BCS Bowl Game Predictions

In the Rose Bowl, upstart Illinois will face a stern test against USC, in what will arguably be a home game for the Trojans. At the Sugar Bowl, BCS-buster Hawaii and its Heisman candidate Colt Brennan will face Georgia, a team that could be in the national championship game next year. And Oklahoma looks to avenge last year's stunning upset to Boise State in the same place, the Fiesta Bowl. In the feel-good matchup of the week you'll see Virginia Tech face Kansas while the party will end when Ohio State faces LSU for the national championship.

Rose Bowl - Pasadena, Calif.

#7 USC (10-2) vs. #13 Illinois (9-3)

Summary: The "Run for the Roses" features arguably one of the hottest teams coming into the bowl season, USC, fresh off a blowout win vs. rival UCLA, against formerly embattled Florida coach Ron Zook now working his magic with the Fighting Illini. From the looks of the game it seems to be a foregone conclusion that USC will put up some points. Illinois' secondary can be suspect at times. The Trojan defense is No. 2 in the country behind only Ohio State, but ask the Buckeyes if the Illini know how to play defense (the answer is yes, since Illinois gave Ohio State its only loss). Juice Williams, Illinois' quarterback will need a great day against the vaunted USC D in order for the Illini to have any chance.

Breakdown: John David Booty continues the long line of USC quarterbacks headed for the NFL. In critics' eyes it has been a disappointing season for the much-ballyhooed signal caller. Booty has battled injuries and was even replaced for a few games, but now he's back and after a 44-6 pasting of rival UCLA, all things are go in La La Land. Booty has the usual USC trio of receivers to throw to and the young stable of running backs are starting to come into their own as well. Illinois also has a young team and it just seems likely that their youth, combined with a rabid USC fan base that doesn't have to travel far, will propel the Trojans to a victory, though Illinois' big-game experience will make this interesting.

Prediction: USC 31, Illinois 20

Sugar Bowl - New Orleans

#10 Hawaii (12-0) vs. #5 Georgia (10-2)

Summary: What more can be said about Colt Brennan? Hawaii's Heisman candidate threw for nearly 500 yards and five touchdowns against Washington, a Pac-10 opponent, so critics of Hawaii's schedule can now insert their feet into their mouths and go to bed. The boy wonder has proven all he needs to. Now it's time for the Rainbow Warriors to show America (and not just those who stay up watching the team on ESPN2 in the early hours) who they are. But Hawaii, a team known for allowing a few points on defense will be going against the Bulldogs, a team that feels they were wrongfully left out of the national championship. I'm not sure where Georgia got that argument from, considering they're playing a team that went undefeated. While it's true Hawaii didn't play the type of schedule as Georgia, it is true that Brennan is the real deal and he's about to prove that on New Year's Day.

Breakdown: Hawaii and its run 'n' shoot offense will try to baffle Georgia's battle-tested defense that plays in the brutal Southeastern Conference against the likes of Florida and Tennessee. Hawaii has had great games against Boise State and Washington. But they have not played a team quite like the Bulldogs, who have a solid running game. The tossup here is twofold: Georgia has not played a pure passing team all year. Some SEC teams now operate in the spread offense, which favors the run. And neither defense is as potent as, say, USC or Ohio State, though Hawaii has shown a tendency to blitz often. So the game basically comes down to who can score the most points. If Hawaii gets going early and Brennan is lights-out white-hot, it could get ugly. At one point in the Washington game, he completed 20 in a row. On the other hand, if Georgia controls the clock with the run and keeps Hawaii off the field it could be close. In the end, though, you will see a game that resembles Boise State and Oklahoma, with lots of trickery and brutality.

Prediction: Hawaii 45, Georgia 38, 3OT

Fiesta Bowl - Tempe, Ariz.

#4 Oklahoma (10-2) vs. #9 West Virginia (9-2)

Summary: Oklahoma roars into the Valley of the Sun to do two things: avenge its heartbreaking loss to Boise State in last year's Fiesta Bowl and prove they're in the mix for next year. The Sooners destroyed Missouri in the Big 12 Championship, thus nullifying any conversation that they aren't the best from that conference. Next up for the Sooners are the West Virginia Mountaineers, a team on the rise after beating Georgia in last year's Sugar Bowl. West Virginia heads back into another BCS bowl while pundits say that again, they have no chance. They've been in this spot before, last year against Georgia. On paper this is probably the game featuring the two most evenly matched teams.

Breakdown: Oklahoma is led by its defense, but it's offense hasn't been too shabby, either. Sam Bradford, the freshman sensation, is the real deal and leads a balanced Sooners attack into battle. But on this night Bradford will be matched by West Virginia's Pat White, a hot-and-cold player who can be brilliant in the big games, especially with his feet. White has a stable of running backs to hand off to. The victory, however, will be given to the team with the best defense. Considering that OU lambasted Missouri and West Virginia has the No. 4 ranked D in the land, this should be a knock-down drag-out slugfest. But the Sooners come into this game after being humiliated in last year's Fiesta Bowl and they're looking for redemption. They'll get it and look forward to next year.

Prediction: Oklahoma 42, West Virginia 17

Orange Bowl - Miami

#3 Virginia Tech (10-2) vs. #8 Kansas (11-1)

Summary: Out of all the bowls, if you were a purist this would seem the least attractive. But there is a story behind the game that makes it interesting. Virginia Tech has been playing with some emotion this year, after enduring the terrible tragedy that occurred on its campus last April. And Kansas has been the surprise of the season other than Hawaii, with its fiery coach instilling a winning formula at a school that has been more known for its basketball tradition. In a way, it's sad that one of the teams will have to lose, but both are winning so much more just by being here.

Breakdown: The Hokies are the better team on paper, but this game will prove you still have to play. Kansas will try to resurrect its high-octane offense after losing a tight game to Missouri, derailing its hopes of meeting Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship. Virginia Tech has not been spectacular on offense and was creamed by LSU, the game that probably cost them a shot at the national title. But the game will likely come down to who makes the least number of mistakes and that team will be Kansas. The Jayhawks will erase years of mediocrity on this night, but just barely.

Prediction: Kansas 21, Virginia Tech 17

Allstate BCS National Championship - New Orleans

#1 Ohio State (11-1) vs. #2 LSU (11-2)

Summary: It's the biggest game of the year in the Big Easy and you know LSU fans are thinking that after the Buckeyes lost to Illinois at the Big Horseshoe, this will be a blowout in their favor. Nothing could be further from the truth. Ohio State has the best defense in the land and LSU's is ranked third. The Buckeyes also enter this game looking for a title this time around, after losing to Florida in last year's national championship. Though it could be argued that LSU may have more NFL-bound players on its roster the Tigers have lost twice. And once again for the national championship it will be Big 12 vs. SEC, which only happened because some higher ranked teams faltered in the stretch.

Breakdown: There is nothing spectacular about Ohio State's offense. They don't put up gobs of points like Hawaii and there is no breakout star. The defense is as good as advertised, with the only exception to their stellar season being Illinois. LSU has the capability of putting up points, however, and that, with a raucous crowd in New Orleans that will make it feel like a home game will be enough to lift the Tigers over the Buckeyes in what will likely be a very boring game. It will either be tight all the way to the end or it will be a blowout win for the Tigers, who simply have played better competition to earn their way to the big game.

Prediction: LSU 31, Ohio State 7