BOWL PREVIEW SERIES - THE BCS TITLE GAME

Sure, it doesn't have a fancy name like the Super Bowl, or even something catchy like the World Series or March Madness. And yes, we still don't have a playoff system. (Don't remind us.) But it is what it is, and what we have is a BCS Title Game, this season's version pitting the unbeaten Ohio State Buckeyes against the once-beaten Florida Gators. The matchup has been set for more than a month, and thankfully, it's about time for the top two teams in America to hit the field. So without further delay, it's time for the SCS.com staff to make their Title Game thoughts known, and suffice to say, there is little question as to which squad we expect to be holding the trophy when the evening is done. Read on as each football staff writer breaks down the matchup from his perspective!

BCS TITLE GAME - Ohio State vs Florida
January 8 - 7:00 PM CST FOX - Glendale, AZ

David | Gregg | Jonathan | Matt | Reed

DAVID'S THOUGHTS

Why Ohio State could win...

The Buckeyes have run wire-to-wire number one for the first time in the school's history, and replacing nine starters on the defense apparently was not a problem. No team outside of Illinois held the Buckeyes below 20 points, and the defense has only given up more than 20 once, that against Michigan. Florida has a good defense, but where do you begin to try and stop this offense? Troy Smith won the Heisman that Vince Young should have last season, and it is hard to imagine any team getting Smith out of his groove. He has two great running backs (Antonio Pittman and Chris Wells) to rely upon, his own legs in some situations, and a great set of receivers including Anthony Gonazalez and Ted Ginn Jr. to throw to. The defense has a good chance of stifling the Gators if mediocre SEC teams such as South Carolina and Vanderbilt can. The Buckeyes have everything they need, and it is just a matter of execution standing between them and a fourth January win in Arizona in five seasons.

Why Florida could win...

There are three primary reasons Florida can pull the upset and win the national title. First, Florida was champion of the SEC, which is hands-down a much harder conference to win than the Big Ten. The Gators are battle tested and are worthy of the chance to play in Glendale. Second, Florida boasts only the second offense with a pulse since September the Buckeyes have faced, and 39 points went up at home when Michigan came to town. As long as Chris Leak does not make too many mistakes and his main playmakers (all at WR) break a couple big ones, the Gators will put up some points and keep the Buckeyes close enough to win. Third and most important, the Gators and this game reminds me of OSU-Miami in 2002, or even USC-Texas last year. Both years featured an unstoppable wire-to-wire favorite who lost to the #2 team in the end. Florida, like OSU in 2002, has played a lot of close games, whereas OSU is playing the role of Miami in 2002 because the Buckeyes did not play many truly close games this season.

Why OHIO STATE will win the national title...

After seeing Ohio State in person seven times this season, I consider myself a bit of an expert on the Buckeyes. That being said, Ohio State won the national championship, in all likelihood, by beating Michigan on November 18, as the Wolverines are clearly a better team than the Gators. Both coaches are great, but Tressel has much more experience winning titles and big games. The comparison to 2002 might come in handy if the Buckeyes play poorly, but a comparison to 2005 might be more appropriate. Troy Smith is every bit as good as Vince Young was last season, and OSU will (just like Texas) ride him to another national championship.

GREGG'S THOUGHTS

Why Ohio State could win...

The Buckeyes have the best player in the nation in Heisman Trophy winning QB Troy Smith, the sixth Ohio State player to receive college football’s highest honor. As the leader of the OSU offense, Smith is 25-2 as a starter, and he tossed a school record 30 touchdowns versus only 5 interceptions this year. The Buckeye offensive line is rock solid, led by center Doug Datish, and if they protect Smith and give him time as they have done all season long, he is as accurate a thrower as anyone in the nation. Assisting Smith is a great group of receivers led by Ted Ginn, Jr. and Anthony Gonzalez, who are great at creating space down the field. One key aspect to the Buckeye success is that this team rarely makes mistakes, a reflection of its veteran leadership. Ohio State ranked ninth in the nation in turnover margin at +11 and only committed 4.75 penalties per game compared to Florida’s 8.46. With the majority of attention being paid to Smith and the offense, the Buckeye defense was tremendous all season, allowing 10.4 points per game and ranking second in the nation. The key to the OSU defense is excellent team speed that can be matched up with any team in the nation. The Bucks fly to the football and make plays.

Why Florida could win...

Although not receiving the national publicity, the Florida defense has been tremendous all season long and is a key reason why the Gators have earned a shot at the national title. UF is especially tough against the run, ranking sixth in the nation and allowing 74.5 yards per game while limiting opponents to only 2.8 yards per carry. The Gator front line is tough enough to handle the stout Buckeye offensive line and keep both Antonio Pittman and Chris Wells contained. Troy Smith will receive a huge challenge from a talented Gator secondary, led by Ryan Smith and Reggie Nelson who combined have 14 interceptions on the season, leading the nation in that category as a duo. Despite some Gator fans calling for Tim Tebow, QB Chris Leak put together an excellent season and is a great leader of this team. Leak is the Gators all-time career passing leader with over 11,000 yards, and he is also the leader with the lowest interception percentage as he rarely makes critical mistakes. A bit of a secret weapon for the Gators is athlete Percy Harvin who will need to be accounted for on every play. Harvin has become a major threat as the season developed and adds yets another dimension to the Gator offense.

