Trying to project anything in the world of college football usually makes people look foolish. The parity and recent rash of upsets over the past few years have made prognosticating the college football postseason a crapshoot. This late in the season, though, most of the frauds have been discovered and the best college football teams have risen to the top.

Currently Penn State is on the outside looking in but thanks to its schedule, it can just sit back and relax. The Nittany Lions are only favored by a touchdown on the road this week at Iowa but if they can get past the Hawkeyes then its home free home, with two games in Happy Valley against Indiana and Michigan State. Do not expect either of the top two teams, Alabama or Texas Tech, to reach the National Championship game. It's also unlikely that the Red Raiders will even reach their Conference title game.

The snake pit ahead for Texas Tech features games against Oklahoma State, at Oklahoma, Baylor and then a potential Big 12 Championship Game. The Red Raiders easily have the most daunting schedule among top teams in the nation. Nick Saban returns to Death Valley this week for his team's biggest challenge thus far. They have Mississippi State and Auburn in the Iron Bowl, both at home to close out the season and almost assuredly a trip to the SEC Championship Game, regardless of what happens in the LSU game.

With the tough schedules in front of Alabama and Penn State, this puts Texas and Florida in a prime position waiting for a team to fall. Texas has a rather easy slate of games with the biggest challenge, a game at Kansas and then a potential Big 12 title game against Missouri. Florida has an easy conference slate, then two out-of-conference games against the Citadel and Florida State. An SEC title game against Alabama also awaits the Gators. Florida and Texas could very well be jockeying for decimal points if both win out. Currently Texas is No. 4 with a .8531 BCS score and Florida is close behind with a .8268.

Oklahoma and USC are also within striking distance but they need help. Utah at No. 8 in the current BCS standings, No. 10 Boise State and No. 12 TCU all have other motives in mind. The teams have no chance for the national title game but one of them is almost assured a BCS game. It says here that Boise State will win out against Utah State, Idaho, Nevada and Fresno State and return to the Fiesta Bowl. Utah and TCU play this week and if Utah can get by with a win at home it still has a season finale against BYU. TCU would only have to beat Air Force but it sits behind Boise State in the BCS Rankings and it has a blemish in the loss column unlike Boise State.

The Big East is up for grabs with Cincinnati, Pitt and West Virginia all controlling their own destiny. The Bearcats are eight point underdogs this Saturday in Morgantown, West Virginia, but the Mountaineers will have to travel to Pitt the Friday after Thanksgiving in a game that could very likely decide the Big East title. But Dave Wannstedt and the Pitt Panthers have shown very little competence when it comes down to games that count. Expect West Virginia to win the conference even with a late season conference loss.

The ACC has literally been a puzzle all season. Nobody can figure it out and it continues to get more muddled as the season winds down. Five teams in the Coastal Division all have two losses. Maryland is a Jekyll-and-Hyde team but somehow manages to lead the Atlantic Division. Florida State may be the most talented team in the conference but it has a loss against Wake Forest and both teams are tied at 3-2 behind Maryland (3-1). Expect the Seminoles to get some help and reach Jacksonville for the ACC title game against Georgia Tech. Florida and Alabama will likely square off in the Georgia Dome for the SEC title and USC will enjoy a cakewalk to the Pac-10 title.

College Football Bowl Projections

BCS National Championship Game
Penn State vs Texas

Fiesta Bowl
Oklahoma State vs Alabama

Sugar Bowl
Florida vs Boise State

Orange Bowl
Florida State vs West Virginia

Rose Bowl
USC vs Ohio State

Cotton Bowl
Oklahoma vs LSU

Gator Bowl
Georgia Tech vs Notre Dame

Capital One Bowl
Michigan State vs Georgia

Outback Bowl
Mississippi vs Minnesota