ohio State (10-2), a BCS at-large team from the Big Ten that has long been a favorite of the Arizona-based game.

What if Texas registers a strong showing against the Buckeyes?

And what if Oklahoma defeats the Gators?

The AP poll, no longer a factor in deciding the BCS championship, could decide to elevate Texas to season-ending No. 1. The Longhorns defeated the Sooners 45-35 on Oct. 11, but the Big 12 South finished in a three-way tie (along with Texas Tech).

It went to the fifth tiebreaker (BCS standings) and OU was ahead last week, so it earned a spot in the Big 12 title game. The head-to-head loss against Texas was not a factor.

The BCS bowl pairings will be announced tonight at 8 during the "Fox BCS Selection Show." Here's the remainder of the expected lineup:

•Rose Bowl, Jan. 1: Big Ten champion Penn State (11-1) vs. Pac-10 champion USC (11-1). Penn State coach Joe Paterno, the all-time Division I-A victory leader at 383, gets his second trip to Pasadena (the Nittany Lions beat Oregon 38-20 in the 1995 Rose Bowl). Had it not been for Penn State's 24-23 loss to Iowa - and USC's 27-21 at Oregon State - these teams could be meeting for the national title.

•Orange Bowl, Jan. 1: ACC champion Virginia Tech (9-4) vs. Big East champion Cincinnati (10-2 entering Saturday night's late game at Hawaii). Two years ago, the Orange Bowl had Louisville and Wake Forest. Now it's the Hokies and Bearcats, who should be the last BCS selection.

•Sugar Bowl, Jan. 2: If Florida is lifted to the BCS title game, SEC runner-up Alabama (12-1) will be the replacement choice. The Tide's opponent should be Mountain West champion Utah (12-0), which will make for an interesting clash in styles.

Locally, Tampa's Outback Bowl is expected to choose the Big Ten's Iowa Hawkeyes (8-4) and the SEC's South Carolina Gamecocks (7-5). It would mean a Tampa homecoming for South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, former coach of the USFL's Tampa Bay Bandits from 1983 to 1985.

The Outback likely can choose between Iowa and Northwestern (9-3) from the Big Ten. South Carolina looks like the only viable SEC East team for Tampa consideration.

The Florida State Seminoles (8-4) should be headed to Orlando's Champs Sports Bowl on Dec. 27 to face the Big Ten's Wisconsin Badgers (7-5).

The Miami Hurricanes (7-5) appear to be headed west - far, far west, actually - to San Francisco's Emerald Bowl against California (8-4).

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT