BCS Rankings Week 2: Oklahoma Upset, But Is Auburn Ready To Be No. 1?
By on October 24, 2010
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BCS Rankings are coming in, creating a dramatic new look for Week 9 following Missouri's win over top-ranked Oklahoma in Columbia Saturday night.
The Sooners' loss likely will open the door for Oregon to assume a spot at the top, but Auburn's win over LSU could at least make things interesting.
Elsewhere, Michigan State stayed perfect with a thrilling comeback win over Northwestern, and TCU kept right on rolling with a convincing victory over Air Force.
Here's a prediction of how the 2010 BCS Standings in Week 2 will shape up.
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2010 BCS Standings Previous Ranking: No. 2
Week 8 Result: Win, 60-13 vs. UCLA
Why They Are Here: If style points mattered, Oregon would be No. 1 by a mile at the moment.
The Ducks trounced UCLA Thursday night at should be able to fend off Auburn to take a spot at the top in the BCS Standings.
The gaudy offensive statistics get most of the attention, but Oregon's defense has been better than advertised so far this season.
Staying Power: Could Oregon be the next No. 1 to fall? Don't count on it.
The Ducks' favorable schedule sets up well down the stretch, especially with Arizona coming to Eugene.
The Civil War with Oregon State should be competitive, but the Beavers don't have nearly the firepower needed to pull what would be a colossal upset.
Even if Chip Kelly's team doesn't stay on top, winning out should easily be enough to secure a spot in the National Championship game.
Without the potential to suffer a loss in a conference championship game, Oregon's place in the national title race should stay rosy for the remainder of the season.
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2010 BCS Standings Previous Ranking: No. 4
Week 8 Result: Win, 24-17 vs. LSU
Why They Are Here: Cam Newton is putting up ridiculous numbers while leading Auburn to historic success.
Newton's latest masterpiece put Auburn in position to take over the top spot in the BCS standings.
In the end, Oregon will probably have just enough to stay ahead of the Tigers--for the moment.
Staying Power: Auburn is in the driver's seat in the SEC West and also in the National Championship picture.
The Tigers still have Alabama on the schedule, but wins over Arkansas and LSU in consecutive weeks have basically locked up the SEC West title and an appearance in the SEC Championship game.
One potential problem could be the wear and tear on Newton's body.
Auburn would be advised to keep his runs at a minimum against Ole Miss and Chattanooga in the next two weeks.
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2010 BCS Standings Previous Ranking: No. 3
Week 8 Result: Bye
Why They Are Here: With every win by Virginia Tech, Boise State gains more footing in the BCS Standings.
In the end, it might take an undefeated run by the Hokies to keep the Broncos in the top four.
Boise doesn't have much upward mobility going forward, especially with Nevada suffering a loss to Hawaii last week.
Staying Power: Even if Boise State wins out, it might not be enough to stay inside the top four of the BCS standings.
TCU's continued success coupled with the possible rise of undefeated Missouri and Michigan State could spell doom.
Then there is Alabama, which has a chance to beat Auburn and LSU and pass Boise State, even with one loss.
The best thing Chris Petersen's team can do is start hoping things continue to go haywire throughout the rest of college football.
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2010 BCS Standings Previous Ranking: No. 5
Week 8 Result: Win, 38-7 vs. Air Force
Why They Are Here: TCU is doing everything it can to fend off BCS-conference schools and remain in the national title hunt.
This week, the Horned Frogs will be lucky to hold off surging Missouri in the standings.
Staying Power: TCU has defeated Baylor and Oregon State this season, which should be enough to retain a spot in the top five.
Beating Utah in two weeks could vault the Horned Frogs in front of fellow BCS darling Boise State.
Andy Dalton has shown improvement as a passer this season, and the Horned Frogs' defense hasn't missed a beat despite losing several key starters from last year's team.
Don't be surprised if TCU finishes the season undefeated.
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2010 BCS Standings Previous Ranking: No. 11
Week 8 Result: Win, 36-27 vs. Oklahoma
Why They Are Here: Beating the top-ranked BCS team will certainly be enough to push Missouri into the top five.
Maybe even higher.
Those infamous computers loved the Tigers last week, and could even vault Mizzou over TCU this week.
