Rose may be controversy-free, but Fiesta debate is on

	If Jeff Samardzija and the Irish head to Tempe, who will be their opponent? Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

While the BCS is now just one week away from staging a rare, controversy-free national championship game, the increasingly heated debate regarding the Fiesta Bowl's possible matchup is unlike any ever seen for a non-title game (last year's Texas-Cal Rose Bowl hubbub was decided by rankings, not the bowl itself). I went back and forth about 287 times in the past week before finally deciding to change course and project a Notre Dame-Ohio State pairing.

I base this on two factors: 1) Lou Holtz went on the air Saturday and predicted the Irish would face Oregon, and it's always a good idea to err on the opposite side of Holtz, and 2) I've noticed that Pac-10 commissioner Tom Hansen's recent comments on behalf of the Ducks have centered almost entirely on why the Fiesta should pair two 10-1 teams, Penn State and Oregon, rather than the Ducks and Notre Dame, which seems to indicate he considers the Oregon-over-Ohio State argument to be a lost cause.

Unfortunately for Hansen, all signs indicate the 9-2 Irish are a lock for the Fiesta, which sent three representatives -- including CEO John Junker -- to Saturday's Notre Dame-Stanford game. Junker has also said his game is considering Auburn (9-2), but in the end, the glitz and glamour of an ND-Ohio State matchup -- plus the fact the Buckeyes are ranked higher than either the Ducks or Tigers -- will likely prove too hard to resist.

Outside of the BCS, some of the most intriguing storylines involve the Peach Bowl. For weeks, the Atlanta game was believed to be zeroing in on a Florida State (Bobby Bowden) vs. South Carolina (Steve Spurrier) showdown, but if Georgia (9-2) loses to LSU (10-1) in the SEC title game, word is the Outback Bowl will snap up the Gamecocks (7-4), relegating the Dawgs -- despite beating South Carolina and holding a better record -- to their third straight game in Atlanta (they played at Georgia Tech last weekend). To spice things up, the Peach might pass on FSU, which could be on a four-game losing streak by then, and reunite old rivals Georgia and Clemson (7-4).