[EgonSchiele]

Early Preview from Fiutak

Fiesta Bowl
Texas vs. Ohio State Jan. 5 / 8 p.m. Phoenix, Ariz. FOX
*BCS vs. BCS (Big 12 Champion, if available)

Utah wanted the Fiesta, the Fiesta wanted Texas - Ohio State. Fine, so it would've been more interesting to have seen Ohio State play Alabama, just to see if the program can get the SEC elephant off its back, but there's no complaining about this matchup that was national title-good not all that long ago when Troy Smith and Vince Young were winging it around. Texas believes it should've been in Kansas City to play Missouri as a pitstop before going off to deal with Florida in the BCS Championship game, but someone had to be screwed in the equation. For those who care about this sort of thing, an impressive performance could mean an AP national title, even if it's a bit far-fetched and doesn't matter compared to the BCS Championship. A win for the Longhorns would allow the ticked off fans to gripe even more about what might have been, while a win for Ohio State would be the big-time victory the program desperately needs after the last two national title games and the fiasco against USC to start the year.

Quick Breakdown: The two run defenses are among the best in America and, while it might not be sexy, you're not going to see a better matchup of punting games all year. That will matter as field position could mean everything. This will be the best defense Texas has faced by far. Colt McCoy and the offense has been able to light everyone up like a Christmas tree, but they haven't seen a secondary like this one. Meanwhile, Ohio State might actually have to open things up a little bit and start to throw the ball a bit more to keep up if McCoy gets rolling. Can the much-maligned Buckeye offensive line handle the Texas pass rush? It'll have to if this gets into any sort of a shootout.

Best Wins: Ohio State 45-7 over Michigan State; Texas 45-35 over Oklahoma

The Buzz Will Be ... Texas might want to come out and beat Ohio State, Oklahoma, Missouri and Florida in the first quarter. This will be an angry, angry team with a lot prove to the world as it'll want to make a statement. On the flip side, Ohio State had better show up. Another blowout loss in a BCS game would be a nightmare for the program and the Big Ten. Lose this big, and the Buckeyes will struggle to get the benefit of any BCS doubts going forward.

Scout.com: The BCS Matchups & Early Previews