Buckeyes Await Bowl Fate

With the conference title games and last few regular season matchups set for this weekend, the Buckeyes will find out their fate on Sunday evening when the BCS pairings are announced. The 10-2, Big Ten co-champions are well positioned for the last BCS at-large, but nothing is set at this stage. What are the likely possibilities?

Fiesta - Much of the bowl speculation has centered around the idea of Big 12 powerhouse Texas, who missed a chance at the championship because of the conference tiebreaker, heading to Glendale. They could face undefeated Utah, a regional team that is guaranteed a BCS spot. Other possibilities include Ohio State, who has made a second home in Arizona, and Boise State, who could relive their win over a good but not great Oklahoma team.

But I'm not sure we're really looking at an OSU/Texas rubber match. BuckeyeGrove.com floated the idea that the Fiesta might pair Utah with Ohio State. The game would be a result of a backroom deal by the BCS and Fox, who would put Texas in the Sugar Bowl against the SEC runner-up. It seems to make a lot of sense from a financial and entertainment perspective.

Sugar - Should the Texas/Utah game come to fruition, the Sugar Bowl would be left with Ohio State or Boise State. There will be an outcry for the Broncos, who are undefeated and ranked higher than Ohio State in the polls and BCS. But let's be honest - there best win was against an Oregon team that was down to its third QB. And they're more riding the coattails of their win against an less than elite Oklahoma program a few years back. Does the Sugar Bowl want a repeat of last year's thrashing of Hawaii? Perhaps it would happen no matter what, as the SEC runner-up will be a monster favorite. But in this economy, I don't think the allure of OSU's fanbase can be ignored.

Capital One - This is the default bowl for Big Ten #2, and would be the Buckeyes destination if USC somehow loses to USC, or if undefeated Boise State is selected as an at-large. Georgia was thought to be the opponent, but Ole Miss is a dark horse. That said, all of the public momentum seems headed toward a BCA at-large. Buckeye fans might be disappointed with a trip to old Citrus Bowl, but a chance to start repairing their reputation against a wildly underachieving Georgia team has its benefits.

I think it's going to be the Fiesta, but the opponent remains up in the air. Check back on Monday for quick thoughts on the Buckeyes opponent. And if Boise State is excluded, we'll have some words for those acting like its an epic tragedy.