Projected BCS Rankings 2013: Week 13 Top 25 BCS Standings Predictions

Ohio State's quest for a shot at the BCS title just got a little more difficult.

After a lackluster victory over lowly Illinois, in which the Buckeyes led by just 12 at one point in the fourth quarter, they will be passed by surging Baylor in the upcoming BCS standings. The Bears pulled away from Texas Tech in the second half, winning 63-34 in a game played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

As a result, the Bears will gain enough in both the polls and computers to leapfrog the Buckeyes for the No. 3 spot. Alabama and Florida State will keep their tight grip on the top two spots, as both won without much of a struggle.

With Stanford's upset loss to USC, Oregon will be the highest-ranked one-loss team after regaining control of the Pac-12 North race. The Ducks should check in at No. 5, ahead of the other one-loss teams Clemson, Auburn and Missouri.

Rank	Team	Record	Conference	Pvs
1	Alabama	10-0	SEC	1
2	Florida State	10-0	ACC	2
3	Baylor	9-0	Big 12	5
4	Ohio State	10-0	Big Ten	3
5	Oregon	9-1	Pac-12	6
6	Clemson	9-1	ACC	8
7	Auburn	10-1	SEC	7
8	Missouri	9-1	SEC	9
9	Stanford	8-2	Pac-12	4
10	Texas A&M	8-2	SEC	11
11	South Carolina	8-2	SEC	10
12	Oklahoma State	9-1	Big 12	12
13	UCLA	8-2	Pac-12	13
14	Fresno State	9-0	MWC	14
15	Northern Illinois	10-0	MAC	15
16	Michigan State	9-1	Big Ten	16
17	Central Florida	8-1	AAC	17
18	Oklahoma	8-2	Big 12	18
19	Arizona State	8-2	Pac-12	19
20	Louisville	9-1	AAC	20
21	LSU	7-3	SEC	21
22	Wisconsin	8-2	Big Ten	22
23	Ole Miss	7-3	SEC	NR
24	Minnesota	8-2	Big Ten	NR
25	USC	8-3	Pac-12	NR

Northern Illinois, after scoring three late touchdowns to beat Ball State in a Wednesday night game, will move a bit closer to Fresno State in the race for the non-AQ BCS spot. But the Bulldogs, who were idle in Week 12, should still be ahead of NIU in the BCS standings and in the driver's seat for possibly a Fiesta Bowl berth.

With the conference races taking shape as there are just three more regular-season weeks remaining, the possible choices for BCS bowls are also narrowing. The Big Ten, much maligned throughout the season, is surprisingly getting two potential BCS at-large candidates back into the picture. Both Michigan State and Wisconsin are now possible picks for the Orange Bowl.

Stanford, however, is the biggest loser of the week. Aside from being the only team to lose among the top 22 teams in the BCS standings, the Cardinal have lost control of the Pac-12 North race. In addition, they're now likely squeezed out of a BCS bowl berth because of their spotty travel record and lack of a marquee player.

Bowl	Matchup
BCS Championship	Alabama vs. Florida State
Rose Bowl	Oregon vs. Ohio State
Orange Bowl	Clemson vs. Michigan State
Sugar Bowl	Texas A&M vs. Central Florida
Fiesta Bowl	Baylor vs. Fresno State

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