They are the most intriguing games, they are the least intriguing games. The top part of my tournament brackets, the section with top seeds LSU and Alabama, seems like four games just to officially stamp the tickets to the Saint Louis semi-finals for the Tigers and Tide. On the other side of the bracket, it seems like double the fun of the traditionally very anticipated 4 versus 5 seeds, because rather than a single 4 versus 5 game, to avoid a regular season rematch of #4 Stanford and #5 Oregon, both the games of #3 Oklahoma State versus the #5 Ducks and #4 Stanford versus #6 Arkansas seem like the toss-ups we come to expect of the 4/5 games. But it must be said, often the 4/5 games are big disappointments. You only have to go back to last season's Stanford win over Wisconsin in the least competitive game of the quarterfinal BCS Bowl round to see an example.
In the top half of the bracket, LSU will play the winner of Wisconsin and Clemson's game in Green Bay. I think this game will be more competitive than most people think, but I think the Badgers will win by 2.
In the other First Round game to determine Alabama's Sugar Bowl opponent, Boise State will travel to Pittsburgh to play West Virginia. The Mountaineers could put up a fight, but Boise State has too much experience and success in this tourney to lose. I say Broncos by at least 20.
If either Wisconsin or Boise State gets within a touchdown of their opponents in the quarterfinals, it will be a moral victory. A loss, but a moral victory. I say Bama beats BSU by 10, and LSU by 21 over Wisconsin in the Orange Bowl.
The other games will be less certain at the outset. CNNSI's Stewart Mandel likes Oklahoma State, but I think Oregon will win by 5 to advance to the Final Four. Oregon has had the tendency to not show up for some big games over the past couple of seasons. It seems like key guys get hurt and seem more than happy to call it a day. But this season, I think the Ducks want to prove something, although the Cowboys will put a fight. Whoa Nellie, this gad-gum game should be a good-un.
The other game of intrigue is Stanford-Arkansas. I see this game going two ways, an Arkansas blow-out, showing a combination of SEC West strength plus the fact that Stanford seems a little less than shiny since it beat SC. Or, I see Stanford pulling out a close one, as Andrew Luck rebounds with all of that Heisman hype over with. Stewart likes Arkansas, but I like Stanford by 1.
Saint Louis will get a twosome of SEC West/Pac-12 North semi-finals, with LSU-Stanford as game one, and Alabama-Oregon as game two.
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