I will be giving detailed preview for each BCS bowl once every five days.  This is simply my initial reaction to the 2009 BCS selections.

Texas Longhorns vs. Alabama Crimson Tide

The much anticipated SEC vs. Big 12 undefeated showdown will become a reality.  With the final weeks and growing gap between #1 and #2 this week in the standings the question will be whether this year will be a repeat of 2001 when runaway leader Miami(FL) ran away from every other team or 2006 when Ohio State appeared to be head and shoulders above the crowd only to fall to to Florida in the National Championship Game.

Boise St. Broncos vs. TCU Horned Frogs

For the first time in BCS history two teams from at large conferences will participate in a BCS bowl in the same year.  Pairing these teams against each other will raise questions about whether this was a ploy to produce an easily dismissible game.

Some will say that one benefit of a BCS bowl for at large teams is the ability to face off against one of the top teams from one of the top conferences to prove their worth to the nation.

I would argue that TCU and Boise State have already proven to the nation that they each are comparable to any other team they could have played and they each have an opportunity to play one of the top of the class teams from 2009.

Oregon Ducks vs. Ohio St. Buckeyes

Ho hum.  The most boring of the BCS selections.  This will be a good game featuring the traditional champions in the greatest bowl game in the land, the granddaddy of them all.

Cincinnati Bearcats vs. Florida Gators

Cincinnati, despite a #3 ranking in the BCS standings, fell to the final BCS selection while Florida fell from the National Championship Game in Atlanta.

Can Florida do what Alabama could not in 2008 in keeping focus after a disappointing loss?

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Iowa Hawkeyes

The first thing that jumps out at me is that this game has Iowa over Penn St.  One of the two eligible Big 10 teams was going to get in and they fell here.

Eligible on the Outside

Penn St. and LSU lost to post conference members selected over them.  Virginia Tech's loss to North Carolina sealed the deal.  LSU lost to both SEC teams selected over them.  BYU's devastating home loss to FSU that made their selection unpalatable.

At the end of the day no teams were left out for a lower ranked team in the BCS at large selections for the fourth time in the BCS's twelve years.