BCS Rankings: Reaction and Analysis of the Week 9 BCS Top 25

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The bottom standings of the BCS Top 25 are going to change on an almost weekly basis as teams continue to move in and move out.

That means there’s room for teams that are currently ranked outside of the Top 25 to find their way in over the coming weeks.

Here’s a look at three teams that are on the outside looking in right now, but they may not stay that way for long.

 

Cincinnati Bearcats

If West Virginia isn’t the favorite to win the Big East, then you have to look at the Cincinnati, who is now 6-1 on the season, as the team to beat.

The Bearcats have a deadly senior backfield duo of QB Zach Collaros and RB Isiaiah Pead that is difficult to contain and they have the type of explosive offense that will be hard to slow down.

Although they had a down year last season, this team looks more reminiscent of the ones we saw during the Brian Kelly era.

Southern Miss

Southern Miss earned its first national ranking since 2004 when the Golden Eagles took the No. 25 spot in the Coaches’ Poll this week.

Larry Fedora’s team is now 6-1 on the year, and outside of Boise State and Houston, they’re the hottest non-AQ team in the country.

If they keep it up, they should find their way into the BCS standings soon.

Iowa Hawkeyes

Don’t sleep on Iowa this year.

The Hawkeyes have quietly gone 5-2 so far and they’ll likely push that up to 6-2 this week against Minnesota.

After their loss to Iowa State early in the year, everyone seemed to forget about Kirk Ferentz’s team but they still have what it takes to be a factor in the Big Ten Legends division.

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We’ve still got a lot of football left to be played, but already, there are a few teams that look like they’re BCS bowl bound.

While anything can happen on any given weekend that can completely change the complexion of the BCS standings, these three teams look destined to play in a BCS bowl this year.

No. 1 LSU Tigers

With what they’ve shown so far this season, the LSU Tigers have to be the favorite to win the national championship right now.

The Tigers have looked like the best and most dominant team in the country, and if they can get by Alabama on Nov. 5, it’s going to be hard for them not to make it to the championship game.

 

No. 3 Oklahoma State Cowboys

The Oklahoma State offense hasn’t missed a beat without Dana Holgorsen, as the Cowboys currently rank 2nd in the country in scoring offense and 4th in the country in total offense, averaging 48 points and 545 yards per game.

They now control their own destiny, and if the Cowboys can make it to the Bedlam game against Oklahoma on Dec. 3 unscathed, they will have sealed up a BCS bowl game bid whether they win or lose.

If they beat the Sooners, though, it’s all but certain that they’ll make it to New Orleans for the big game.

 

No. 4 Boise State Broncos

The Broncos may not make it to the national championship, but they are still bound for a BCS bowl game.

Even though they looked uncharacteristically sluggish against Air Force last week, there’s not a team left on Boise State’s schedule that will be able to slow down the smurfs this year (not even TCU), and the Broncos should roll to an undefeated season and earn a high enough ranking to earn a big-time bowl bid.

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While we still have to wait another week for the big showdown between No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama, there will definitely be enough good games this weekend to hold us over until then.

Here’s a look at three key Week 9 games that will have an effect on the BCS standings.

No. 6 Stanford vs. USC

After thumping Washington last week, Stanford will have its hardest test of the season when the Cardinal head to Los Angeles to meet up with a talented USC team that is playing with a lot of momentum right now.

The Trojans have a quarterback in Matt Barkley who can equal Andrew Luck’s production, and he’s the type of savvy veteran who knows how to win in big spots.

If the Cardinal win, they will likely jump over Clemson and maybe even Boise State in next week’s rankings, but if they fall in the land of Troy, they’re going to take a considerable Wisconsin-like slide, since they don’t have any big wins on their resume.

No. 8 Kansas State vs. No. 9 Oklahoma

Is Kansas State for real?

We’ve seemingly been asking that question for the past four weeks, and now, finally, we’re going to get a definitive indication of just how good the Wildcats really are when they host a disgruntled Oklahoma team this weekend.