Why OHIO STATE will win the national title...

The Gators have not faced an offense this season with as many weapons as Ohio State can put on the field at any time. In the last game of their season, the Buckeyes overwhelmed one of the nation’s best defenses in Michigan, putting over 500 yards of offense on the board against a Wolverine unit that was yielding only 231 yards per game after 11 contests. Smith is the game’s top playmaker and even when he is on the move, he has tremendous accuracy and is a great decision maker, rarely making a mental mistake. Florida does have major talent on defense, but the Buckeyes can create mismatches with their offensive options, either pounding away with Pittman and Wells or going up top to Ginn, Gonzalez, and Robiskie. The Gators will hang with OSU for a good portion of this game, but in the end, Ohio State takes home another national title and their second this decade after winning in 2002.

JONATHAN'S THOUGHTS

Why Ohio State could win...

The Buckeyes, led by Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith at quarterback, have been the country's best team all year long. A dominating win at Texas in week two of the season made the nation take notice, and the team never looked back from that point forward. In fact, their first single-digit contest of the year was on the road at Illinois in early November when OSU was caught looking ahead just a bit. After a hard fought, back-and-forth victory against Michigan, their spot in Glendale was locked. With one of the nation's top defenses, the country's most dangerous signal-caller, and an unblemished record, why shouldn't the Buckeyes' prowess continue?

Why Florida could win...

The Gators have to feel a little miffed. After all, their only loss of the season came on the road at Auburn in a game where the momentum shifted late on a very questionable call by the SEC officiating crew, yet many feel UF has no business being in this game. Wins on their resume include a road victory at Tennessee, a double-digit home win over LSU, and a SEC title game romp over Arkansas to cap things off. Whereas the Buckeyes' Troy Smith gets most of the pub, Florida seems to share the spotlight as they claim no real star player. Even well-known QB Chris Leak has shared time under center with a true freshman this fall. If UF gets it done, it will be because of a total team effort and the creativity of head coach Urban Meyer.

Why OHIO STATE will win the national title...

As mentioned before, Ohio State is simply the best team in America this season. While the Gators have had a tremendous season and have earned their way to this title game, they've still had far too many "what are they doing" type of moments this season, and the Buckeyes have proven they will take advantage of such occurences. The Gators won't back away though. I look for Urban Meyer to keep his team in the game well into the second half before Ohio State capitalizes on a UF mistake to put the game out of reach as the Buckeyes take home a ten to fourteen point victory.

MATT'S THOUGHTS

Why Ohio State could win...

The new and improved Troy Smith rarely loses big games. I won't count the 2005 Texas game because he started that game as a backup. Smith is 3-0 against Michigan, 1-0 taking on Notre Dame, and 1-0 against Texas. He makes mistakes only once in a blue moon, throwing just five interceptions all year. When needed, he can scramble out of the pocket, buying time and space. The Heisman winner is almost impossible to shut down. Just like Vince Young last year, it seems as if Smith will just find a way to win this game.

Why Florida could win...

Florida gets to play the underdog role in the title game. This should motivate players such as Chris Leak and Dallas Baker, who are used to being winners at Florida. Ohio State has not faced a defense with this amount of speed in the defensive backfield, so UF can keep up with speedsters like Ted Ginn Jr. and Anthony Gonzalez. Percy Harvin is a star in the making, an all-purpose freshman ready to shine on offense. If the Gators can slow down Ohio State's offense, they should be able to keep the game close. If the game is close, anyone can win.

Why OHIO STATE will win the national title...

Ohio State will win this game. They have a more explosive offense, opportunistic defense, and sturdy special teams. As long as the Heisman didn't go to Troy Smith's head and Percy Harvin is kept in check, OSU will win. However, Florida's defense will keep the game close. I expect a 7 to 10 point win for OSU.

REED'S THOUGHTS

Why Ohio State could win...

The Ohio State offense is about as good as you can make one. Quarterback Troy Smith is a dynamic playmaker who can make plays with both his legs and his arm. His receivers are excellent with Ted Ginn Jr. being the most athletic. The others make up for the lack of Ginn-like speed with excellent route-running capabilities. The running game is as good as it is going to get with Antonio Pittman and super-frosh Chris Wells carrying the majority of the load. The Buckeye defense is also extremely solid. Linebacker James Laurinaitis has been spectacular, as has the rest of the defensive corps.

Why Florida could win...

