It’s the last year before the four-team BCS Championship playoff,and what a wild year it has been – even up to the last weekend – with upsets and games that went down right to the wire.  Now that the regular season and championship games are over, it’s finally bowl season. There are plenty of teams that are going to be disappointed in the bowl games they’re playing in this year. First on that list has to be Alabama.  The Tide, winners of the last two BCS Championships and three of the last four, won’t get a chance to go for three in a row as a tough, last play of the game loss to Auburn in their last regular season game cost them.  Auburn, on the other hand, took their miraculous win over Bama’ into the SEC Championship Game and dumped Mizzou.  Another team that was supposed to make the BCS Championship game was the Ohio State Buckeyes.  The Michigan State Spartans broke the Buckeyes’ 24-game win streak in the Big Ten Championship Game. In defeating the Buckeyes, the Spartans clinched their spot in the Rose Bowl.  Florida State punched theirticket to Pasadena, California to play in the BCS Championship Game after shutting down Duke in the ACC Championship Game. The Seminoles will play the Auburn Tigers, who fell into this position after a fluke win against Georgia and what can only be called a lucky win against the Crimson Tide.  The Tigers owe one to Michigan State, as the number two Buckeyes were in line to take on FSU for the title.  I wish I could see a Crimson Tide vs. FSU championship as those are the two best teams in the NCAA by far.  The Seminoles have blown out every team they have played and they will continue that trend in the championship game. Auburn is not a formidable opponent for FSU. Famous Jamies, the Heisman favorite, will bring a championship back to Tallahassee.

In the NFL, week  15 has passed and the playoffs are only three weeks away. The playoff race is tight, and a lot of teams are still in the hunt for their playoff spot. The only team that has clinched their playoff spot is the Seattle Seahawks. Second year QB Russell Wilson hasn’t lost a game in Seattle yet, and the Seahawks are unbeatable at home.  If the Seahawks can clinch the #1 seed in the playoffs, they will be playing in MetLife stadium in February without a doubt. Not many teams can stop the Seahawks, and it looks like they will run away with the division. In the AFC, however, it is a toss-up.  The Denver Broncos have been the favorite in the AFC since the preseason, but they can be beaten.  I believe that the Broncos will win their division but will choke in the playoffs. The Indianapolis Colts or the New England Patriots will defeat Peyton Manning and the Broncos and end their Super Bowl hopes.  On September 6th (the day of the first NFL game), I predicted that the Colts would beat the 49ers in the Super Bowl, and I am going to stick with my preseason pick. The winner in playoff games is not always the best team – it’s the team with momentum. If the Colts and Niners can pick up some steam coming into the post season, they will be hard to beat.