Here are our second bowl projections of the season, which is the last with the BCS in place.
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The projection this week is that Alabama and Oregon will meet in the title game -- which is unchanged from our first take. In addition, the projection is the ACC, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC will have two teams apiece in the BCS. Notre Dame will be a BCS team if it gets to 10 wins, but that seems unlikely. In regard to their BCS eligibility, the Irish have a huge game this weekend against Oklahoma. A loss would be Notre Dame's second of the season, giving it little margin of error the rest of the way.
The first BCS standings of the season come out Oct. 20. The final standings will be released Dec. 8.
BCS rules stipulate that if a team from a non-automatic qualifying conference (C-USA, MAC, Mountain West and Sun Belt) finishes in the top 12 of the final BCS standings or finishes in the top 16 of the final BCS standings and is ranked ahead of a league champ from an AQ conference, the non-AQ team is guaranteed a spot.
Remember that a bowl's tie-in with a league doesn't necessarily mean it will get the third- or fourth-, etc., place team from the league; instead, it means it gets the third or fourth, etc., selection from that league.
All times listed are Eastern.
BCS MATCHUPS
BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Site: Pasadena, Calif.
Date: Jan. 6
Time/TV: 8:30 p.m., ESPN
Matchup: BCS No. 1 vs. BCS No. 2
Projection: Alabama vs. Oregon
Note: SEC power vs. Pac-12 finesse. It would be a fitting end to the BCS era.
ORANGE BOWL
Site: Miami
Date: Jan. 3
Time/TV: 8:30 p.m., ESPN
Matchup: BCS/ACC vs. BCS
Projection: Clemson vs. Baylor
Note: If the ACC champ is not in the BCS championship game, it is contractually obligated to go to the Orange Bowl. The Orange Bowl gets the first pick among the at-large teams. If Notre Dame is eligible for a BCS bowl, it's almost a certainty it will be the first at-large pick. But it will be tough for the Irish, given their schedule.
SUGAR BOWL
Site: New Orleans
Date: Jan. 2
Time/TV: 8:30 p.m., ESPN
Matchup: BCS/SEC vs. BCS
Projection: Florida State vs. Texas A&M
Note: The SEC champ is contractually obligated to go to the Sugar Bowl if it is not in the national title game. But the Sugar always wants an SEC team even if the champ is in the title game. The Sugar gets the second pick among the at-large teams.
FIESTA BOWL
Site: Glendale, Ariz.
Date: Jan. 1
Time/TV: 8:30 p.m., ESPN
Matchup: BCS/Big 12 vs. BCS
Projection: Louisville vs. Oklahoma State
Note: The Big 12 champ is contractually obligated to the Fiesta Bowl if it is not in the national title game. This season, the Fiesta gets the last pick among the at-large teams; hence, the AAC champ (Louisville) being picked to go here. Louisville went to the Sugar Bowl last season.
ROSE BOWL
Site: Pasadena, Calif.
Date: Jan. 1
Time/TV: 5 p.m., ESPN
Matchup: BCS/Big Ten vs. BCS/Pac-12
Projection: Ohio State vs. Stanford
Note: The Big Ten and Pac-12 champs head to Pasadena automatically if they are not in the title game. And even if one or both is in the title game, Rose Bowl organizers still crave a Big Ten/Pac-12 matchup.
THE OTHER BOWLS
NEW MEXICO BOWL
Site: Albuquerque
Date: Dec. 21
Time/TV: 2 p.m., ESPN
Matchup: Mountain West No. 4/5 vs. Pac-12 No. 7
Projection: San Jose State vs. Arizona State
LAS VEGAS BOWL
Site: Las Vegas
Date: Dec. 21
Time/TV: 3:30 p.m., ABC
Matchup: Mountain West No. 1 vs. Pac-12 No. 5
Projection: Fresno State vs. Arizona
FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL
Site: Boise, Idaho
Date: Dec. 21
Time/TV: 5:30 p.m., ESPN
Matchup: Mid-American vs. Mountain West No. 6
Projection: Ball State vs. Nevada
NEW ORLEANS BOWL
Site: New Orleans
Date: Dec. 21
Time/TV: 9 p.m., ESPN
Matchup: Conference USA vs. Sun Belt
Projection: Tulane vs. Louisiana-Monroe
BEEF 'O' BRADY'S BOWL
Site: St. Petersburg, Fla.
Date: Dec. 23
Time/TV: 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Matchup: AAC No. 6 vs. Conference USA
Projection: SMU vs. Middle Tennessee State
HAWAII BOWL
Site: Honolulu
Date: Dec. 24
Time/TV: 8 p.m., ESPN
Matchup: Conference USA vs. Mountain West No. 4/5
Projection: Rice vs. Wyoming
LITTLE CAESARS PIZZA BOWL
Site: Detroit
Date: Dec. 26
Time/TV: 6 p.m., ESPN
Matchup: Big Ten No. 8 vs. Mid-American
Projection: Arkansas State vs. Bowling Green
Note: Projection is Big Ten won't be able to fill its slot.
POINSETTIA BOWL
Site: San Diego
Date: Dec. 26
Time/TV: 9:30 p.m., ESPN
Matchup: Army if bowl-eligible vs. Mountain West No. 2
Projection: Notre Dame vs. Boise State
Note: Projection is Army won't be eligible. If it doesn't qualify for the BCS, Notre Dame has no set "fallback position." But this matchup would appeal to a lot of people on a lot of levels.