The Sooners are coming into the game fresh off an embarrassing upset loss at the hands of Texas Tech last week, and it will be interesting to see what their attitude is for the game.

No. 11 Michigan State vs. No. 14 Nebraska

The Big Ten Legends division race looks like it’s going to be an interesting one to follow, and this is the type of the game that will put the winner in the driver’s seat to make it to Indianapolis.

Michigan State is coming off of two highly emotional victories, and it will be tough to get up for a road game at Nebraska, but the Spartans are playing with a lot of momentum and positive energy right now, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see that wave continue in Lincoln.

Either way, no matter who wins, the Top 15 of the BCS standings will have a shakeup.

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Oklahoma and Wisconsin became the first two major college football casualties of the 2011 season when they both fell victim to the dreaded upset last weekend.

Now, as we enter Week 9, there are still eight undefeated teams left in college football, but there’s a good chance that number will take a hit this weekend.

We know that the two top teams in the country, LSU and Alabama, will be fine, considering they have an off-week to prepare for their big battle on Nov. 5. And No. 4 Boise State also has a week to relax and prepare for the stretch run of the season.

But every other undefeated team is fair game this weekend.

No. 3 Oklahoma State will have to deal with dangerous Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III, but the Cowboys should be able to survive at home against a Bears team that has been weak on the road.

No. 5 Clemson will head to Atlanta to take on a slumping Georgia Tech team, and the Tigers will have to be wary of a letdown game after a big blowout of North Carolina last week. Clemson is the better team, but the Tigers could freeze up in that kind of pressure-packed spot.

No. 6 Stanford will head to USC to take on a surging Trojans team that is coming off a big victory over Notre Dame last weekend. We'll finally get to figure out if the Cardinal are for real or not.

No. 8 Kansas State will get a grumpy Oklahoma team that’s coming off a bad loss to Texas Tech last weekend, and the Wildcats will actually be heavy home underdogs for their game.

No. 17 Houston should have no trouble on Friday night with a Rice defense that ranks 115th in the country.

In my opinion, the two most likely teams to fall this weekend are Kansas State and Stanford, but it wouldn’t shock me to see Clemson get a scare as well.

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At this point in the season, the BCS standings are still very fluid and they can dramatically change on an almost weekly basis, as we continue to figure out which teams are contenders and which teams are frauds.

There are now seven teams with multiple losses that are ranked in the BCS Top 25 - Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Arizona State, Georgia, Auburn, Texas and West Virginia.

You’ve got some one-loss teams like Cincinnati and Southern Miss, who are both ranked in the Coaches’ Poll, that are still on the outside looking in, and there are also teams like like Baylor, Illinois, Miami, TCU, Georgia Tech and Miami, who are on the fringe.

With most of the bottom Top 25 teams playing weaker competition this week, there may not be a lot of movement in the 18-25 range, but there are teams like Penn State, Georgia and Auburn, who at least have to be careful this week.

If Illinois beats Penn State, that could be enough to earn the Illini a second chance in the rankings.

Obviously, if Baylor upsets No. 3 Oklahoma State, the Bears would make a big jump back into the polls. As would Georgia Tech, if the Yellow Jackets can catch No. 5 Clemson off guard.

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Even though we’re now heading into Week 9 of the college football season, there are still a ton of top teams that are really hard to get a good read on.

As conference play starts to heat up, we should be able to separate who is for real and who isn’t, but there are a few teams that could keep on coasting for the next few weeks.

Here’s a look at three teams that the jury is still out on.

No. 12 Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech is 7-1 on the season, but the Hokies have zero wins over ranked opponents this season, which is makes it puzzling that they would be ranked so high in the BCS standings, especially since they are No. 15 in both polls.

The Hokies got embarrassed at home by Clemson in the only tough game of the season and they’ve been caught playing down to their competition at certain points in the season.

