Finally, after fourteen weeks of almost nonstop gridiron play, the 2008 college football season is coming to an end. Sure, after this weekend’s conference title games and league clashes there will be a two week pause before the sport’s “second season” begins, a two and one half week bowl season extravaganza.

But, before the first bowl games are played beginning on December 20th, certain matters must be tended to between now and then. That, my folks, would be this weekend’s games, some of which have a tremendous bearing on who plays where in the post season.

The following games are of varying importance, contests which may mean nothing to you but everything for players, coaches, and fans:

Louisville @ Rutgers – After a 1-5 start, the Scarlet Knights are bowl eligible while the Cardinals need to win in order to be considered for a post season game. Can anyone stop Teel and company?

Ball State v. Buffalo – At 12-0, Ball State must win this conference match up in order to maintain the possibility of appearing in a BCS bowl. A loss would be devastating while Buffalo goes bowling no matter whether they win or lose.

Pitt @ UConn – Both teams will going to a bowl, with the winner of this game seeing its post season prospects improve.

East Carolina @ Tulsa – Early on in the season, I had the Pirates as a surprise Top Ten team. Though they still have a good team, I think the Golden Hurricanes will score early and often when they meet for the Conference USA title game.

Navy v. Army – Forget their won-loss records – these two schools vie in a classic tilt, one that has been dominated by the bowl bound Middies for several years now. Can Army beat Navy? Yes, but they won’t.

Alabama v. Florida – The SEC title game features two of the top teams in the country. The winner of this game plays for the BCS championship. The loser still gets a nifty BCS bowl game.

Missouri v. Oklahoma – Missouri is the king of the Big 12 North, the Sooners of the Big 12 South. The question for this Saturday will be: can the Tigers hold Oklahoma to less than 50 points and still win? Not a chance – Oklahoma 58, Missouri 35.

Arizona at Arizona State – The Wildcats are already bowl eligible while the streaking Sun Devils need to win in order to possibly see some post season activity.

South Florida @ West Virginia – This was supposed to be the game that determined the Big East title, but neither team has proven much other than that are 7-4 and bowl bound.

Cincinnati @ Hawaii – Any kind of slip up from a team this weekend just above the #13 Bearcats could propel Cincinnati into a BCS game. A long shot, but something that’ll make this game against the 7-5 Warriors interesting to watch.

That’s it for the season. I’ll be watching the bowl selections fall into place this Sunday evening and report on key games between now and the BCS title game. Other than that, its getting time to focus in on Men’s College Basketball and whether the UNC Tarheels has what it takes to go the distance this season.

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Tags: BCS, Bowl Championship Series, bowl games, college football, college sports, Cotton Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl

For some college football teams the regular season has come to an end. All that is left is to wait for bowl assignments or, in the case of the Michigan Wolverines, a rare losing season means that everyone stays home come January.

Yet, quite a few teams will be seeing action this week, one that includes a handful of key match ups which will determine the post season standing for some. Two games were already played on Tuesday night, one will be played on Thanksgiving night, with the remaining contests scheduled on Friday and Saturday to take advantage of the long holiday weekend.

Let’s take a look at some of the more notable tilts, games which will go great with all of your turkey day leftovers:

West Virginia at Pittsburgh – The Panthers may have the national ranking (#25) but the Mountaineers have the best shot at the Big East title. Win and the Panthers still won’t take the Big East, lose and they’ll be relegated to a lesser known bowl. Both teams will still have one more game to play, WVU against South Florida and Pittsburgh vs. Uconn.

Fresno State at Boise State – Knocking off Rutgers and UCLA early on burnished the image of the Bulldogs, but they still have lost four games. Fresno will probably be invited to a bowl even should they lose, while Boise needs to keep their BCS bid alive by winning on Friday.

Georgia Tech at Georgia – Both teams are assured of a post season game, but before then some business needs to be taken care of. The Yellow Jackets represent the ACC while the Bulldogs represent the SEC, but that isn’t the most important thing about this game: who is the best team in the state of Georgia? This game could spell the difference as to where a recruit decides to attend school next year.

Miami at North Carolina State – Why would a game between a 7-4 Miami squad facing a 5-6 Wolfpack team matter? For the simple reason the home team could surprisingly find itself playing a bowl game later this month. Though a 6-6 team may not be much of an appeal to some, consecutive wins over Wake Forest, North Carolina, and Miami would bolster NC State’s position. Lose and they go home and Miami gets invited to a better bowl game.

Florida at Florida State – The Gators lone loss was a one-point heart breaker to Mississippi during the fourth game of the season. Since then, the Gators have done everything in their power to prove they are BCS championship material. At 7-4, the Seminoles have seen better seasons and an upset win on Saturday can ensure that they’ll win a warm weather site bowl even if the game is played in December.

Oregon at Oregon State – The battle for Oregon is on! Both teams are ranked, both are 8-3 with Oregon State making its first Rose Bowl berth since 1965 if the Beavers beat the Ducks. Should the Beavers lose, then USC goes back to the Rose Bowl with an outside shot for the national championship.

Oklahoma at Oklahoma State – Fresh off their 65-21 destruction of Texas Tech, the Sooners still think they’ll get to the BCS title game if they beat their cross state rivals and get to the Big 12 title game. Regardless of the future , at #3, the Sooners will give the talented Cowboys all that they can handle.

Even after this weekend’s games, there will be season ending contests and conference championships to watch, games which will also determine who plays where come bowl season. Yes, bowl season begins on December 20th, just two weeks after the official end of the college football regular season.

Adv. — Is your family experiencing a financial shortfall this academic year? Scholarships, grants, 529 money, and part time work may not be enough. Learn about private student loans by visiting SayStudent.com, your portal for college financial assistance. We have free tools for your download and updated information about current college financing requirements.

Tags: BCS, college football, college sports