The gang over at Bucknuts.com has put together their annual consensus poll, taking in the data from as many as 14 preseason college football polls and ranking the aggregate.  The poll suggests Ohio State & Iowa to the BCS… Here is the link to the entire article.

Here is the ‘prediction’

Rose: Oregon (Pac-10 champion) vs. Boise State (BCS at-large).
Fiesta: Texas (Big 12 champion) vs. Pittsburgh (Big East champion).
Orange: Virginia Tech (ACC champion) vs. Iowa (BCS at-large).
Sugar: Florida (BCS at-large) vs. Nebraska (BCS at-large).
BCS Title–Alabama (SEC champion) vs. Ohio State (Big Ten champion).
Capital One: Wisconsin-Arkansas
Outback: Penn State-LSU
Gator:  Michigan State-Georgia
Insight: Northwestern-Missouri
Texas Bowl: Illinois-Colorado
Dallas Football Classic: Purdue-Texas Tech

Here is the Top 14, which is the cut off line for BCS consideration:

1. Alabama (11 first-place votes; 14-0), 346 points
2. Ohio State (1 first-place vote; 11-2), 329
3. Boise State (1 first-place vote; 14-0), 320
4. Texas (13-1), 276
5. Florida (13-1), 269
6. Nebraska (10-4), 253
7. Iowa (11-2), 238
8. TCU (12-1), 236
9. Virginia Tech (10-3), 232
10. Oregon (10-3), 228
11. Oklahoma (1 first-place vote; 8-5), 219
12. Wisconsin (10-3), 203
13. USC (9-4), 171
14. Miami (Fla.) (9-4), 141

I will tell you more about what the lines through the teams mean in a bit.  The listed records are from last year, not predictions for this year.

If it happened liked this, the Sugar would get the first replacement pick since Alabama is #1 and the Sugar gets the SEC’s top team, so Florida makes sense.  The Rose would get the ‘next pick’ but it really won’t be much of a pick at all, given the clause that says over the next four years, the first time the Rose loses a team to the BCS title game, they must replace that slot with a team from a non-qualifying conference if they are ranked in the Top 8.  Boise would be that team.

This year’s selection order then comes back into play, and it’s Sugar, Orange then Fiesta.  The Sugar already has Florida, a great regional draw.  They would choose between Nebraska or Iowa in this situation.  Bucknuts gave the nod to Nebraska, and it’s hard to argue with that.  However, Iowa has never played in the Sugar Bowl and they would send hordes of fans to the Big Easy.

If the Sugar takes Nebraska, the Orange Bowl is next.  The game is on a Monday night this year, not a Tuesday as it was last year.  Do they go with Iowa for back to back years? Do they possibly match Miami up against Virginia Tech, two members from these same conference?  No, the teams will have played on 11/20 in Miami Stadium.  Do they take the Big East champ here?  Iowa fans would hope so, but I doubt it.  Enter Wisconsin into the mix, who is in the Top 14 and has never played in the Orange.  I think they would jump up and take the bid, moving Iowa to the Capital One.

USC is ineligible for consideration, as would be Oklahoma here as Nebraska would likely get the BCS nod over them.  So that is the reason for their line.  I think Florida would get an invite, and the others with lines through them would be automatics through conference affiliation.

So while this look means nothing, it’s fun to consider in August before the season begins.  It also underscores the importance of rooting for Boise State or TCU to win out this year.  I don’t think Alabama will be playing for the national title for the second straight year, but I think Ohio State could run the table.  If one of Boise or TCU runs the table, and if Iowa has the kind of season the pundits are predicting, then a Rose Bowl bid for the Hawkeyes could happen.  However, if Boise or TCU isn’t ranked in the final top two but is ranked in the final Top Eight, the Hawks only ticket to the Rose would be to win the Big Ten title.  Not out of the question, but you’d like to have another option, just in case.

Tags: BCS, Big Ten, Big Ten Football, hawkeye football, Hawkeye Nation, hawkeyenation.com, Iowa football