Talking with my dad the other day, we discussed the Minnesota Gophers bowl chances. #3 Penn State (9-0 overall, 5-0 Big Ten) is likely to win the conference and if they stay undefeated and somehow slip into the BCS #2 spot and play in the national championship game, then that will leave the Rose Bowl - traditionally a Pac 10-versus-Big Ten game - open. If Minnesota wins the rest of its games, which is definitely doable with no ranked opponents (Northwestern (2-2 in the conf), Michigan (1-3), Wisconsin (1-4), Iowa (2-2)) and all games but one at home, and then the teams ahead of Minnesota lose a game (Michigan State has to play Penn State, and Michigan would have to pull off a miracle against #12 Ohio State), then Minnesota would slip into the Rose Bowl! And play USC… Long shot, yes, but stranger things have happened!

Now, a more likely scenario is that Penn State goes undefeated but gets left out of the BCS title game because Texas and Alabama win out too. So Penn State goes to the Rose Bowl against USC (and loses), Michigan State loses to Penn State, Ohio State beats Michigan and maybe slips into one of the BCS at-large spots, and Minnesota goes to the Capital One or Outback Bowl.

Later: I forgot that Alabama slipping up isn’t so far-fetched. They play at LSU and then the SEC title game against either #6 Georgia or #8 Florida. And Texas has to watch out for #14 Missouri in the Big 12 title game.