No. 17 Houston

The combined record of the seven opponents that Houston has beaten so far is 21-30, and only one of those teams, UTEP (4-3), has a winning record.

You can talk about Houston’s offensive numbers all you want, but it’s not like the Cougars have been putting up those numbers on the Alabama’s and LSU’s of the world.

The Cougars have already faced three of the worst defenses in the country:  UTEP (91st), UCLA (105th), North Texas (108th), and they’ve still got three more left on their schedule: Tulsa (102nd) Rice (115th), and UAB (117th).

No. 21 Arizona State

The Sun Devils don’t have any other ranked teams remaining on their schedule, and they should be able to make a strong run at the Pac-12 South title, but it’s going to be tough to figure out if they actually have what it takes to beat the winner of the North division, whether it be Stanford or Oregon.

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No top 25 team can truly afford a loss at this juncture in the season, and that’s obviously true for the teams in the Top 10 that are competing for a national title berth, but even outside the Top 10 there are teams that have some very crucial games this weekend.

Here’s a look at three top teams that can’t afford a loss this season.

No. 15 Wisconsin

Before last week’s upset loss at the hands of Michigan State, it looked like Wisconsin was on its way to rolling to winning the Big Ten Leaders division, but now here the Badgers sit at 2-1 in the Big Ten, staring at a tough test at Ohio State this weekend.

With Penn State surging, the Badgers most certainly can’t afford to drop to 2-2.

 

No. 16 Texas A&M

After two tough losses to Oklahoma State and Arkansas, Texas A&M has bounced back and repositioned itself to be a factor in the Big 12, but if the Aggies have any hopes of winning the conference, they can’t afford to slip up at home against a moderately dangerous Missouri team this Saturday.

 

No. 22 Georgia

After starting off the season 0-2, Georgia has reeled off five straight wins and is now right back in the thick of the SEC East race.

The Bulldogs will have a crucial division game against Florida this weekend, and if they get chomped by the Gators and South Carolina beats Tennessee, that would really hurt their chances of making it to Atlanta.

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The rankings shook up quite a bit last week with several big upsets. Here are some of the marquee matchups in Week 9 that may rattle the BCS Rankings this week.

Nebraska vs Michigan State

Of course anytime you get two ranked teams against each other you're going to get one team taking a plunge in the rankings. Michigan State will either skyrocket into the Top 10 with their third straight victory over a ranked opponent or Nebraska will sneak into the Top 10 with their first impressive win of the year. Great matchup in Nebraska's running game against Michigan States great defense.

Baylor vs Oklahoma State

This game will feature a ton of points and this Baylor team is more than capable of pulling off the upset. A loss for the Cowboys will eliminate any chances of them going to the National Championship and should put Baylor in the BCS Poll. A win for Oklahoma State and of course they remain a National Championship favorite. Although if the Bears are able to pull off the win, Robert Griffin once again becomes a Heisman favorite as lately those talks have died down a little.

Oklahoma vs Kansas State

This game will do one of two things. It will either show that the Oklahoma Sooners were a fraud all along and remove any chance of them winning the National Championship. Or it will give the Kansas State Wildcats their first loss of the season and remove any outside chance of them winning the National Championship. Didn't think the Wildcats could win it all? Including the Sooners, the Wildcats still have to play Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Texas. If they continue to run the table, they will make the National Championship game. Whether you like it or not. 

Randy Chambers is a B/R Featured Columnist that covers College Football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or Randy.Chambers7@yahoo.com

Bleacher Report is your home for college football for the 2011 season. From scores, news, analysis, live blogs and updates on your favorite teams and the big national games every week, keep it on Bleacher Report for the very latest in college football news.

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We're already eight weeks into the college football season and this is the time where teams try to make that push for a BCS bowl game. Here are some of the teams that can't afford a loss this week.

