Possible BCS Title Match-Ups

After the BCS shakeup that occurred over the weekend, there are several scenarios that could play out to determine who plays for this year’s BCS National Championship, but in reality, there are just a couple likely scenarios and those are the ones we are going to take a look at today. Here are the two most likely match-ups and my picks for who would crowned champion.

Notre Dame vs. Alabama

We will most likely see Notre Dame play Alabama in the national title game this year. As long as ND takes care of a Matt Barkley-less USC squad and as long as Bama beats up on rival Auburn and then on Georgia, this is the game we will watch come January.

Who would win?

Of course, Alabama would benefit from its experience in the big game, but Notre Dame would actually match up quite well with the Crimson Tide. The nation’s top defense, which is allowing just 10.1 points per game, would likely limit Bama’s biggest strength, the run game. This would create a grind-it-out type game that Notre Dame would be very comfortable with, and the type of game they have proven to be able to win all season long.

But back to that experience. Would Notre Dame’s freshman quarterback Everett Golson struggle against such a stout defense and on such a big stage? Probably. But we’ve seen the Alabama defense have issues defending mobile quarterbacks in recent weeks (see Texas A&M) and Golson is one of those. Golson would probably miss some throws, maybe even throw a pick, but if were able to make just a couple of big plays, he would likely calm down and get his head into the game. Plus, he’s played in plenty of close games already this year and won them all.

Like everyone else, orginally, I was all about Alabama. I thought the Tide were the best team on both sides of the ball and they couldn’t be stopped, but after they were exposed by LSU and then beaten by A&M, we saw otherwise. I actually like Notre Dame in this game. So if these two meet, I’m betting for the Irish and you should too.

Notre Dame vs. Georgia

There’s little doubt that ND will take care of business and reach the promised land, but Alabama could easily lose to Georgia in the SEC Championship game, which would send the Bulldogs to the Natty. It will be tough for Georgia to get past the defending champs, but if it does, Notre Dame could be presented with a more challenging match-up.

The Bulldogs have one of the strongest offenses in the country and although Notre Dame has a stellar defense, the Irish might have problems dealing with the more balanced attack that the Bulldogs bring. In fact, Georgia might be the most balanced team in the entire country when you consider all phases of the game. The Bulldogs are currently ranked in in the top 40 in all major categories, including scoring, scoring defense, passing offense and rushing offense. And when you consider they’ve put up these numbers against mostly SEC teams, it’s all the more impressive.

Interestingly, I think Georgia would win this game, but I don’t think they’ll get there. They’ve just had too many problems against Alabama in recent years and although they are fielding their best team in years, I don’t think they’ll be able to overcome that history of losing to Bama.