Written by David Regimbal

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Many Bowl projections have Ohio State slotted as an at-large team to play in the Sugar Bowl. With Wisconsin destined for Pasadena, the Sugar Bowl will likely make a choice between Ohio State and fellow Big Ten member Michigan State to be paired against an SEC team. The Buckeyes and the Spartans have identical records of 11-1 (7-1 in league play), so deciding which team gets selected will fall to other factors. 

Ohio State has the bigger brand name, while Michigan State is more of a reemerging team with an "underdog" feel to it. Sugar Bowl CEO Paul Hoolahan recently addressed the difficult decision, "I've got to believe with the likes of Wisconsin, Ohio State and Michigan State, and all of them ranked in the top 10, any one of those teams would be very desirable."

He later added, "The conventional wisdom suggests that both Ohio State and Michigan State are viable options for us and very attractive options."

Unfortunately for the Spartans, the decision will likely come down to which fan base will sell more tickets to the bowl game, and which team will attract the most national interest (read - television ratings). With Buckeye Nation being one of the largest fan bases in the country, Ohio State holds the edge in both areas.

We won't know for sure whether Ohio State gets the BCS bid over Michigan State until this (Selection) Sunday, but it would be a big surprise if the Spartans were picked over the Buckeyes.