If the season ends today (don't you love that irrelevant point?), the Bearcats are projected in the Orange Bowl, which has hosted the Big East (at times), but definitely the ACC champion, the self-proclaimed "Home of the ACC Champion" since 2006. Mark Schlabach and Bruce Feldman each mark the Bearcats in the Orange Bowl, playing against different ACC teams. Florida State hosts Florida and Boston College hosts Maryland. If Florida State loses against a Florida team looking to pile on for BCS bonus points, Boston College's road as prospect Atlantic division champions is much easier over Maryland. Georgia Tech heads to #11 Georgia while Virginia Tech hosts Virginia. All Florida State and Georgia Tech have to do is win their games, otherwise the second-place team of their respective division, with much easier games, will sneak into the ACC Championship game.
| Georgia Tech | Virginia Tech | Boston College | Florida State |
| @ #11 Georgia | Virginia | Maryland | #4 Florida |
Playing in the Orange Bowl is not by any means a certainty, writes Bill Koch. If the Sugar Bowl picks UC, that could put the Bearcats against Alabama or Florida.
Mel Kiper Jr. speaks of Tony Pike's awesomeness. Calling Pike "very mobile", the first thing that grabbed Kiper's attention was Pike's 6'6" 225 pound frame, calling him a "prospect whom everyone will be watching closely in 2009".