Bring on the Bowls!
Buckeyes and Tigers to battle in college football national championship game
Ohio State players celebrate their 14-3 victory over Michigan at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, November 17, 2007. (Photo: ©Eric Seals/Detroit Free Press/MCT/Newscom)
One of the most unpredictable regular seasons of college football ever came to an end last night, with the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Tigers of Louisiana State University (LSU) emerging as the top two teams. The Buckeyes will battle the Tigers for the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) national title at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, on January 7.
The Buckeyes are hoping to avenge their embarrassing 41-14 loss to the University of Florida in last season's BCS Championship. This is their third trip to college football's big finale since the BCS began in 1998.
The Tigers will be making their second championship game appearance. They won the national title on their home turf in their first championship game in 2003.
Who Decides Which Team is Best?
The BCS is a selection system designed to pit the top two teams in college football against each other in a national championship game, with the winner crowned the BCS national champion. The system also matches up the next best eight teams for four other BCS bowl games at the end of the season.
In addition to the BCS National Championship Game, the series also includes the Fiesta Bowl, Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl, and Sugar Bowl. While these games are played in the same location annually, the national championship game is played in a different location each year.
How the BCS system ranks college football teams is hotly debated among sports fans, coaches, and commentators. Currently, the standings are an average of percent totals, or points, from the Harris Interactive Poll, the USA Today Coaches poll, and six computer polls, which make their rankings based on slightly different formulas.
Despite the debate about the system college football bowl games have become major sporting events, with millions of television viewers. Here's a list of the major matchups.
Sugar Bowl: University of Hawaii vs. University of Georgia
New Orleans, Louisiana Superdome, Jan. 1, 2008
Rose Bowl: University of Illinois vs. University of Southern California
Pasadena, Calif., Rose Bowl, Jan. 1, 2008
Fiesta Bowl: University of Oklahoma vs. West Virginia University
Glendale, Ariz., Glendale Stadium, Jan. 2, 2008
Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech vs. University of Kansas
Miami, Fla., Dolphins Stadium, Jan. 3, 2008
BCS National Championship: Louisiana State University vs. Ohio State University
New Orleans, Louisiana, Superdome, Jan. 7, 2008
Send us your predictions for the upcoming college and pro championships.
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