Let's talk BCS matchups

DEACONTHN

Answer: Let's cause a riot and start by knocking 11-1 USC out and penciling the Trojans into the Holiday Bowl.

Pete Carroll, your thoughts again on the BCS?

It could happen, and in the event it does we might anticipate a datelined story out of the Bay Area on Dec. 8.

SANTA CLARA -- The San Francisco 49ers announced the hiring today of USC Coach Pete Carroll. He will join the team after the Trojans' game against Texas Tech in San Diego.

Here is one USC disaster scenario:

BCS title game: Florida vs. Penn State.

Rose: Oregon State vs. Ohio State.

Fiesta: Utah vs. Texas.

Sugar: Alabama vs. Oklahoma.

Orange: Georgia Tech vs. West Virginia.

How it happens: Oregon State wins its last four games and clinches the Rose Bowl bid. The final BCS standings end up Penn State, Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, USC and Alabama (Florida wiped out No. 1 Crimson Tide in the conference title game).

The Rose Bowl takes 10-2 Ohio State to keep its Pac-10/Big Ten game. It's a good game, actually. Ohio State hasn't been to the Rose Bowl since the 1996 season and Oregon State would be making its first appearance since 1965.

Texas, as Big 12 champion, automatically goes to the Fiesta Bowl. It plays Utah, the non-BCS automatic qualifier.

The Sugar, getting to replace Florida, takes Alabama.

Oklahoma is 11-1 but did not win the Big South but is ranked No. 4 in the final BCS Standings. Under BCS rules, the Sooners are a "must take."

No. 5 is the worst number in the BCS. It's like No. 4 in the Olympics. And No. 5 has been poison to the Pac-10.

If USC finishes No. 5, it could be like Cal and Texas in 2004. Texas knocked Cal out of the Rose Bowl that year because the Longhorns finished No. 4 and Cal finished No. 5.

Cal went to the Holiday Bowl . . . and lost.

In 2005, Oregon finished No. 5 in the BCS but got knocked out of the Fiesta Bowl by Notre Dame, an automatic qualifier by finishing No. 6.

Oregon went to the Holiday Bowl . . . and lost.

USC could finish No. 5 this year.

It could go to the Holiday Bowl and . . . ?

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Q: Why should USC root for Oregon State to lose? If SC wins out and doesn't get to the national championship game, it will certainly get another BCS game and the SC players don't seem that excited about going back to the Rose Bowl.