The Big 12 and SEC announced that their champions will play a bowl game.  It is believed by some experts, like Dennis Dodd at CBS, that the Rose bowl between this new bowl game are setting themselves up to be the play-in games for the new national championship.  This shuts out the ACC and Big East.  This also, for now, shuts out BYU and Notre Dame and the service academies.  This also shuts out powers like Boise State.

This is a big power grab for college football and college sports and some believe that it represents the doomsday scenario that many have predicted.  Dodd, when appearing on KSL-Sports Beat this evening stated that he believes that the Big 12 will grab Florida State, Clemson, Virginia Tech/Miami and Notre Dame, and he believes that ND will reluctantly will accept membership in the Big 12.

Now, let's thing about the logic of this scenario for a moment.  If the Big 10, PAC 12, Big 12 and SEC each expand to 16, you have 14 slots left to fill.  You have a lot of schools jockying to become part of one of the Big 4 conferences.  Who would get in and who would be left out?

Chances are, someone like Boston College, one of 2 FBS schools in the 10th largest Metro area in the country, may end up permanently outside of a chance to play for college football national championship.  There are at least 7 congressional districts that are part of the Greater Boston area...that is enough to be half an entire committee of congress.  Do you think Congress will be motivated enough to do something about it now?

That is hard to say.  But the schools that will be taken to be part of the elite 64 will be those, if these conference commissioners are smart, that will cause the fewest political ripples.  Therefore, I am listing those who are left to pluck by their metro size.  A large metro that a school has to themselves not only means more local advertising dollars, but means more power in Congress.  The more congressional seats these 4 power conferences pick up, the more likely any bill to stop this madness will fall upon the ears of apathetic representatives.  This is why Boston College would get in, but BYU would be left out.  Why San Diego State may get chosen over Boise State.  (Read this who post before you get upset, please, Bronco fans. :-))

Here is a list of all of the college football powers, and their metro areas, that are currently on the outside looking in.

Left in the ACC...12 will be left.
Boston College...Boston is the 10th largest Metro in the US)
Duke University...Durham, NC (Raleigh/Durham) is the 47th largest Metro in the US and is shared with the University of North Carolina also of the ACC.
Georgia Tech...Atlanta, GA is the 9th largest Metro in the US, but shared with UGA of the SEC.
University of Maryland...College Park, MD is part of the Washington, DC Metro which is the 7th largest in the US...Shared with the University of Virginia also of the ACC and the US Naval Academy poised to join the Big East.
University of Miami (Maybe)...Coral Gables, FL near Miami, FL part of the 8th largest metro in the US and shared with FIU.
University of North Carolina...Chapel Hill, NC...See Duke, above
University of Virginia...Charlottesville, VA See Maryland, above
Wake Forrest...Winston-Salem, NC is in the Greensboro, NC metro and is the 71st largest metro in the US.
University of Pittsburgh...Pittsburgh is the 22nd largest metro in the US, but is shared with Penn State of the big 10.
University of Syracuse...Syracuse is the 80th largest metro in the US.

Left in the Big East
Cincinnati...Cincinnati is the 27th largest metro in the US.
Connecticut...which is near New York City, the largest metro in the US and also near the headquarters of the WWL, meaning ESPN.
Louisville...Louisville, KY is the 42nd largest metro in the US.
Rutgers...New Brunswick, NJ which is withing spitting distance of New York City.
South Florida...Tampa, FL is the 18th largest metro in the US
Central Florida...Orlando, FL is the 26th largest metro in the US
Houston...Houston is the 5th largest metro in the US, but this is shared with Texas A&M of the SEC and Rice University of Conference-USA.
Southern Methodist...Dallas, TX is the 4th largest metro in the US, but this is shared with TCU of the Big 12
Memphis...Memphis, TN is the 41st largest metro in the US.
Temple...Philadelphia, PA is the 6th largest metro in the US.
Boise State...Boise, ID is the 85th largest metro in the US.
San Diego State...San Diego, CA is the 17th largest metro in the US.

FBS Independents

Brigham Young...Provo, UT is the 97th largest metro in the US (As of the 2010 census, no longer considered part of the Salt Lake City metro.)
Army...West Point, NY is part of the New York Metro

Conference USA

Alabama Birmingham...Birmingham, AL is the 50th largest metro in the US.
East Carolina...Greenville, NC is the 220th largest metro in the US
Marshall...Huntington, WV is not part of a large metro area.
Southern Mississippi...Hattisburg, MS is part of the Biloxi, MS metro, the 185th largest in the US
Rice...See Houston
UTEP...El Paso, TX is the 65th largest metro in the US.
Tulane...New Orleans is the 46th largest metro in the US.
Tulsa...Tulsa is the 54th largest metro in the US.
UNC Charlotte...Charlotte is the 33rd largest metro in the US
FIU...see Miami
Louisiana Tech...Rushton, LA is not part of a large metro
Old Dominion...Norfolk, VA is the 36th largest metro in the US.
UTSA...San Antonio is the 24th largest metro in the US.

Mountain West Conference

Air Force...Colorado Springs, CO is the 81st largest metro in the US.
Colorado State...Fort Collins, CO is the 155th largest metro in the US.  (As of the 2010 census, no longer considered part of the Denver metro.)
UNLV...Las Vegas, NV is the 30th largest metro in the US.
UNM...Albuquerque, NM is the 57th largest metro in the US.
Wyoming...Laramie, WY is not part of a large metro
Fresno State...Fresno, CA is the 55th largest metro in the US
Nevada...Reno is the 115th largest metro in the US
Hawaii...Honolulu is the 53rd largest metro in the US
San Jose State...San Jose CA is the 31st largest metro in the US
Utah State...Logan, UT is the 304th largest metro in the US.

I am not going to list the Sun Belt Conference, the MAC or the two schools remaining in the WAC because I do not consider any of these school to be serious contenders for one of the 14 remaining elite-64 schools.  Looking at metro size, and when I say that, I mean political clout...here is who the last 14 may be.

SEC--2 openings left

Miami (FL)
Georgia Tech

Big 12--Assuming they take Florida State, Clemson, Virginia Tech and Notre Dame--but lose Oklahoma, Texas, Oklahoma State but not Texas Tech.  5 Openings left

Maryland
Virginia
Cincinnati
Louisville
Tulane

Big 10--4 openings left

Rutgers
UConn
Pittsburgh
Boston College

PAC-12--4 openings left

Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Texas
San Diego State

So, now BSU fans can write me upsetting emails.  But before you do, remember, this is based upon market size and political power and money.  Not upon who really plays the best football, or who has the best schools or who turns out the best young men or tradition.  There will be complaints and maybe even congressional hearings, but again I emphasize that the powers that be in college football want this to fall upon apathetic ears in Congress.  I give you an 85% chance that no bill to stop this would even make it out of committee in Congress.

Why San Diego State...to keep the California Legislature and the California congressional delegation happy.
Why Tulane...to keep the New Orleans Congressional Delegation happy.

Yes, I know that San Diego State would become the Vanderbilt of the PAC-12 conference.  You do not need to spit your ire on me for that.  I know that I have just upset 80% of my readers.  It's the reality of College Football right now.