SB Nation Bay Area - Stanford Slated For Either Orange Bowl Vs. Virginia Tech Or Fiesta Bowl Vs. Oklahomahttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48817/bayrea-fave.png2010-12-05T05:21:01-08:00http://bayarea.sbnation.com/rss/stream/16136462010-12-05T05:21:01-08:002010-12-05T05:21:01-08:002011 BCS Bowl Projections Consensus: Stanford To The Orange Bowl To Play Virginia Tech
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<p>Granted, listening to media experts on a regular basis is a fast way to make a trip to the poorhouse. But there seems to be an overwhelming plurality that presumes the Orange Bowl will go ahead and pick Jim Harbaugh, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/37738/andrew-luck">Andrew Luck</a> and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/stanford-cardinal">Stanford Cardinal</a> to head over to Miami, despite the (a) reasonably poor fan turnout for a bowl game, (b) horribly remote location from Palo Alto (Miami is at least six to eight hours by flight), (c) criss-crossing of locales between the other at-large team trying to figure out their destination, the Big East champion <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/connecticut-huskies">Connecticut Huskies</a>. Apparently the higher TV ratings should offset the lousy ticket attendance, which probably wouldn't be that much better for the small and young Husky football fanbase (and the strength of their team is...uhh...questionable).</p>
<p>List of writers that have Stanford in the Orange Bowl include <a target="_blank" href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/stewart_mandel/12/04/bowl-projections/">Stewart Mandel of Sports Illustrated</a>, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/bowls/predictions">CBS Sports's official projections</a>, <a target="_blank" href="http://dc.sbnation.com/maryland-terrapins/2010/12/5/1856074/bowl-game-projections-virginia-tech-orange-bowl-connecticut-stanford">Martin Shatzer of SB Nation DC</a>,<a target="_blank" href="http://www.mercurynews.com/sports-headlines/ci_16781265"> </a>Andy Hutchins of SB Nation,<a target="_blank" href="http://www.mercurynews.com/sports-headlines/ci_16781265"> Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.crimsonandcreammachine.com/2010/12/5/1855987/sooners-will-play-huskies-in-fiesta-bowl">Oklahoma's SB Nation site Crimson and Cream Machine</a>. As the local beat writer, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.mercurynews.com/sports-headlines/ci_16781265">Wilner makes the most compelling case for Stanford in Miami</a>.</p>
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<p>Orange Bowl officials, known in the bowl industry as an unpredictable group, will consider a variety of factors.</p>
<p>Stanford (11-1) has a better record, higher ranking and is viewed as a better television draw than Connecticut (8-4), in part because quarterback Andrew Luck is the projected No. 1 pick in the NFL draft.</p>
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<p>A Stanford-Virginia Tech BCS bowl does sound more appealing than what sounds like a Connecticut-Virginia Tech snoozefest, that's for sure. Think of it this way: When was the last time you paid attention to an ACC-Big East bowl game?</p>
<p>The list of writers that have Stanford in the Fiesta Bowl include <a target="_blank" href="http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/39922542/ns/sports-college_football/?ns=sports-college_football">John Tamanha of NBC Sports</a>, <a target="_blank" href="http://dallas.sbnation.com/2010/12/4/1855860/bcs-bowl-projections-tcu-to-rose-uconn-to-orange">JP Starkey of SB Nation Dallas</a> ... and the ESPN Family of Networks aren't ruling out the possibility of the Cardinal heading to Glendale. Still, even if this scenario occurs, it's not likely Stanford can lose that much with whomever they face. Both Oklahoma and Virginia Tech promise to be worthy adversaries.</p>
https://bayarea.sbnation.com/stanford-cardinal/2010/12/5/1856102/2011-bcs-bowl-projections-consenus-split-stanford-cardinal-virginia-tech-orange-fiesta-bowlAvinash Kunnath2010-12-05T03:01:56-08:002010-12-05T03:01:56-08:002011 BCS Bowl Projections: Stanford Cardinal Looking At Orange Bowl Against Virginia Tech Or Fiesta Bowl Against Oklahoma
