So what was that blog I posted a few days ago ?
It was last week that I mentioned in this space that I saw trouble on the horizon--for the BCS, and in specific, the Big 12 Conference. I mapped out a doomsday scenario where the champion of the Mid America Conference would play its way into the top 16 of the final BCS standings, leaving the Big 12 with only one BCS bid. (It's true--check the earlier blogs).
However, my particular doomsday scenario had Kent State winning the MAC and popping up one spot to #16, the magic ranking number for non-automatic qualifying conferences. When Northern Illinois defeated Kent State in double overtime, 44-37, I thought the Big 12 was safe with two bids--and posted as much in a blog yesterday morning. Who would have guessed that BCS #12 Nebraska would not only lose, but would be embarassed by a 7-5 Wisconsin team in the Big 10 title game, 70-31. That victory--along with UCLA's loss to Stanford and Texas falling to Kansas State last night opened the door for Northern Illinois to rise six spots, all the way to #15, which placed the Huskies in the Orange Bowl, and left the Big 12 and, to be more specific, Oklahoma, which seemed headed for a Sugar Bowl date with Florida, out in the cold. The ripple effect that ensued dropped every school down one spot in the bowl pecking order. OU, figuring to go BCS, had to settle for a Cotton Bowl matchup with former Big 12 member Texas A&M. The Longhorns, who had thought they were headed for Jerry World in Arlington and the Cotton Bowl, dropped one spot to the Alamo Bowl to face Oregon State, the highest-ranked three-loss team in the BCS standings at number 13.
Listed below are all of the bowl matchups. These are no longer projections. They're official.
| BOWL | DATE | MATCHUP |
| New Mexico | Dec. 15 | Nevada (7-5) vs. Arizona |
| Famous Idaho Potato | Dec. 15 | Toledo (9-3) vs. Utah State (10-2) |
| Poinsettia | Dec. 20 | BYU vs. San Diego State (9-3) |
| Beef 'O' Brady's | Dec. 21 | UCF vs. Ball State |
| New Orleans | Dec. 22 | Louisiana-Lafayette vs. East Carolina |
| Las Vegas | Dec. 22 | Boise State (10-2) vs. Washington |
| Hawaii | Dec. 24 | SMU vs. Fresno State (9-3) |
| Little Caesars | Dec. 26 | Western Kentucky vs. Central Michigan |
| Military | Dec. 27 | Bowling Green (8-4) vs. San Jose State |
| Belk | Dec. 27 | Duke vs. Cincinnati |
| Holiday | Dec. 27 | Baylor vs. UCLA |
| Independence | Dec. 28 | Louisiana-Monroe vs. Ohio (8-4) |
| Russell Athletic | Dec. 28 | Virginia Tech vs. Rutgers |
| Meineke Car Care | Dec. 28 | Minnesota vs. Texas Tech |
| Armed Forces | Dec. 29 | Rice vs. Air Force (6-6) |
| Kraft Fight Hunger | Dec. 29 | Arizona State vs. Navy |
| Pinstripe | Dec. 29 | Syracuse vs. West Virginia |
| Alamo | Dec. 29 | Texas vs. Oregon State |
| Buffalo Wild Wings | Dec. 29 | Michigan State vs. TCU |
| Music City | Dec. 31 | North Carolina State vs. Vanderbilt |
| Sun | Dec. 31 | Georgia Tech vs. USC |
| Liberty | Dec. 31 | Iowa State vs. Tulsa |
| Chick-fil-A | Dec. 31 | LSU (10-2) vs. Clemson |
| Heart of Dallas | Jan. 1 | Purdue vs. Oklahoma State |
| TaxSlayer.com Gator | Jan. 1 | Northwestern vs. Mississippi State (8-4) |
| Capital One | Jan. 1 | Georgia vs. Nebraska |
| Outback | Jan. 1 | South Carolina (10-2) vs. Michigan |
| Cotton | Jan. 4 | Oklahoma vs. Texas A&M |
| BBVACompass | Jan. 5 | Pittsburgh vs. Mississippi (6-6) |
| GoDaddy.com | Jan. 6 | Kent State vs. Arkansas State |
| BCS Bowls | ||
| Rose | Jan. 1 | Stanford vs. Wisconsin |
| Orange | Jan. 1 | Florida State vs. Northern Illinois (12-1) |
| Sugar | Jan. 2 | Florida (11-1) vs. Louisville |
| Fiesta | Jan. 3 | Kansas State vs. Oregon |
| National Title | Jan. 7 | Notre Dame vs. Alabama (12-1) |





