Urban Meyer (Getty Images)
Joe Paterno (AP)
Tostitos BCS National Championship Game
Auburn vs. Oregon
Glendale, Ariz.
Jan. 10, 8:30 p.m., ESPN
What the game lacks in marquee names, it makes up in marquee offenses.
Auburn survived a brutal SEC schedule and allegations of illegal recruitment surrounding their Heisman-winning quarterback QB Cam Newton to make it to Glendale.
Newton led an offense that averaged 43.2 points per game — good enough for sixth in the nation, but still almost a touchdown behind their opponent.
Oregon RB LaMichael James, brings the country’s highest-scoring offense into the BCS Championship Game at 49.1 points per outing. Neither team boasts a dominant defense and will have an impossible time slowing up their opponent.
BEST MATCHUP
Rose Bowl
TCU vs. Wisconsin
Pasadena, Calif.
Jan. 1, 5 p.m., ESPN
TCU rooted desperately for either Oregon or Auburn to fall in the season’s final weeks so they could sneak into the title game.
Their cheers fell on deaf ears and the undefeated Horned Frogs with QB Andy Dalton have to settle for a spot in the Rose Bowl and a chance to prove they are deserving of their No. 3 ranking when they take on Big-10 champ Wisconsin.
Critics bashed The Badgers and head coach Bret Bielema for running up the score in an 83-20 stomping of Indiana and 70-23 thrashing of Northwestern. But Wisconsin had a tremendous season finishing 11-1, winning a three-way tie to claim their first Big 10 title since 1999.
BEST COACHES
Outback Bowl
Florida vs. Penn State
Tampa, Fla.
Jan. 1, 1 p.m., ABC
Who thought Penn State would be playing in a bowl game and they wouldn’t have the head coach who is stepping down?
While Joe Paterno, who turns 84 on Tuesday, plans on another season as the head coach of Penn State, his counterpart Urban Meyer,46, plans to make this his final game at Florida.
Along with a difference in age, the two respected coaches bring differing philosophies into the Outback Bowl. Paterno will try the ground-and-pound approach, while Meyer’s Gators use the prevalent spread offense.
BEST QUARTERBACKS
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SugAr Bowl
Arkansas vs. Ohio State
New Orleans
Jan. 4, 8:30 p.m., ESPN
Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett and Ohio State’s Terrelle Pryor (right) can both move the ball, they just do it in completely different ways.
Mallett guided the Razorbacks to their first BCS Bowl game in the school’s history. Mallett threw for 3,592 yards and 30 touchdowns for 11-2 Arkansas, whose only losses came against Alabama and Auburn.
While Mallett lives in the pocket, you can hardly find Pryor in it. The evasive quarterback had his breakout game in last season’s Rose Bowl victory over Oregon. He built on that this season to lead the Buckeyes to an 11-1 record while throwing for 2,551 yards and 25 touchdowns.
BIGGEST NAMES
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Sun Bowl
Miami vs. Notre Dame
El Paso, TX
Dec. 31, 2 p.m., CBS
Two of the nation’s most-storied programs will meet in Texas.
A trip to the Sun Bowl got Miami’s coach Randy Shannon fired, but it was seen as a positive step for Notre Dame in Brian Kelly’s first season — especially since the Fightin’ Irish were 4-5 after a loss to Tulsa. But they responded with three straight wins to get into this game.
BIGGEST MISMATCH
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Fiesta Bowl
UConn vs. Oklahoma
Glendale, Ariz.
Jan. 1, 8:30 p.m., ESPN
UConn makes its first trip to the BCS, where they will be rudely greeted by Oklahoma.The Sooners are 17-point favorites over the Big East champs.
BEST OF THE REST
St. Petersburg Bowl
Southern Mississippi vs. Louisville
St. Petersburg, Fla.
Dec. 21, 8 p.m., ESPN
Las Vegas Bowl
Utah vs. Boise State
Las Vegas
Dec. 22, 8 p.m., ESPN
Independence Bowl
Georgia Tech vs. Air Force
Shreveport, La.
Dec. 27, 5 p.m., ESPN2
Sports Bowl
West Virginia vs. N.C State
Orlando, Fla.
Dec. 28, 6:30 p.m., ESPN
Insight Bowl
Missouri vs. Iowa
Tempe, Ariz.
Dec. 28, 10 p.m. ESPN
Alamo Bowl
Oklahoma State vs. Arizona
San Antonio
Dec. 29, 9:15 p.m. ESPN
Chick-fil-A Bowl
South Carolina vs. Florida State
Atlanta
Dec. 31, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Capital One Bowl
Alabama vs. Michigan State
Orlando, Fla.
Jan. 1, 1 p.m. ESPN
Orange Bowl
Stanford vs. Virginia Tech
Miami
Jan. 3, 8:30 p.m., ESPN
Cotton Bowl
LSU vs. Texas A&M Arlington, Tex.
Jan. 7, 8 p.m., FOX
THE REST
Poinsettia Bowl
Navy vs. San Diego State
San Diego
Dec. 23, 8 p.m., ESPN
Hawaii Bowl
Hawaii vs. Tulsa
Honolulu
Dec. 24, 8 p.m., ESPN
Military bowl East Carolina vs. Maryland
Washington D.C.
Dec. 29, 2:30 p.m., ESPN
Armed Forces Bowl
Army vs. SMU
Dallas
Dec. 30, Noon, ESPN
Pinstripe Bowl
Syracuse vs. Kansas State
Bronx, NY
Dec. 30, 3:20 p.m., ESPN
Music City Bowl
Tennessee vs. North Carolina
Nashville, TN
Dec. 30, 6:40 p.m., ESPN
Meineke Car Care Bowl
South Florida vs. Clemson
Charlotte, NC
Dec. 31, Noon, ESPN
Auto Zone
Liberty Bowl
Georgia vs. Central Florida
Memphis, Tenn.
Dec. 31, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
TicketCity Bowl
Northwestern vs. Texas Tech
Dallas
Jan. 1, Noon, ESPNU
Gator Bowl
Mississippi State vs. Michigan
Jacksonville, Fla.
Jan. 1, 1:30 p.m., ESPN2
BBVA Compass Bowl
Pittsburgh vs. Kentucky
Birmingham, Ala.
Jan. 8, Noon, ESPN
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl
Nevada vs. Boston College
San Francisco
Jan. 9, 9 p.m. ,ESPN