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<p>There will be no National Championship for the 11-1 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/stanford-cardinal">Stanford Cardinal</a>; <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/2010/11/27/1839022/bowl-projections-oregon-bcs-national-championship-game-rose">Oregon and Auburn already sealed the deal</a>. There will be no Rose Bowl either; it's expected that they will invoke the rule where they can chose to select an undefeated non-automatic qualifier school, and that school will be the 12-0 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/tcu-horned-frogs">TCU Horned Frogs</a>, who should take on the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/wisconsin-badgers">Wisconsin Badgers</a> in the Rose Bowl.<br><br>Still, a grand consolation prize seems to be on its way. The Cardinal are expected to finish in the top four of the BCS and earn an automatic bid to one of two places. The Sugar Bowl is not likely to happen. They get the first pick of schools, and they'll likely take an SEC and Big Ten school. The SEC runner-up will take Auburn's place. That's likely to be <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/6810/ryan-mallett">Ryan Mallett</a> and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/arkansas-razorbacks">Arkansas Razorbacks</a> after they beat the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/lsu-tigers">LSU Tigers</a> and finished with the second best BCS ranking in the SEC. The Big Ten school figures to be the Ohio State Buckeyes, who will find themselves in a January bowl for the eighth time in nine years.<br><br>That leaves two choices. The Orange Bowl (which will be played on January 3rd, 2011 at 8:30 PM ET in Miami on ESPN) has the next available choice; they're obliged to pick the ACC champions, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/virginia-tech-hokies">Virginia Tech Hokies</a>, who beat up the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/florida-st-seminoles">Florida St. Seminoles</a> 44-33 in the ACC Championship Game. The Fiesta Bowl has the last choice (which will be played on January 1st at 8:30 PM ET in Glendale on ESPN), and they'll already take the Big 12 Champions, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/oklahoma-sooners">Oklahoma Sooners</a>, who narrowly edged the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/nebraska-cornhuskers">Nebraska Cornhuskers</a> 23-20 in the Big 12 Championship Game. <br><br>So that leaves the Cardinal and the Big East champions, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/connecticut-huskies">Connecticut Huskies</a>, to fret about their fate. If Connecticut had lost and West Virginia had won the Big East, you probably could have punched Stanford's tickets to Glendale, but Husky football fandom is far newer to this than even the Cardinal are--they've only been an FBS school for over a decade now.</p>
<p>It should be very interesting to see what happens, although I'm sure bowl directors are crying themselves to sleep tonight at all the potential lost ticket sales.</p>
https://bayarea.sbnation.com/stanford-cardinal/2010/12/5/1856065/2011-bcs-bowl-projections-stanford-cardinal-connecticut-orange-virginia-tech-fiesta-oklahomaAvinash Kunnath2010-12-04T17:12:17-08:002010-12-04T17:12:17-08:00Auburn vs. South Carolina, 2010 SEC Championship Game: 2011 BCS Championship Game Set
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<p>If anybody was wondering whether the <span class="caps">NCAA</span> investigation completion was a weight off Auburn QB Cameron Newton’s shoulders, the 2010 <span class="caps">SEC</span> Championship Game proved it. Cam Newton led the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/auburn-tigers">Auburn Tigers</a> to a 56-17 romp over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/south-carolina-gamecocks">South Carolina Gamecocks</a> and a berth in the 2011 <span class="caps">BCS</span> Championship Game against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/oregon-ducks">Oregon Ducks</a>. Oregon dominated the Oregon State Beaver in the 2010 Civil War an hour earlier to <a href="http://bayarea.sbnation.com/stanford-cardinal/2010/12/4/1855476/oregon-vs-oregon-state-2010-civil-war-2011-bcs-championship-game-one-participant" target="new">secure the other spot</a>.</p>
<p>Cam Newton was dominant as he threw for 335 yards and four touchdowns, while leading Auburn in rushing with 73 yards and 2 more touchdowns. Although most Heisman ballots are likely in at this point, it’s safe to say any remaining votes would be swung by today’s performance.</p>
<p>This offensive performance has to have folks excited about the potential fireworks on January 10, 2011 in Glendale, Arizona. The Oregon Ducks bring one of the best offenses in <span class="caps">NCAA</span> football history, while Cam Newton is arguably the most dynamic football player in the country this season. I’d imagine we’ll see quite a shootout.</p>