Georgia Bulldogs

The Bulldogs have that big rivalry game this weekend against the Florida Gators. While Florida is banged up and has lost several games in a row, Georgia has their eyes on the SEC East division. A win here and it not only eliminates almost any chance of the Gators winning it, but it increases Georgia's chances a lot. If the Bulldogs continue playing the solid football they've been playing, they will have a date with either LSU or Alabama in the SEC Championship game.

Stanford Cardinal

Stanford still has an outside shot at the National Championship but a loss to the USC Trojans will eliminate that. It would also make things a lot more difficult for them in the Pac-12 with a matchup against the Oregon Ducks in a few weeks. This is one of the few tests for this Stanford team taking a trip to Southern California and they have to come through. That is, if they want any say so in the National Championship.

Kansas State Wildcats

There may not be a Big-12 Championship game this season but that doesn't mean there isn't a Big-12 champion crowned this year. The Wildcats are a surprising 7-0 this season and ranked inside the Top 10. They can mess everything up with a loss this week against the Oklahoma Sooners. A loss would either leave Oklahoma State the frontrunners or leave a big tie in the Big-12 conference. That would not be good for Kansas State when they still have to play Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Texas.

Randy Chambers is a B/R Featured Columnist that covers College Football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or Randy.Chambers7@yahoo.com

Bleacher Report is your home for college football for the 2011 season. From scores, news, analysis, live blogs and updates on your favorite teams and the big national games every week, keep it on Bleacher Report for the very latest in college football news.

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Different year, same old story for Oklahoma.

The Sooners were once again expected to make a serious run at a national championship this year, but Big Game Bob’s crew found a way to blow it just like they have many times in the past.

Oklahoma came into the game against Texas Tech as 28-point favorites, and not even the Red Raiders themselves thought they would be able to pull an upset off in Norman, but the Sooners played with zero intensity and failed to execute and now they're all but out of the national title picture.

Luckily for the Sooners, the now No. 9 team in the BCS standings will get a shot to redeem themselves this weekend when they head to Manhattan to take on No. 8 Kansas State.

Some were surprised to see Oklahoma installed as two-touchdown favorites for the game, but when you compare the talent level on both teams, you can see why the boys in Vegas set such a lopsided number.

Kansas State may be 7-0 on the season, but the Wildcats are still a largely unproven bunch, with just one victory over a ranked team, Baylor, who isn’t even ranked anymore.

It will be interesting to see what type of intensity Oklahoma plays with after that embarrassing loss at home last weekend.

If they come out hungry, things could get ugly.

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After getting rocked by Syracuse last Friday, No. 25 West Virginia is barely clinging to a BCS ranking in the latest standings, and now the Mountaineers will have to try to find a rebound win away from home when they visit Rutgers this Saturday.

West Virginia is better than they looked against the Orange, and they have a better overall team than Rutgers, but going on the road for the second week in a row can take its toll on a team, especially after such a bad performance.

Rutgers has the type of offensive talent, with explosive weapons like Mohamed Sanu, to hang with West Virginia.

The entire West Virginia offense, especially QB Geno Smith and the offensive line, is coming off a horrendous performance, and it’s up to Smith to step it up, because every Big East game from here on out will be crucial.

The Mountaineers were once thought to be the bell cow of the Big East, but after last week’s dismal defeat, many are starting to question if they’re really the best team in the league.

We know West Virginia has the talent, the question is, do they have the heart to get it done against the Scarlet Knights on Saturday?

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A good stat to know for this weekend’s SEC matchup between South Carolina and Tennessee is that the Gamecocks are 1-14 all-time in Knoxville.

That’s certainly not a favorable trend for Steve Spurrier’s squad.

Last week, Tennessee gave Alabama all it could handle, at least for a half anyway, and now the Volunteers will head back home and try to spoil South Carolina’s run at an SEC East title.

South Carolina is still transitioning to the Connor Shaw era, and the Gamecocks will be without their star running back Marcus Lattimore, who was lost for the year with a knee injury.

Steve Spurrier’s ball club may be the more talented team on paper, but we have to see how they handle losing such a key weapon like Lattimore.

