South Carolina didn't do Stanford any favors in yesterday's SEC Championship, so the Cardinal will not be going to the Rose Bowl. You can forget about the BCS National Championship Game, too. The Cardinal is likely headed to the Orange Bowl or Fiesta Bowl following an upset-less final weekend of the college football regular season.
UConn kicked a late field goal to beat South Florida and clinch the Big East's automatic BCS bid, which may have increased the chances that Stanford heads to Miami. Assuming Stanford remains in the top four of the final BCS standings and the Sugar Bowl pairs Ohio State against Arkansas, the Orange Bowl will be forced to choose between Stanford and UConn. Had the Huskies lost yesterday, West Virginia would have won the Big East, and it would've been a no-brainer for the Orange Bowl to take the Mountaineers. WVU's fans travel very well, and a West Virginia-Virginia Tech would have some national television appeal, too. Now it's not so obvious. UConn would likely bring more fans to Miami, but Stanford would probably attract more viewers. Whichever team the Orange Bowl doesn't select is headed to the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz., where Big 12 Champion Oklahoma awaits.
Jon Wilner notes that Orange Bowl officials are an unpredictable bunch and will be choosing between ticket sales and TV ratings. Meanwhile, a group of Stanford fans created a Facebook event to reiterate their preference for the Fiesta Bowl.
The final BCS standings and bowl pairings will be announced at 5:15 PST today.