<p>This final result all but assures the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/stanford-cardinal">Stanford Cardinal</a> will be going to the Fiesta, Orange, or Sugar Bowl, with the Fiesta Bowl being the most likely. The Auburn and Oregon wins assure them of spots in the title game and <span class="caps">TCU</span> a spot in the Rose Bowl against likely Big Ten Champion Wisconsin. Stanford will likely be one of the last choices among the at-large teams and thus would potentially face the winner of tonight’s Big 12 championship game between Oklahoma and Nebraska.</p>
https://bayarea.sbnation.com/stanford-cardinal/2010/12/4/1855572/auburn-vs-south-carolina-2010-sec-championship-game-2011-bcs-championship-game-stanford-fiesta-bowlDavid Fucillo2010-12-04T16:01:53-08:002010-12-04T16:01:53-08:00Oregon vs. Oregon State, 2010 Civil War: 2011 BCS Championship Game Has One Participant
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<p>After a slow start in the first quarter, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/oregon-ducks">Oregon Ducks</a> were once again able to open things up on offense and had little trouble dispatching the Oregon State Beavers 37-20 in the 2010 Civil War. The win basically assures the Oregon Ducks of one spot in the 2011 <span class="caps">BCS</span> Championship Game to determine this year’s national champion. Oregon rode a monster rushing game that saw <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/37388/lamichael-james">LaMichael James</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/37392/kenjon-barner">Kenjon Barner</a> combine to rush for 267 yards on 43 carries. When you can average 6.2 yards per carry you’re probably going to dominate.</p>
<p>Coming into the game Oregon was ranked number two in the <span class="caps">BCS</span> standings after dropping a spot behind Auburn. Given the opponents the two teams are facing, wins by both Auburn and Oregon would likely leave the top two spots as is, meaning Oregon would be the road team in the national title game. Auburn is currently rolling the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/south-carolina-gamecocks">South Carolina Gamecocks</a> 42-14 in the <span class="caps">SEC</span> title game.</p>
<p>The Oregon win keeps them in the national title game and out of the Rose Bowl. Of course, given that Auburn is rolling, it doesn’t appear as though <span class="caps">TCU</span> will sneak into the national title game. Accordingly, <span class="caps">TCU</span> will be playing in the Rose Bowl and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/stanford-cardinal">Stanford Cardinal</a> will likely find themselves in the Fiesta Bowl. Stanford could end up in the Sugar or Orange Bowls, but given their travel woes, it’s unlikely.</p>
https://bayarea.sbnation.com/stanford-cardinal/2010/12/4/1855476/oregon-vs-oregon-state-2010-civil-war-2011-bcs-championship-game-one-participantDavid Fucillo2010-12-03T13:27:19-08:002010-12-03T13:27:19-08:00Oklahoma vs. Nebraska, 2010 Big 12 Championship Game: Potential Stanford BCS Fiesta Bowl Opponents
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<p>Although the fans down in Palo Alto can dream about the faint hopes of a BCS National Championship or the first trip in over a decade to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl Game, they should be prepared for disappointment. If the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/auburn-tigers">Auburn Tigers</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/oregon-ducks">Oregon Ducks</a> both take care of business on Saturday, they will in all likelihood be headed for another BCS bowl.</p>
<p>So if the status quo holds, it's very likely that the Fiesta Bowl will end up with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/stanford-cardinal">Stanford Cardinal</a> because they have the last selection. Since no other bowl will be that interested in taking Jim Harbaugh's fourth ranked team due to attendance concerns by their fanbase, they will end up in the bowl that <i>has</i> to take them. It'll put them in Glendale (which at the very least is geographically accommodating compared to Miami), and they'd await the winner of the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/2010/12/2/1851760/big-12-championship-game-oklahoma-vs-nebraska-preview">Big 12 Championship Game</a>.</p>
<p>The question is, who would Stanford rather face?</p>
<p>If you said Bo Pellini's Big 12 outbound <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/nebraska-cornhuskers">Nebraska Cornhuskers</a>, I don't believe you watch much college football. Their option attack is very similar to the type of offense Oregon showcases, eventually wearing down opponents with zone-reads and a variety of different rushing looks. Now remember that the Ducks eventually broke down Stanford for 52 points and and 388 rushing yards after being behind 21-3. Nebraska isn't as good as Oregon at running their system, but they're pretty damned efficient when they get going. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cfbstats.com/2010/leader/national/team/offense/split01/category01/sort02.html">The Huskers ran for over 3200 yards and nearly six yards per rush</a>, top ten in the country in both categories.</p>