MILITARY BOWL
Site: Washington, D.C.
Date: Dec. 27
Time/TV: 2:30 p.m., ESPN
Matchup: ACC No. 8 vs. Conference USA
Projection: Pittsburgh vs. Marshall
TEXAS BOWL
Site: Houston
Date: Dec. 28
Time/TV: 6 p.m., ESPN
Matchup: Big Ten No. 6 vs. Big 12 No. 6
Projection: Michigan State vs. Kansas State
KRAFT FIGHT HUNGER BOWL
Site: San Francisco
Date: Dec. 27
Time/TV: 9:30 p.m., ESPN
Matchup: BYU if bowl-eligible vs. Pac-12 No. 6
Projection: BYU vs. Oregon State
PINSTRIPE BOWL
Site: New York
Date: Dec. 28
Time/TV: Noon, ESPN
Matchup: AAC No. 4 vs. Big 12 No. 7
Projection: Cincinnati vs. Northern Illinois
Note: Projection is Big 12 won't be able to fill its slot.
BELK BOWL
Site: Charlotte, N.C.
Date: Dec. 28
Time/TV: 3:20 p.m., ESPN
Matchup: AAC No. 3 vs. ACC No. 5
Projection: Rutgers vs. North Carolina
RUSSELL ATHLETIC BOWL
Site: Orlando
Date: Dec. 28
Time/TV: 6:45 p.m., ESPN
Matchup: AAC No. 2 vs. ACC No. 3
Projection: UCF vs. Maryland
BUFFALO WILD WINGS BOWL
Site: Tempe, Ariz.
Date: Dec. 28
Time/TV: 10:15 p.m., ESPN
Matchup: Big Ten No. 4 vs. Big 12 No. 4
Projection: Northwestern vs. Texas
ARMED FORCES BOWL
Site: Fort Worth, Texas
Date: Dec. 30
Time/TV: 11:45 a.m., ESPN
Matchup: Mountain West No. 3 vs. Navy if bowl-eligible
Projection: Utah State vs. Navy
MUSIC CITY BOWL
Site: Nashville
Date: Dec. 30
Time/TV: 3:15 p.m., ESPN
Matchup: ACC No. 6 vs. SEC No. 7
Projection: Georgia Tech vs. Auburn
ALAMO BOWL
Site: San Antonio
Date: Dec. 30
Time/TV: 6:45 p.m., ESPN
Matchup: Big 12 No. 3 vs. Pac-12 No. 2
Projection: Oklahoma vs. UCLA
HOLIDAY BOWL
Site: San Diego
Date: Dec. 30
Time/TV: 10:15 p.m., ESPN
Matchup: Big 12 No. 5 vs. Pac-12 No. 3
Projection: TCU vs. Washington
ADVOCARE V100 BOWL
Site: Shreveport, La.
Date: Dec. 31
Time/TV: 12:30 p.m., ESPN
Matchup: ACC No. 7 vs. SEC No. 10
Projection: NC State vs. Ohio
Note: This formerly was known as the Independence Bowl. Projection is the SEC won't be able to fill its slot.
SUN BOWL
Site: El Paso, Texas
Date: Dec. 31
Time/TV: 2 p.m., CBS
Matchup: ACC No. 4 vs. Pac-12 No. 4
Projection: Virginia Tech vs. Washington
LIBERTY BOWL
Site: Memphis
Date: Dec. 31
Time/TV: 4 p.m., ESPN
Matchup: Conference USA No. 1 vs. SEC No. 8 or 9/AAC No. 6
Projection: East Carolina vs. Missouri
CHICK-FIL-A BOWL
Site: Atlanta
Date: Dec. 31
Time/TV: 8 p.m., ESPN
Matchup: ACC No. 2 vs. SEC No. 5
Projection: Miami vs. South Carolina
HEART OF DALLAS BOWL
Site: Dallas
Date: Jan. 1
Time/TV: Noon, ESPNU
Matchup: Big Ten No. 7 vs. Conference USA
Projection: Iowa vs. Tulsa
GATOR BOWL
Site: Jacksonville
Date: Jan. 1
Time/TV: Noon, ESPN2
Matchup: Big Ten No. 5 vs. SEC No. 6
Projection: Nebraska vs. Florida
CAPITAL ONE BOWL
Site: Orlando
Date: Jan. 1
Time/TV: 1 p.m., ABC
Matchup: Big Ten No. 2 vs. SEC No. 2
Projection: Michigan vs. Georgia
OUTBACK BOWL
Site: Tampa
Date: Jan. 1
Time/TV: 1 p.m., ESPN
Matchup: Big Ten No. 3 vs. SEC No. 3/4
Projection: Wisconsin vs. Ole Miss
COTTON BOWL
Site: Arlington, Texas
Date: Jan. 3
Time/TV: 7:30 p.m., Fox
Matchup: Big 12 No. 2 vs. SEC No. 3/4
Projection: Texas Tech vs. LSU
BBVA COMPASS BOWL
Site: Birmingham, Ala.
Date: Jan. 4
Time/TV: 1 p.m., ESPN
Matchup: AAC No. 5 vs. SEC No. 8/9
Projection: Houston vs. Vanderbilt
GODADDY.COM BOWL
Site: Mobile, Ala.
Date: Jan. 5
Time/TV: 9 p.m., ESPN
Matchup: Mid-American vs. Sun Belt
Projection: Toledo vs. Louisiana-Lafayette
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