Tennessee comes into this one a little bruised and banged up after squaring off with Georgia, LSU and Alabama in consecutive weeks, but Derek Dooley will have his team ready to play on Saturday.

It’s going to be up to backup QB Matt Simms to get the job done.

Simms certainly hasn’t looked all that impressive in relief duty, as he’s completed just 42 percent of his passes and hasn’t thrown a touchdown, but remember, the last two weeks he was going up against the two best defenses in the nation.

The senior signal-caller should have a better shot to be successful against South Carolina on Saturday.

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After Oklahoma’s upset loss to Texas Tech last weekend, Oklahoma State has moved into the No. 3 spot of the BCS standings and is now sitting in great shape to make a run to New Orleans.

The Cowboys control their own destiny, and if they run the table and knock off Oklahoma in the Bedlam game at the end of the year, it’s all but a certainty that they will make it into the national championship game.

That bodes well for Oklahoma State QB Brandon Weeden, who has picked up right where he left off after having a sensational season in his first year as a starter last year.

Weeden has completed nearly 72 percent of his passes for 2,438 yards and hit 19 scoring strikes so far.

The senior signal-caller is the leader of an Oklahoma State offense that ranks second in the country in scoring offense and third in total offense, averaging 48 points and 548 yards per game.

Weeden isn’t quite up there with the Andrew Luck’s and Trent Richardson’s of the world just yet, but if he keeps performing at a high level, and more importantly, if Oklahoma State keeps winning, he’s only going to continue to move up the Heisman contenders list.

If the national title matchup ends up being Oklahoma State-LSU, Weeden would have a great shot to win the Heisman, considering the Tigers lack a truly serious candidate.

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It seems like the only team in the BCS Top 10 that didn’t benefit from Oklahoma’s loss to Texas Tech this past week was Oklahoma State.

The Cowboys, who slipped into the No. 3 spot after the Sooners’ loss, were already in control of their own destiny, considering they will face Oklahoma on Dec. 3 in the annual Bedlam game.

Oklahoma State would have actually probably preferred Oklahoma to be undefeated when the two played, so the Cowboys could get an even bigger boost by beating their rivals.

Since they’ve already taken down two ranked teams on the road, Texas A&M and Texas, Oklahoma State has the strong backing of the BCS computers, and if they run the table and beat Oklahoma at the end of the year, it would be nearly impossible for them not to make it into the national title game.

Now, admittedly, running the table is easier said than done, but the Cowboys have the type of high-powered offense to run by anybody remaining on their schedule.

Baylor, Kansas State, Texas Tech, Iowa State and Oklahoma are the five teams that stand between Oklahoma State and New Orleans, and if Mike Gundy’s squad plays up to their potential in all five of those games, there’s no reason they shouldn’t go undefeated and make it to the big game.

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I believe that the BCS Rankings are nice at where they're at and majority of the teams deserve their ranking. I also believe that not too many new teams will jump into the Top 25 this week but there will be one team that will.

It's the Baylor Bears.

Baylor will pull off the upset this weekend over the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Baylor has the offensive weapons to keep up with Oklahoma State and the Cowboys don't have the defense to slow it down. They have the x-factor in quarterback Robert Griffin and I think he'll be able to get the job done.

A victory for the Bears have to put them in the BCS as that would be two victories over highly ranked teams. Baylor also only lost by one point to a Top 10 undefeated team in Kansas State.

Baylor will also have plenty of chances to move up in the rankings with games against Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Texas.

If Baylor can pull it off, you may also see Robert Griffin jump back in the Heisman conversation as that is kind of fading away lately. 

Randy Chambers is a B/R Featured Columnist that covers College Football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or Randy.Chambers7@yahoo.com

Bleacher Report is your home for college football for the 2011 season. From scores, news, analysis, live blogs and updates on your favorite teams and the big national games every week, keep it on Bleacher Report for the very latest in college football news.