It's no longer possible to say Missouri hasn't beaten anybody yet this season.
Staying Power: Missouri might not be done rising just yet.
The Tigers have a chance to beat Nebraska this week in Lincoln. A win would give Missouri a great chance to meet Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship and possibly roll all the way into the National title game.
Gary Pinkel's underrated defense has been one of the biggest reasons behind Missouri's success this season.
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2010 BCS Standings Previous Ranking: No. 7
Week 8 Result: Win, 35-27 at Northwestern
Why They Are Here: Michigan State need a little more magic Saturday to rally against Northwestern, and a fake punt did the trick for the second time this season.
The Spartans fell behind 17-0 early in the game to the feisty Wildcats, but broke things open with an offensive explosion starting in the second quarter.
Now, Sparty faces only one major challenge standing in the way of a perfect season.
Staying Power: Michigan State's defense should be able to match-up with Iowa, giving the Spartans a great shot to seize control for good in the Big Ten race.
A win Saturday leaves three very winnable games on the schedule.
The only real chance for a loss comes in the final regular season game when Michigan State visits Penn State on November 27.
Could the Lions pull off an upset in what could be Joe Paterno's final game on the sidelines?
Only time will tell.
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2010 BCS Standings Previous Ranking: No. 8
Week 8 Result: Win, 41-10 at Tennessee
Why They Are Here: After struggling against Ole Miss in Week 7, Alabama got things going against an undermanned Tennessee team.
Saturday night's win coupled with the loss by Oklahoma should be enough to help the Tide roll up a spot in the BCS standings.
Staying Power: With LSU and Auburn still on the schedule, Alabama's national title hopes are far from dead.
Even with one loss, the Crimson Tide keep climbing up the standings and could compete for a berth in the title game.
At the moment, the November 26 showdown between Auburn and Alabama looks like the biggest game of the year in college football.
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2010 BCS Standings Previous Ranking: No. 13
Week 8 Result: Win, 31-31 at Iowa
Why They Are Here: Wisconsin managed to steal a win against Iowa thanks to a brilliant fake-punt call and a strong stand by its defense on Iowa's final drive.
With wins over Ohio State and Iowa in consecutive weeks, the Badgers are likely to get much more love in the BCS standings.
An appearance in the top 10 of both polls this week should solidify the jump forward.
Staying Power: Wisconsin is sitting pretty with Michigan State, Ohio State and Iowa out of the way.
Bret Bielema's team has a very easy road down the stretch, with a trip to Ann Arbor to battle Michigan likely serving as the biggest remaining hurdle.
It's very possible the Badgers locked up a spot in the BCS with the huge win in Week 8.
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2010 BCS Standings Previous Ranking: No. 9
Week 8 Result: Win, 59-6 vs. Colorado State
Why They Are Here: Amidst a week of movement throughout the BCS standings, Utah could end up staying put just inside the top 10.
The Utes remain perfect on the season, and are starting to look better and better with Pittsburgh staying perfect in Big East play.
Staying Power: Utah's offense is loaded at running back and receiver, but it is the defense that has really started to open some eyes this season.
The Utes aren't going to go anywhere but down as the season continues unless they manage to defeat TCU in Salt Lake City in two weeks.
Utah visits a reeling Air Force team in Week 9 in preparation for one college football's most important games this season.
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2010 BCS Standings Previous Ranking: No. 1
Week 8 Result: Loss, 37-26 at Missouri
Why They Are Here: After a loss to a highly-ranked road foe Missouri Saturday night, Oklahoma might be able to hang onto a spot in the top 10 of the BCS standings.
However, it seems more likely the Sooners would fall beyond Utah in the rankings.
A win over Missouri would have solidified Oklahoma's place atop college football. Now, it will be difficult for Oklahoma to have much upward mobility without winning the Big 12 Championship game in fairly convincing fashion.
Staying Power: Oklahoma isn't likely to lose in the weeks ahead, making it unlikely the Sooners will slip too far down the BCS standings.
In order to make the Big 12 title game, the Sooners will need to win road games in consecutive weeks against Baylor and Oklahoma State to end the season.
After it looked like a run at the National Championship was likely, could it be another disappointing end to the season for Bob Stoops in Norman?
