Rvr2Bch
12-07-2003, 12:05 PM
Official announcement comes today at 2:30pm. This is what ESPN had to say this morning.
ESPN.com news services
Southern California's rise to No. 1 in the polls apparently will not be enough to give the Trojans a berth in the national championship game.
USC (11-1) made the jump from second to No. 1 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll and Associated Press media poll on Sunday, a combination of its 52-28 victory over Oregon State on Saturday and previous No. 1 Oklahoma's humbling 35-7 loss to Kansas State in the Big 12 championship game.
However, the Sooners are expected to hold their No. 1 position in the final Bowl Championship Series Standings. The standings and BCS bowl matchups will be announced later today (5:30 p.m. ET, ABC). The Trojans' BCS position -- they have been second to the Sooners for weeks -- was weakened due to losses by two of their opponents, Notre Dame and Hawaii, on Saturday.
That being the case, LSU is projected to be Oklahoma's likely opponent in the Nokia Sugar Bowl. The Tigers routed Georgia 34-13 in the SEC championship game and have the upper BCS hand over USC, according to ESPN's Brad Edwards.
Saturday's turn of events will allow LSU to finish eight spots better than USC in schedule strength. LSU now will be able to overcome a one-point poll deficit to USC, as long as it leads the Trojans in at least six of the seven BCS computers, which is expected to happen, according to Edwards.
USC's only hope was to jump to No. 1 and have Oklahoma voted No. 2 in either of the two polls, according to Edwards. USC, LSU and Oklahoma were 1-2-3, respectively, in both polls.
Since margin of victory is no longer a consideration in the BCS system, the Sooners will remain the top-ranked team in the majority of BCS ratings -- which in turn will enable them to stay in the top two of the BCS.
Edwards' projected matchups for the BCS bowls:
Nokia Sugar Bowl: LSU vs. Oklahoma
Rose Bowl presented by Citi: USC vs. Michigan
FedEx Orange Bowl: Miami vs. Ohio State
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Kansas State vs. Florida State
----------------------------------------------------------------
-Rvr2Bch
ESPN.com news services
Southern California's rise to No. 1 in the polls apparently will not be enough to give the Trojans a berth in the national championship game.
USC (11-1) made the jump from second to No. 1 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll and Associated Press media poll on Sunday, a combination of its 52-28 victory over Oregon State on Saturday and previous No. 1 Oklahoma's humbling 35-7 loss to Kansas State in the Big 12 championship game.
However, the Sooners are expected to hold their No. 1 position in the final Bowl Championship Series Standings. The standings and BCS bowl matchups will be announced later today (5:30 p.m. ET, ABC). The Trojans' BCS position -- they have been second to the Sooners for weeks -- was weakened due to losses by two of their opponents, Notre Dame and Hawaii, on Saturday.
That being the case, LSU is projected to be Oklahoma's likely opponent in the Nokia Sugar Bowl. The Tigers routed Georgia 34-13 in the SEC championship game and have the upper BCS hand over USC, according to ESPN's Brad Edwards.
Saturday's turn of events will allow LSU to finish eight spots better than USC in schedule strength. LSU now will be able to overcome a one-point poll deficit to USC, as long as it leads the Trojans in at least six of the seven BCS computers, which is expected to happen, according to Edwards.
USC's only hope was to jump to No. 1 and have Oklahoma voted No. 2 in either of the two polls, according to Edwards. USC, LSU and Oklahoma were 1-2-3, respectively, in both polls.
Since margin of victory is no longer a consideration in the BCS system, the Sooners will remain the top-ranked team in the majority of BCS ratings -- which in turn will enable them to stay in the top two of the BCS.
Edwards' projected matchups for the BCS bowls:
Nokia Sugar Bowl: LSU vs. Oklahoma
Rose Bowl presented by Citi: USC vs. Michigan
FedEx Orange Bowl: Miami vs. Ohio State
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Kansas State vs. Florida State
----------------------------------------------------------------
-Rvr2Bch