<p>Then there's the defense. Although <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/9622/jake-locker">Jake Locker</a> hasn't had a great season, his worst game came against Nebraska by a wide margin (4 of 20, one touchdown, two interceptions). With Stanford being big on the passing offense, you'd guess that <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/37738/andrew-luck">Andrew Luck</a> would be a little worried about throwing into the Nebraska back seven (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.cfbstats.com/2010/leader/national/team/offense/split01/category16/sort01.html">18 interceptions, tied for seventh</a>; <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cfbstats.com/2010/leader/national/team/defense/split01/category02/sort01.html">145 passing yards allowed per game and a 94 passer rating, second in the country in both categories behind TCU</a>)</p>
<p>That leads to a potential rematch with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/oklahoma-sooners">Oklahoma Sooners</a>. Despite Luck being injured in last year's Sun Bowl in El Paso and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/9328/tavita-pritchard">Tavita Pritchard</a> having to generate offense against a stout Oklahoma front, it still came down to the final few minutes. Jim Harbaugh made a questionable decision to pass the ball on 4th and short instead of handing the ball off to <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/9320/toby-gerhart">Toby Gerhart</a>. Safe to say with a lot of Cardinal returning from last season, they'd be eager to win the rematch and pound Oklahoma to oblivion.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://friendsoftheprogram.net/2009/01/17/i-can-has-bcs-win/">Bob Stoops's teams have not done well as of late in BCS games either</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://cdn0.sbnation.com/imported_assets/604448/lolbob1.jpg"><img alt="Lolbob1_medium" class="photo" src="http://cdn1.sbnation.com/imported_assets/604448/lolbob1_medium.jpg"></a></p>
<p>via <a href="http://friendsoftheprogram.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/lolbob1.jpg">friendsoftheprogram.files.wordpress.com</a></p>
<p><a href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/imported_assets/604451/lolbob2.jpg"><img alt="Lolbob2_medium" class="photo" src="http://cdn0.sbnation.com/imported_assets/604451/lolbob2_medium.jpg"></a></p>
<p>via <a href="http://friendsoftheprogram.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/lolbob2.jpg">friendsoftheprogram.files.wordpress.com</a></p>
https://bayarea.sbnation.com/stanford-cardinal/2010/12/3/1852594/oklahoma-nebraska-2010-big-12-championship-stanford-bcs-fiesta-bowl-opponentsAvinash Kunnath2010-12-02T11:14:23-08:002010-12-02T11:14:23-08:00Auburn vs. South Carolina, 2010 SEC Championship Game: Stanford BCS Bowl Implications
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<p>On Saturday, Auburn and South Carolina will square off at Atlanta’s Georgia Dome to determine the <span class="caps">SEC</span> conference champion. While the 2010 Civil War between Oregon and Oregon State have <a href="http://bayarea.sbnation.com/stanford-cardinal/2010/12/1/1849861/oregon-vs-oregon-state-2010-civil-war-stanford-bcs-bowl-implications" target="new">potential implications</a> for Stanford, one could argue the Auburn-South Carolina game has a bigger potential to impact Stanford’s <span class="caps">BCS</span> bowl location.</p>
<p>This year’s <span class="caps">SEC</span> title game is a rematch of a hotly contested game on Sept. 25. South Carolina led in the third quarter but Auburn stormed back for 14 uncontested points in the fourth quarter to get the 35-27 win. Saturday’s game features Auburn’s conference-leading rushing attack against South Carolina’s conference-leading rushing defense. Auburn rolled up 334 yards rushing last time these two played so the Gamecocks will need to make some adjustments.</p>
<p>The other significant storyline is that South Carolina QB <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/10821/stephen-garcia">Stephen Garcia</a> is dealing with shoulder and thumb injuries. He was in a sling early in the week, but <a href="http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/dec/02/garcia-removes-sling-ready-to-play-saturday/" target="new">shed the sling on Wednesday</a> and appears good to go for Saturday. Given the nature of some shoulder injuries, it will be worth keeping an eye on Garcia after any hits.</p>