The Urban Meyer offense was good at Utah with sub-par athletes but is working wonders at the talent-rich SEC school in Gainesville. Quarterbacks Tim Tebow and Chris Leak have been extremely good this year, and the receiving corps is top notch. Freshman sensation Percy Harvin has been as good as advertised and has been a spark on the offensive side of the ball. Dallas Baker and Andre Caldwell have been reliable as well with 550 yards receiving apiece. If the Gators are going to win, they are going to have to bring their A-game and hope the Heisman curse holds true again this year. Troy Smith is a dual-threat player that is just an exceptional talent, and his play will be the key to the game.

Why OHIO STATE will win the national title...

Ohio State is going to be too much for the Gators to handle. Chris Leak and Tim Tebow are good, but the Ohio State defense may be the best they have seen all year. Troy Smith will have a great game, and the Bucks are going to bring the wood to the Gators. Look for a couple of picks and some sacks from the Buckeye defense as they beat the Gators by at least two scores.

BOWL PREVIEW SERIES - PART XII

Not only did the BCS National Championship move back to a week into the month of January, it brought along a couple of weekend games to warm us back up to college football after the New Year's bash. The underrated MAC has four bowl teams this season, and two of them play in these final two non-BCS bowls. The first bowl game will be played outside of the United States, is aptly named the International Bowl, and pairs Western Michigan against a Cincinnati team in transition. The GMAC Bowl in Mobile will showcase the best Ohio Bobcats team since the 1960's against Southern Mississippi, who - like the Bobcats - lost their conference title game in their most recent outing.

International Bowl | GMAC Bowl

INTERNATIONAL BOWL - Western Michigan vs Cincinnati
January 6 - 11:00 AM CST ESPN2 - Toronto

When Western Michigan has the ball...

The Western Michigan offense has not put up a lot of points this season, but the Broncos go as RB Mark Bonds goes. Bonds has 1082 yards on the ground and seven touchdowns this season, and he complements QB Ryan Cubit nicely. Cubit can be erratic at times, and Cincinnati might pressure him enough to cause problems. Interim head coach Pat Narduzzi is literally the last man standing after Coach Dantonio left with everyone else for Michigan State, and he will have the defense ready to go for sure (he was defensive coordinator). The running game will be hard to establish against the Bearcat defense.

When Cincinnati has the ball...

The Bearcats have five losses this season, but each loss was against a top-10 caliber team on the road. A lot of this success came from Coach Dantonio installing his players into a good system drawn from his Ohio State days, but now the offense has to work with completely new coaches. Cincinnati has a nice trio of running backs in Butler Benton, Greg Moore, and Bradley Glatthaar. These three should be the focal point of the offense, as the quarterback situation between Dustin Grutza and Nick Davila is unclear at best. The Bronco defense is great against the run, and the defensive line is great at both pass rush and run stopping. This side of the ball matches up to be a great battle to watch.

The deciding factor...

As in many other bowl games, the International Bowl will be decided more than likely on if Cincinnati overcomes the coaching transition and shows up to play. The Bearcats really could have won a couple of those tough road games this season, so the talent is definitely there. Western Michigan is set up nicely to stop the Cincinnati offense and take advantage of the Bearcat adjustments. On the field, the deciding factor will probably be whoever dominates the running game.

The staff says...

Ben David Eddie Ethan Gregg Jeff Jonathan Matt Matthew Reed
CIN CIN WMU CIN WMU CIN CIN CIN WMU CIN

GMAC BOWL - Ohio vs Southern Miss
January 7 - 7:00 PM CST ESPN - Mobile, AL

When Ohio has the ball...

Coach Frank Solich has turned the Bobcat program into a winner in just two years, and he's done it on the offensive side of the ball, primarily in the running game. RB Kalvin McRae produced 1215 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground as well as hauling in 29 receptions to help out the passing game. Hopefully Ohio has starting QB Austen Everson back from injury instead of backup Brad Bower, as Everson runs the ball better and opens up more options than Bower. Southern Miss has not been very effective on defense this season, especially against the run. This appears to open the door for McRae to have a huge day on the national stage.

When Southern Miss has the ball...

The similarities between these teams are striking, as the Golden Eagle offense also relies heavily on establishing the running game. Freshman RB Damion Fletcher has 1330 yards and 9 TDs on the ground this year, while QB Jeremy Young is like Everson in that he makes plays with his feet when the passing game gets shut down. Young has been far more efficient though, and Southern Miss can actually pass the ball. Ohio's only big weakness is their defensive line, which has lots of trouble slowing any good running game down. Just like on the other side of the ball, this matchup appears to favor the running game.

The deciding factor...

Whichever defense steps up to stop a couple of drives or stuff a couple of third and short yardage plays on the ground will lead the team to victory. Both quarterbacks will probably make mistakes, but both running backs will be counted on for big plays. There are more questions surrounding Ohio after Central Michigan shredded them in the MAC title game, so the defensive line of the Bobcats will be the X-factor in this one.

The staff says...

Ben David Eddie Ethan Gregg Jeff Jonathan Matt Matthew Reed
USM OHIO USM OHIO USM USM USM OHIO USM USM