The 2011 CollegeBowlProjections.com Playoffs

Is anyone outside of Alabama or LSU fans excited about a rematch in the BCS National Championship Game?  I don’t think anyone would mind a playoff and the play on the field resulted in a rematch.  This is our playoff scenario that we wish was starting in two weeks.

Rules:

• 16-team playoff
• Any FBS conference champion ranked in the top 25 of the BCS rankings receives an automatic bid into the playoffs.
• The remaining at-large spots are filled by the next highest ranked teams in the BCS rankings.
• Seedings are determined by BCS ranking.
• First round games would be played on Friday, December 9 and Saturday, December 10, 2011.
• Second round games would be played on Saturday, December 17, 2011.
• First and second round games are played at the home stadium of the higher-seeded team.
• Semifinal games would be played on Saturday, December 31, 2011.
• The National Championship Game would be played on Saturday, January 7, 2012.
• The semifinal games and championship game are played at BCS bowl locations on a rotating basis.

Here are our first round games.

#16 West Virginia at #1 LSU – It’s a rematch!  I can see BCS lovers complaining about this game.

#15 Southern Miss at #2 Alabama – The Crimson Tide relaxed at home last weekend while Southern Miss hit the road and demolished previously unbeaten Houston.  Will the momentum continue in Tuscaloosa?

#14 TCU at #3 Oklahoma State – The Cowboys love the playoff because they now have a shot at the championship game.  TCU feels the same way since they weren’t able to qualify for a BCS game.

#13 Clemson at #4 Stanford – The surprise ACC champion travels to Palo Alto to take on the pre-season Heisman favorite, Andrew Luck.

#12 Baylor at #5 Oregon – RG3 gets to run and gun against the fastest offense in the nation.  Vegas will probably set the over/under at 85.

#11 Virginia Tech at #6 Arkansas – Instead of being shut out of the BCS due to the ridiculous “two-teams-per-conference” rule, Arkansas gets a shot at the championship like the rest of the top teams.  Virginia Tech must rebound from the beat-down they received from Clemson in the ACC Championship Game and prove they really deserved that Sugar Bowl invitation.

#10 Wisconsin at #7 Boise State – The Broncos finally get a chance to host a BCS-conference team on the blue turf.  We know about Boise State’s offense, but let’s see if Chris Petersen’s defense can handle the steamroller that is the Wisconsin offensive line and Montee Ball.

#9 South Carolina at #8 Kansas State – Bill Snyder’s Wildcats get to prove they deserved to be invited to a BCS bowl this year while hosting Steve Spurrier’s Gamecocks.

Playoff bids by conference:

SEC: 4
Big 12: 3
Pac-12: 2
ACC: 2
MWC: 2
Big Ten: 1
Big East: 1
C-USA: 1