<p><b><u>Stanford Impact</u></b><br> As previously mentioned with the Oregon-Oregon State implications for Stanford, Auburn could lose to South Carolina and still play for the national title. In fact, Auburn would probably have a better shot at this if they lost to South Carolina than if Oregon lost to Oregon State given the respect the Gamecocks are getting in the polls.</p>
<p>However, if Auburn were to lose and drop out of the national title game, <span class="caps">TCU</span> would likely move into their slot. This is of major significance because if <span class="caps">TCU</span> moves into the national title game and Oregon remains in the title game, Stanford would then likely be selected to play in the Rose Bowl. As the <span class="caps">BCS</span> No. 3, <span class="caps">TCU</span> currently would play in the Rose Bowl because of rules regarding non-automatic qualifying conferences. However, if <span class="caps">TCU</span> is in the title game that rule is not applicable.</p>
<p>Thus, if Stanford fans are rooting for anything this weekend, it should be for the Ol’ Ball Coach to spring one more upset and lead his <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/south-carolina-gamecocks">South Carolina Gamecocks</a> to the win over Auburn.</p>
https://bayarea.sbnation.com/stanford-cardinal/2010/12/2/1851221/auburn-vs-south-carolina-2010-sec-championship-game-stanford-bcs-bowlDavid Fucillo2010-12-01T17:28:57-08:002010-12-01T17:28:57-08:00Oregon vs. Oregon State, 2010 Civil War: Stanford BCS Bowl Implications
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<p>As Stanford sits and waits for the announcement of <span class="caps">BCS</span> bowl matchups, there are several matchups this weekend that could upset the current <span class="caps">BCS</span> standings and throw a bit of a monkey wrench into the situation. One such matchup is the 2010 version of the Civil War between Oregon and Oregon State, a series Oregon leads 57-46-10.</p>
<p>While Oregon State needs a win to gain bowl eligibility, Oregon has slightly higher goals in mind. If Oregon wins, they lock up one of the two spots in the 2010 <span class="caps">BCS</span> National Title Game and would likely face either Auburn or <span class="caps">TCU</span> in Arizona after the New Year. Although the Beavers are hosting this year’s iteration of the Civil War, the Ducks are <a href="http://oddsshark.com/ncaaf/oregon-oregon-state-odds-december-4-2010" target="new">17 points favorites</a>. The Ducks have been rolling over opponents left and right, with Arizona being just the latest victim. Cal was able to hang close with the Ducks but that’s been about it as far as opposition this year. Stanford looked like they were gonna beat the Ducks but Oregon blew them completely out of the water in the second half. This may be a rivalry game but I don’t see <span class="caps">OSU</span> hanging in it for very long.</p>
<p><strong><u>Stanford Impact</u></strong><br> This is an intriguing game for Stanford because of the way the <span class="caps">BCS</span> bowl selection works. If Oregon wins, they’re in the national title game. If Oregon loses, they could conceivably remain in the national title game because of the space between them and <span class="caps">TCU</span>. If that happens, then nothing changes. However, if Oregon were to drop behind <span class="caps">TCU</span>, Oregon would then claim the Rose Bowl slot as Pac-10 champion and Stanford would continue on towards another <span class="caps">BCS</span> Bowl.</p>
<p>Where it could get interesting would be a combination of Oregon <span class="caps">AND</span> Auburn losing. Conceivably Oregon and Auburn could then drop behind Stanford and <span class="caps">TCU</span> and suddenly the Cardinal are playing <span class="caps">TCU</span> for the <a href="http://bayarea.sbnation.com/stanford-cardinal/2010/11/30/1845930/stanford-cardinal-oregon-ducks-auburn-tigers-tcu-rose-bowl-scenarios-bcs-national-championship-game" target="new">national title</a>. The odds of Oregon dropping behind Stanford seem slim, but it’s certainly at least a slim possibility.</p>
<p>The other potential issue is how an Oregon loss affects Stanford’s computer rankings. Stanford has some cushion over Wisconsin, but it may be possible (I can’t crunch the numbers) that an Oregon loss might hurt Stanford’s own <span class="caps">BCS</span> rating just enough to drop them to fifth. I don’t think it would happen, but you never know with the way these computer ratings operate.</p>
