A hazy bowl picture

At a time when college football's Bowl Championship Series is a chaotic mess, the CIF State Football Bowl game picture is equally murky.

If you're not De La Salle, take your numbered ticket and don't forget to win your section championship - because you need a title in the next two weeks to get the plane tickets to Los Angeles and a matchup with one of Southern California's best teams in the three-division format.

With section titles looming, coaches don't want their players thinking about whether they will be considered by the state bowl committee, comprised of 10 section commissioners, which will select six teams Dec. 9. But it's hard not to surf the Web and see what other teams are doing in the playoffs.

The only matter standing in the way of De La Salle and its Division I bid is a North Coast Section 4A meeting with California-San Ramon on Dec. 8 at McAfee Coliseum.

The favorite to face the Spartans in Division I is Centennial-Corona. Centennial (11-1) took its only loss in a 51-37 decision to Mater Dei-Santa Ana, a matchup that set a California record for total offense (1,298 yards).

If Centennial were to lose either its semifinal game or possible section final with undefeated Redlands East Valley, that would open the door for Poly-Long Beach or Birmingham, the favorite to win the Los Angeles Section title. Still, Poly has to come out of the venerable Pac-5 Section, which is loaded with quality teams, including Division II hopeful Crespi-Encino. With a 48-26 win last weekend, Crespi knocked Mater Dei out of Division II contention.

Two undefeated Bay Area teams are making decent arguments for the Division II bid. Las Lomas-Walnut Creek and Novato would meet in the NCS 2A final if they get past Campolindo-Moraga and Del Norte, respectively. Novato was snubbed last year when Palo Alto was selected after an impressive run through the CCS Open Division.

Novato and Las Lomas, though, don't have the edge in strength of schedule, one of the criteria, along with won-lost record and head-to-head competition.

Undefeated Foothill-Palo Cedro of the Northern Section is 12-0 but has played a relatively weak schedule. St. Mary's of Stockton (11-1) and Del Oro-Loomis (11-1), strong candidates from the Sac-Joaquin section, have played tougher schedules than Novato and Las Lomas.

There is one other longshot for the bid: After Riordan's 46-20 win over Pioneer-San Jose on Saturday, Riordan coach Mike Langridge said that by virtue of their strength of schedule, the Crusaders need to be at least considered in the Division II debate if they were to win the CCS Large School title.

The Division III bid could generate the most disappointment. Last year, Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa lost 27-20 in overtime to Oaks Christian-Westlake Village, and appears to be a solid candidate for a return to the Home Depot Center in Carson (Los Angeles County). Newman (10-1-1), which lost to Del Oro 48-28 and tied Central Catholic-Modesto 35-35, still has to beat Rancho Cotate-Rohnert Park and either San Ramon Valley or Pinole Valley.

Newman's competition for the bid appears to be Central Catholic (10-1-1), which lost to St. Mary's-Stockton 45-41.

Good luck choosing between two teams who tied and each lost their only games to Division II powers.

NorCal volleyball: Four area teams will try to earn NorCal volleyball titles and state championship bids tonight. Mitty hosts West Catholic Athletic League foe St. Francis in the Division II final. Sacred Heart Cathedral travels to Stockton to meet St. Mary's at Chavez High. Castilleja-Palo Alto faces Mt. Madonna-Watsonville at Bethany College in the Division V final. All games start at 7 p.m., with winners advancing to Saturday's state championship at San Jose StateCCS football program: The $5 Central Coast Section playoff program is no bargain, especially when you flip to Page 13 and see an advertisement for the official ball of the CCS. Rawlings' pitch man is none other than quarterback Michael Vick.

Top basketball teams: De La Salle makes the top spot in the weekly Chronicle football poll a nondebate. It appears the same might be said for boys and girls basketball this season. The Mitty boys rolled to a 75-41 win over Division III state finalist Bishop O'Dowd-Oakland on Saturday. Sacred Heart Cathedral's girls squad beat defending Division V state champion Branson-Ross 61-32 behind Tierra Rogers' 17 points.

No Transbay: One season after McClymonds beat Lincoln 78-37 in the inaugural Transbay Bowl, the two repeat champions will not meet again. The game pitting two section champions conflicted with the state bowl-game format. Lincoln and McClymonds are eligible as section champs, but are not realistic selections. Lincoln was 1-3 against nonleague opponents and McClymonds finished 0-5.