Can Ohio State Really Win the BCS National Championship?

Will Ohio State be in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl? The answer is: it’s not that simple. Sure, Ohio State had a good season last year, losing only two games and they beat Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl, but can they win it all? Their first game of 2007 is against Northern Illinios, which is a definite gimme, but the second game and the deciding factor is against Texas, who they lost to last year 25-24.

Typically, I’m opposed to this match because I would rather see this in the Fiesta Bowl and not in the early part of the season. The NCAA people made this game in hopes that Ohio State will knock Texas out of the national championship picture and cruise on into the Fiesta Bowl. By the way, this is retribution for Texas upsetting USC at the past year’s Rose Bowl 41-38 and they hate to see Texas repeat (if they can beat Oklahoma and Nebraska and go perfect!)

After the Texas game their challenges are: Michigan, Penn State and Iowa (ok, maybe not Iowa.) Michigan is hungry for a Big Ten title and will tear through anything to get it and for the 2005 champs Penn State, whose 11-1 record (12-0 if it weren’t for Michigan’s last second touchdown) was the top in the conference and the best school record since 1986, when they won the national title.

Can Iowa beat Ohio State? No, but they will give State a run for its money and in a few years will be contenders for the national title. With that large salary the school awarded their head football coach, he better come up with something big. As for Notre Dame and possibly West Virginia, whom are also contenders, they both must work hard to have a chance at the title. As for the other teams on the bubble, Florida has too tough a schdule to win all of their games and Miami, FL is in the rugged ACC, with the likes of Florida State, Boston College and Clemson, who definitely won’t win any title and USC has to face a tough and determined Notre Dame.

If you’re rooting for Ohio State, good for you, and if not that’s ok too, but only time and the abilities of these teams will decide who will play in each bowl, including the Fiesta Bowl.