<p>To be safe, maybe Stanford should just root for Oregon to win. We’ll have plenty of updates through the weekend in <a href="http://bayarea.sbnation.com/stanford-cardinal/2010/12/1/1849605/bcs-standings-schedule-scores-stanford-eagerly-awaits-potential" target="new">our current stream</a>. We’ll be back later with a look at Auburn’s <span class="caps">SEC</span> championship game against South Carolina.</p>
https://bayarea.sbnation.com/stanford-cardinal/2010/12/1/1849861/oregon-vs-oregon-state-2010-civil-war-stanford-bcs-bowl-implicationsDavid Fucillo2010-12-01T15:47:31-08:002010-12-01T15:47:31-08:00BCS Standings, Schedule, Scores: Stanford Eagerly Awaits Potential Weekend Trainwreck
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/stanford-cardinal">Stanford Cardinal</a> completed their 2010 regular season last weekend with <a href="http://bayarea.sbnation.com/stanford-cardinal/2010/11/26/1837368/stanford-vs-oregon-state-cardinal-historic-2010-ncaa-football-regular-season" target="_blank">a 38-0 pummeling</a> of Oregon State. The team then received more help than they could have reasonably have expected as both Boise State and LSU lost in upsets. The defeats moved Stanford up to No. 4 in the weekly BCS rankings, with one week of football left for some schools. The number four rankings was pertinent because, due to their circumstances with Oregon potentially in the national title game, the rules provide for Stanford to play in a BCS bowl with an automatic at-large berth.</p>
<p>However, this final weekend of the college football regular season provides a whole host of intriguing scenarios. BCS No. 1 Auburn will face off with No. 19 South Carolina in the SEC championship game in Atlanta, Georgia. Auburn will be the favorite but you can never count out the Ol' Ball Coach. Steve Spurrier likely has a trick or two up his sleeve and will give the Tigers all they can handle on Saturday. Gamecocks QB <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/10821/stephen-garcia">Stephen Garcia</a> apparently <a href="http://southcarolina.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1158723" target="_blank">hurt his thumb</a> on his right throwing arm and his left shoulder as well. The coaches think he'll be playing Saturday, but this is definitely a tough blow. He was a key reason South Carolina almost knocked off Auburn early in the season.</p>
<p>BCS No. 2 Oregon will battle in-state rival Oregon State in the 2010 edition of The Civil War. One would imagine a rivalry game can bring out the best in the underdog, but sometimes the favorite is just too good. Oregon State could certainly shock the world, but after their performance against Stanford last week, I can't imagine the Beavers hanging in this one very long, even as hosts in Corvallis. Crazier things have probably happened, but at this point there's a reason Oregon is sitting as <a href="http://oddsshark.com/ncaaf/oregon-oregon-state-odds-december-4-2010" target="_blank">17 point favorite on the road</a>.</p>
<p>Losses by Auburn and/or Oregon could potentially impact Stanford's BCS bowl bid because of movement in the rankings. Right now Stanford is <a href="http://bayarea.sbnation.com/stanford-cardinal/2010/11/28/1841342/2010-bcs-bowl-projections-stanford-fiesta-bowl-orange-bowl" target="_blank">likely going to the Orange or Fiesta Bowl</a>. However, if losses created an Oregon-TCU national title game, Stanford would appear to be in line to go to the Rose Bowl. It's also possible, although unlikely, that Oregon and Auburn could both lose and somehow Stanford has the momentum to get boosted into the national title game. I doubt voters bump Stanford ahead of Oregon given their head-to-head matchup, but the carnage of that kind of fiasco for the BCS would be kind of amusing to see.</p>
<p>The weekend will also include the Big 12 championship game between Nebraska and Oklahoma. The winner goes to Arizona for the Fiesta Bowl while the loser likely ends up in a random New Year's Day Bowl. The ACC title game features Florida State and Virginia Tech, with the winner going to the Orange Bowl. The fairly putrid Big East features three teams tied for first, and all three wrapping up their seasons on Saturday. The three teams are Connecticut, West Virginia and Pittsburgh and it's my understanding that if all three win, UConn gets the conference title and accompanying Orange or Sugar Bowl appearance. While none of these games would have much impact on Stanford's own bowl bid, they would be of note because the Cardinal would likely face one of those teams.</p>
<p>We'll be here to provide plenty of updates this week leading up to Sunday's BCS bowl announcements.</p>
https://bayarea.sbnation.com/2010/12/1/2325536/bcs-standings-schedule-scores-stanford-eagerly-awaits-potentialDavid Fucillo