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2010 BCS Standings Previous Ranking: No. 10
Week 8 Result: Win, 49-0 vs. Purdue
Why They Are Here: Ohio State did what it should have done after falling to Wisconsin last week: It dusted Purdue.
With Wisconsin likely to move up after beating Iowa, the Buckeyes could easily slip a spot to No. 11 in the BCS standings.
There should be plenty of chances for Ohio State to move up in the weeks ahead.
Staying Power: Ohio State doesn't figure to face any real challenges in the weeks ahead.
The Buckeyes should be able to take care of business at Minnesota in Week 9, then figure to handle Joe Paterno's inconsistent Penn State team on November 13 following a bye week.
That sets up a fantastic battle between OSU and Iowa on November 20 in Iowa City.
With others likely to fall, all Ohio State needs to do his hang around the top 10.
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2010 BCS Standings Previous Ranking: No. 6
Week 8 Result: Loss, 24-17 at Auburn
Why They Are Here: LSU was arguably the most criticized and disrespected undefeated team going into Week 8.
Following a tough loss at Auburn, Les Miles' team is certain to fall considerably in the BCS standings.
Thanks to a challenging schedule, the Tigers should get considerable love from the computers even after the loss.
Staying Power: LSU gets a bye in Week 9 before hosting Alabama on November 6.
The Tigers will need to beat Alabama in order to stay in the BCS picture and keep hanging on for dear life out West.
LSU travels to Arkansas in the final game of the regular season for a critical game in the SEC West race.
In the end, it will come down to exactly how many points the anemic offense is able to generate. Look for Miles to try plenty of tricks against the Crimson Tide.
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2010 BCS Standings Previous Ranking: No. 16
Week 8 Result: Win, 51-41 at Oklahoma State
Why They Are Here: After getting pulled in the loss to Texas, Taylor Martinez looked like Peyton Manning against Oklahoma State.
Thanks in large part to Martinez's five touchdown passes, the Cornhuskers managed to outscore powerful Oklahoma State.
The win over previously undefeated Okie State should be enough to cancel out the loss to Texas in the computers.
Staying Power: The Huskers are looking good after the win in Week 8, setting the stage for an epic showdown with Missouri Saturday afternoon in Lincoln.
The final edition of the rivalry between Mizzou and Big Red should be very memorable to say the least.
A win by Nebraska would vault the Huskers into the top 10 of the BCS standings and virtually ensure a spot in the Big 12 Championship game.
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2010 BCS Standings Previous Ranking: No. 12
Week 8 Result: Win, 38-28 vs. Washington State
Why They Are Here: With Wisconsin and Nebraska likely to move up after impressive wins, someone might have to move down.
Stanford seems like a perfect candidate.
The Cardinal will be helped in the computers with Oregon's likely ascension to No. 1 in the BCS standings, but the Cardinal are still lacking a true signature win.
Staying Power: The final score Saturday wasn't truly indicative of how well Stanford played, but it did provide more evidence of the Cardinals' biggest flaw.
Stanford's weak defense allowed nearly 400 yards to Wazzu and has been gashed all season long.
Andrew Luck leads Stanford to Washington in Week 9, then the Cardinal will host an Arizona offense capable of lighting up the scoreboard against anybody.
It might take a few 50-point performances from Luck and his teammates to remain in the BCS picture moving forward.
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2010 BCS Standings Previous Ranking: No. 17
Week 8 Result: Bye
Why They Are Here: Florida State hasn't gotten much credit despite having just one loss on the season.
Now, the Seminoles return for a bye well-rested and ready to embark on what appears to be a very manageable schedule down the stretch.
Although Florida State could use another signature win, there is no question they are deserving of a fairly high position in the BCS standings.
Staying Power: Florida State's remaining schedule makes running the table a fairly realistic possibility.
The Seminoles' defense will be tested by Russell Wilson and North Carolina State in Week 9, then will face North Carolina and Clemson in consecutive weeks in Tallahassee.
Don't look now, but Jimbo Fisher's team could be on the cusp of a BCS appearance.
Florida State's annual tilt with Florida in late November might determine of the 'Noles will need to win the ACC Championship to earn a BCS berth or if they could potentially sneak in as an at-large team.
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