that's one sweet travel agent ugabuck :)
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Race to the BCS: Ohio State likely headed to Fiesta  
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By J. Darin Darst
CBS SportsLine.com Staff Writer
Tell J. Darin your opinion!
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      Notre Dame vs. Ohio State     [/FONT]
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      There, I said it.     [/FONT]
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      Now before all the Ohio State hate mail turns into Oregon hate mail, let        me explain.     [/FONT]
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      With just a few days before all the bowl matchups are announced, I've        finally given up on my Oregon to the Fiesta Bowl prediction.     [/FONT]
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      After working the phones all week and talking to numerous bowl        officials, the overwhelming opinion is that Ohio State is pretty much a        slam dunk to earn that at-large spot.     [/FONT]
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      Despite going 10-1 and a heavy pressure from Oregon and the Pac-10, the        Ducks are going to be relegated to the Holiday Bowl.     [/FONT]
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       <table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="1" width="45%">          <tbody><tr class="bg0">           <td colspan="2">             BCS Bowl Predictions           </td>         </tr>           <tr class="bg1">           <td>             Bowl           </td>           <td>             Prediction           </td>         </tr>           <tr class="bg2">           <td>             Rose           </td>           <td>             USC vs. Texas           </td>         </tr>           <tr class="bg2">           <td>             Fiesta           </td>           <td>             Notre Dame vs. Ohio St.           </td>         </tr>           <tr class="bg2">           <td>             Orange           </td>           <td>             Penn State vs. Va. Tech           </td>         </tr>           <tr class="bg2">           <td>             Sugar           </td>           <td>             W. Virginia vs. LSU           </td>         </tr>           <tr class="bg4">           <td colspan="2">             <center>               Complete Bowl                Predictions             </center>           </td>         </tr>        </tbody></table>      [/FONT]
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      Even though the Buckeyes will be making its third Tempe apperance in the        past four years, the thought of having two of the biggest programs in        the nation meeting for only the fifth time in history is too big to pass        up.     [/FONT]
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      Add in these three facts: John Junker, the head of the Fiesta Bowl,        rooted for the Buckeyes as a child; Fiesta Bowl CFO Stan Laybourne        graduated from Ohio State. Buckeyes A.D. Gene Smith used to be a Fiesta        Bowl board member.     [/FONT]
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      It's going to take a lot of money from Oregon gradutate and Nike        co-founder Phil Knight to overcome that trio.     [/FONT]
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      A few weeks ago, I really believed the Fiesta Bowl was going to cave to        the pressure of the Pacific-10 and pass on the Buckeyes.     [/FONT]
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      But the folks in Tempe can't afford to have another dog game. Since        1990, 11 games have been decided by 17 points or more. Oregon vs. Notre        Dame has the bigger potential to be a blowout than Ohio State vs. Notre        Dame.     [/FONT]
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      The BCS bowls are also not about giving bids to the most deserving        teams, they are about providing a matchup that will provide excitement        for TV ratings, fans and media coverage.     [/FONT]
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      Ohio State vs. Notre Dame does that in every aspect.     [/FONT]
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      I know many "average" college football fans and Oregon vs. Notre Dame to        them is ho-hum, while Ohio State vs. Notre Dame is a "big-time" matchup.      [/FONT]
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      Sorry Ducks, maybe next year.     [/FONT]
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[*]         The Holiday Bowl is waiting to see what happens to Oregon and the BCS,          but if Ohio State grabs that at-large, Oregon will most likely matchup          with Oklahoma in San Diego. If Oregon earns a BCS bid, the Holiday          Bowl will take UCLA, but not Oklahoma. The Sooners and Bruins already          played this season, meaning Nebraska is most likely headed to San          Diego. If UCLA upsets USC, the Bruins probably get the bid over Oregon.       
[*]         Florida State is looking at either a BCS bowl or the Champs Sports          Bowl. If it beats Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship, the          Seminioles will land in the Orange Bowl. If they lose, they will most          likely fall all the way to the Champs Sports Bowl on Dec. 27. The          Seminoles were most likely headed to the Peach Bowl a few weeks ago,          but a loss would give them four consecutive losses.       
[*]         With the MAC having only two bowl slots and Toledo already accepting a          bid to the GMAC Bowl, the winner of the Northern Illinois-Akron title          game will earn a spot in the Motor City Bowl. The loser will most          likely be left out.       
[*]         Nevada is bowl eligible for the first time since 1996 and is drawing          interest from three bowls. The Wolf Pack is most likely headed to the          Hawaii Bowl, but if Oregon earns the Fiesta Bowl slot, Nevada will          meet BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl.     [/FONT] 
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