Orange Bowl possibilities go on many routes

Relevant games commence at 1 p.m. Saturday and won't conclude until well past 1 a.m. Sunday, and given college football's nature this season, expect mass confusion on the eve of bowl invitations.

No matter the results, Virginia Tech's most likely destination is the Orange or Chick-fil-A Bowl. Virginia's is the Champs Sports or Gator.

Here's a detailed look at how this weekend's games could affect the Hokies' and Cavaliers' postseason bids:

Virginia Tech and Boston College meet in the ACC championship game in Jacksonville, Fla., with the winner headed to the Orange Bowl. The most likely opponents are Georgia, Missouri or Kansas.

The ACC loser, especially if it's Virginia Tech, would have an outside chance at one of the Bowl Championship Series' four at-large bids — the conference's first in the BCS' 10 years. But that would happen only if Hawaii and/or Arizona State, both at-large candidates, lose to Washington and Arizona, respectively.

Wait. There's another condition.

Among the BCS games, the Sugar would be most interested in the Hokies as an at-large. But the Sugar's host team is the Southeastern Conference champion, and if LSU defeats Tennessee in the SEC title game, the Sugar will not want to stage a rematch of the Tigers' 48-7 September demolition of the Hokies.

Translation: If Virginia Tech loses, its fans need to root for Tennessee, Arizona and Washington. Should an at-large bid not follow — BCS pairings are unveiled at 8 p.m. Sunday — the Hokies almost certainly would head to the Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta for the second consecutive season, where an SEC opponent (perhaps Auburn) would await.

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Source: Daily Press

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