Pasadena, Calif. – If Florida doesn’t jump Michigan into second place in the Bowl Championship Series standings today and play top-ranked Ohio State for the national title, “It’d be the biggest upset in BCS history,” said BCS analyst Jerry Palm of Collegebcs.com.
Second-ranked Southern California’s 13-9 upset loss to unranked UCLA here Saturday opened the door for No. 4 Florida to jump No. 3 Michigan into the coveted second spot. The Gators did their part by beating Arkansas, ninth in the BCS, 38-28, in Saturday’s Southeastern Conference Championship.
Pairings for the five BCS bowls will be announced at 6 p.m. MST today on KDVR-31.
Florida’s fate will be up to the voters of the two polls, which make up two-thirds of the BCS formula. Entering Saturday, Florida (12-1) trailed Michigan (11-1) by 86 points in the Harris poll and 40 in the USA Today coaches poll. Palm said if Florida cuts 29 points off Michigan’s lead in the Harris poll and nine off the coaches, “they’ve got a chance.”
It appears to be a good one, particularly with Michigan having already lost to Ohio State on Nov. 18, 42-39. A sampling of voters shows Florida is gaining momentum that should be reflected in today’s voting. Brian Dohn of the Los Angeles Daily News had Florida third behind Ohio State and USC last week.
“Right now I have Florida at two,” Dohn said, “because I don’t think it’s fair that Ohio State would have to beat Michigan twice. I know it was a road game for Michigan but that’s just the way the schedule broke. It’s not against Michigan. It’s in favor of Ohio State.”
The BCS’s third component is computers, where Florida also stood fourth but should move up with winning the SEC and USC falling.
If Michigan doesn’t go to Glendale, Ariz., for the title game, it will meet USC (10-2) in the Rose Bowl. The three other BCS bowls will likely be this: Louisiana State (10-2) vs. Notre Dame (10-2) in the Sugar Bowl, Louisville (11-1) vs. Wake Forest (11-2) in the Orange Bowl and Boise State (12-0) vs. Oklahoma (11-2) in the Fiesta Bowl.
