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Only four non-BCS bowls are matching teams ranked in the Final BCS Standings; the Las Vegas Bowl meeting of BYU and Oregon State is the second-best non-BCS bowl, by the numbers.
Capital One Bowl: #13 Penn State v. #12 LSU (combined total ranking: 25)
Las Vegas Bowl: #14 BYU v. #18 Oregon State (combined total ranking: 32)
Champs Sports Bowl: #15 Miami v. #25 Wisconsin (combined total ranking: 40)
Holiday Bowl: #20 Arizona v. #22 Nebraska (combined total ranking: 42)
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The Las Vegas Bowl should be very proud of its matchup; BCS honchos should not be as proud of matching TCU and Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl.
The matchup of two BCS-busters assures that none of the big boys can be embarrassed by their little brothers this bowl season. Sure, TCU and BSU coaches and players will say all the right things, but you know that both schools wanted a crack at one of the BCS powerhouses, and they will not get that chance--a proverbial lump of coal in their holiday stockings.
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By the way, BYU ended up 14th in the Final BCS Standings, BYU's best-ever season finish, and tied for the school's best ever standing at any point in any season.
BYU's Final BCS Standings under Bronco Mendenhall--
2006: 20th
2007: 17th
2008: 16th
2009: 14th
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