The second wave of postseason bids is poised to wash through college football. How deep the swells reach depends on a handful of games today.
Starting with the Bowl Championship Series, most postseason scenarios hinge on three games: Miami at Syracuse, Notre Dame at Southern California and Oklahoma at Oklahoma State.
Miami must win to keep a place in the BCS title game, the Fiesta Bowl, while Oklahoma must win to stay in position should the Hurricanes falter. Unbeaten Ohio State (13-0) is done and appears assured of one Fiesta spot.
Notre Dame's clout could carry the Fighting Irish into the Orange Bowl regardless of tonight's prime-time result against USC, but nothing is assured.
The Trojans (9-2, 7-1 Pac-10), sixth in the national rankings and Bowl Championship Series standings, still have a shot at the Rose Bowl. But failing that, a win over Notre Dame would establish USC in the BCS at-large picture.
No. 7 Notre Dame (10-1) is guaranteed an at-large berth if it beats the Trojans and moves up one notch to sixth in the BCS standings.
All that marks a dramatic turnaround in the rivalry, as the teams go into tonight's matchup ranked in the top 10 for the first time since 1989.
"We're both trying to restore the programs to where they were, and now here we are together," USC safety Troy Polamalu said. "This game is the one that really puts you over the hill."
Notre Dame has won the last three meetings, including a 27-16 victory in South Bend, Ind., last year. USC hasn't beaten archrivals UCLA and Notre Dame in the same year since 1981. The Trojans crushed the Bruins, 52-21, last weekend.
The BCS - Fiesta, Orange, Sugar and Rose bowls - won't pick its teams until Dec. 8, but several non-BCS bowls won't wait that long. Florida Citrus Sports scheduled a selection committee meeting tomorrow afternoon to pick teams for its Tangerine Bowl and possibly a Southeastern Conference team for its Capital One Bowl.
Florida-Florida State, Georgia Tech-Georgia, Virginia-Virginia Tech and Wake Forest-Maryland are four other games that directly affect the sliding scale for Orlando's bowls.
A Florida win over FSU would put Florida at the forefront of the Capital One picture. That picture would clear for the Gators if Georgia loses to Georgia Tech.
LSU was eliminated from consideration yesterday with a loss to Arkansas. Auburn is the third SEC candidate.
Both the Big 12 and Atlantic Coast conferences should be able to provide teams for the Tangerine Bowl tomorrow. FCS executive director Tom Mickle said he learned the Houston Bowl had boosted its payout above $1 million and moved ahead of the Tangerine in selection order.
That means Texas Tech will likely go to Houston and Iowa State, Texas A&M; or Oklahoma State to the Tangerine. A&M;'s loss to Texas may have clinched the Aggies' trip to Orlando.
Georgia Tech and Maryland are the teams to watch from the ACC side. Georgia Tech over Georgia would get the Yellow Jackets to Orlando ahead of Clemson. Maryland would go to the Tangerine only if the Peach bypasses the Terps in favor of Virginia, which likely must beat Virginia Tech to get to Atlanta.
Clemson will be considered strongly by the Tangerine Bowl committee if Virginia loses.
Alan Schmadtke is a reporter for the Orlando Sentinel, a Tribune Publishing newspaper. The Associated Press contributed to this article.