Orange bowl who is playing

Winning the bowl game almost always puts the winner ahead of the competition the following year. These bowls include six out of the 10 oldest bowl games.

The rotation is set in three-year cycles. The system replaced the Bowl Championship Series. College football rankings grudgingly admit new teams, and conservative football analysts always favor the more experienced and successful teams. They did. Perennial football powerhouse Clemson surprised everyone by handily beating previously undefeated Alabama in the to claim its second national championship.

There are now several undefeated teams among the top 25, so look for the Cincinnati Bearcats in the Orange Bowl. Ohio State and Oklahoma also rank near the top as perennial favorites of Las Vegas handicappers. Making predictions requires a thick skin when some of your choices immediately lose their next scheduled game.

You need nerves of steel and the flexible ability to adopt a new team as your absolute favorite. As of mid-October, the list of undefeated teams in the running for playoff spots includes:. Admittedly, the season is just half over. After the loss to Tennessee at the end of the regular season, I wasn't sure if the Gators would play inspired football against Maryland, but they did indeed.

Steve Spurrier and his staff deserve a lot of credit for motivating the Gators and getting them ready play like champions in a BCS bowl game. Brock Berlin turned in an adequate performance, but Number 8 looked downright unfair. With yards and four touchdowns, Rex Grossman clearly blocked out the distractions surrounding his being benched for missing curfew. Grossman was mentally and physically prepared to command his offense and he had one of his best games of the season in front of the Orange Bowl crowd.

Maryland was just too slow to matchup with the Gators Wednesday night. The blitzing defense that worked well for the Terps in the ACC championship backfired against Florida's sophisticated passing scheme. It is very important for the Terps to walk away from this season with their head held high, enjoying the success they achieved in their first season under Ralph Friedgen. They need to be ready to compete again come next August, so they can show the recruiting class and the country that this season was not a fluke.

Although Florida has a number of players returning next year, expect some of them to depart for the NFL. Regardless, Florida will be one of the top teams in the country in the preseason, led by Heisman front-runner Grossman.