Beavers, Bearcats try to fill BCS spots

Twenty-two teams still have a shot to fill nine remaining open spots in the Bowl Championship Series.

That's what the news release from the Bowl Championship Series said, but in reality its 21 teams for eight spots. Utah's BCS bid doesn't become official until the final standings come out on Dec. 7 and the Utes, who are in sixth place, are in the top 12. That's a formality.

Seventeen of those BCS eligible teams play this weekend, in a college football feast starting Thursday night when Texas hosts rival Texas A&M.

Cincinnati and Oregon State can join Penn State and Utah in the BCS lineup Saturday, maybe sooner in the Bearcats' case.

The Bearcats can win their first Big East title by beating last-place Syracuse on Saturday in the Queen City. The Orange won last week at Notre Dame, but this is a big step up in class.

West Virginia could make the Cincinnati game moot by losing at Pittsburgh on Friday night, giving the conference crown to the Bearcats.

Oregon State needs a victory in the Civil War Rivalry against Oregon in Corvallis to secure its second trip to the BCS. The Beavers played in the 2001 Fiesta Bowl, drubbing Notre Dame 41-9 with Dennis Erickson as coach and Chad Johnson (now Ocho Cinco) and T. J. Houshmandzadeh at receiver.

This time around, it's Rose Bowl or Bust for the Beavers, who haven't played in the Granddaddy of Them All since 1965.

Southern California would be the beneficiary of a Ducks upset —though the Trojans are likely to land on their feet no matter what happens with the Beavers.

The Trojans, who lost to Oregon State in September, need only to beat UCLA on Dec. 6 to be outright Pac-10 champions if the Beavers stumble.

This weekend, USC tunes up by playing Notre Dame in the Coliseum. With two victories, the Trojans are a lock to receive an at-large bid to the BCS, though they could be relegated to the Fiesta Bowl. That's not exactly slumming it.

Or USC could end up in the national title game with some help.

The BCS deemed six teams — not including Utah — with no chance to win an automatic berth but still under consideration for a BCS at-large bid.

While Boise State, Ball State, Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma State and Texas Christian were surely happy to know the BCS thinks they're special, the reality is only the Buckeyes have a realistic chance to play in one of the four marquee bowl games.