BCS and Bowl Selections Will Be Finalized

The final week of the college football regular season will finally clear up two big issues - who's in the BCS national championship game and the bowl picture for 2006.

Ohio State is in. This we know. The unbeaten Buckeyes marched through the regular season with a 12-0 mark and the Big Ten championship. Their opponent in Glendale? That needs to be determined.

No. 2 USC (10-1) controls its own destiny - win and the Trojans are in. Standing in their way is cross-town rival UCLA, a team USC has defeated seven consecutive times. But rivalry games are scary and can produce upsets.

If the Trojans fall to the Bruins then No. 3 Michigan (11-1) or No. 4 Florida (11-1), if it can beat Arkansas in the SEC title game, will be the opponent for Troy Smith and company.

USC-UCLA and Florida-Arkansas are the dominoes that will put every other BCS bowl scenario into place. Included in that is whether LSU gets an invite to the Rose Bowl. Decision time begins on Saturday.

On Thursday night, Central Michigan (9-4) won the MAC championship with a 31-10 victory over Ohio University (9-4).

Redshirt freshman Dan LeFevour threw for 349 yards and three touchdowns and Damien Linson had seven catches for 191 yards and a TD to lead the Chippewas, who won their first MAC title since 1994.

Central Michigan tailback Ontario Sneed had two fourth-quarter touchdowns, including a 96-yard run that broke Chester Taylor's title-game record run by 31 yards. In all, Central Michigan outgained Ohio 457-224 and forced three turnovers while only committing one. Ohio was seeking its first MAC title since 1968.

Here's the Corners predictions for this weeks Top 25 battles:

USC (2) at UCLA
The Bruins won eight straight from 1991-98, the most consecutive wins in the series. The Trojans have won the last seven. USC has more talent from top to bottom , but rivalry games bring out the best in underdogs. The Bruins have been ignored by most so-called experts and Brent Musburger put USC in the title game last week after a win over Notre Dame and that ticked off the Bruins faithful. Look for the huge upset this weekend. Winner: UCLA.

Florida (4) vs. Arkansas (8)
The battle for the SEC championship features two high-powered offenses and solid defense. The Gators must stop Darren McFadden and Felix Jones to win this game and luckily for Florida fans, the Gators are fourth in the nation at stopping the run. Winner: Florida.

Louisville (6) at Connecticut
A win over the Huskies would give the Cardinals their first 11-win regular season. But they still would need help from WVU to win the Big East. Winner: Louisville.

Oklahoma (8) vs. Nebraska (19)
Hard to believe that this is the first time the two traditional powers have met for the Big 12 Championship. Look for the Sooners running game to take over. Winner: Oklahoma.

Rutgers (13) at West Virginia (15)
Getting a Big East title clinching win won't be easy, the Scarlet Knights are 0-14 all-time in Morgantown. Winner: West Virginia.

Wake Forest (16) vs. Georgia Tech (23)
The ACC championship battle features a Yellowkjacket squad that last won the ACC in 1998 and a Demon Deacons team that last did it in 1970. Jim Grobe has done an amazing job at Wake Forest, but look for Reggie Ball and Calvin Johnson of Georgia Tech to have big games. Winner: Georgia Tech.

California (21) at Stanford
The Golden Bears haven't won five straight over the Cardinal since 1919-23. Look for that to change on Saturday. Cal has won the last four by a combined score of 126-32. Winner: California.

Oregon State at Hawaii (25)
Colt Brennan has fired 51 TDs in 2006. The Beavers have 38 sacks this season. Can the Beavers get to Brennan before he gets to them? Yes they can. Winner: Oregon State.

Southern Mississippi at Houston
The Conference USA crown is up for grabs when the Eagles (8-4) meet the Cougars (9-3) in Houston. The Cougars bring a potent offense that's ranked sixth in the nation at 456.3 yards a game and 12th in scoring at 32.7. Houston QB Kevin Kolb runs the offense and has put up some impressive numbers - 3,165 yards passing and 25 touchdowns with only three picks. If Southern Miss hopes to win, it must put pressure on Kolb. Winner: Houston.

Army vs. Navy
Army-Navy is among college football's most storied rivalries. Navy has dominated the series recently; expect that trend to continue as Army's weak passing attack and porous run defense will be easy for Navy to exploit. Winner: Navy.

The Corner Lowdown:
Last week: 13-4
Overall: 163-39


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