BCS Standings 2012: Teams in Danger of Being Upset Before First Poll Is Released

The first BCS standings of the 2012 college football season will be released on October 14, and more top teams are in danger of dropping before that date. 

LSU fell to Florida, dropping from No. 4 in the Week 6 AP Top 25 Poll to No. 9 this week. But the most surprising loss came when No. 3 Florida State allowed a late game-winning touchdown to NC State, causing them to fall to No. 12. 

Florida, South Carolina and West Virginia all beat ranked opponents and moved into the Top Five, but they will have to keep winning in order to stay there.

Here are the teams that face an opponent in Week 7 capable of knocking them down the rankings.

No. 3 South Carolina

After an extremely impressive victory over Georgia, the Gamecocks have entrenched themselves as a national championship contender and the second-best team in the SEC. 

That title had belonged to LSU before this weekend, and the Tigers have a chance to take back the label this weekend as they host the Gamecocks.

Les Miles’ team had looked vulnerable earlier in the season, and losing to the first elite team they faced in 2012 suggests that the Tigers may have been overrated. But the LSU defense is still extremely dangerous and capable of leading a victory over the Gamecocks.

Having a successful college football season depends not only on how a team responds to failure, but also how it handles success. If LSU bounces back from its defeat and South Carolina lets this past week’s victory get to its head, the Tigers will pull off an upset.

No. 6 Kansas State 

Kansas State has established itself as a major power in the Big 12, but Iowa State proved capable of upsetting highly ranked teams. 

The Cyclones became the first team in over a full calendar year to defeat TCU this past week, and now the Wildcats will have to travel to Ames. 

After the huge victory, Iowa State will be bursting with confidence and, despite being unranked, will give Kansas State a tough game this weekend.

If Colin Klein and the Wildcats experience a letdown in this road game, they will be next undefeated team to be upset.

  

No. 7 Notre Dame

After blowing out Miami, the Fighting Irish’s grueling schedule will continue against Stanford.

Notre Dame’s defense has allowed the second-fewest points per game in the nation this season, but it will now go up against another extremely tough group of defenders. 

The Cardinal shut down USC’s potent offense in its biggest win of the year, and this will be a physical battle that will be won in the trenches. Both offenses will find it extremely difficult to move the ball, and the game may hinge on one big play.

Points will be hard to come by, and one mistake may doom Notre Dame to its first loss of the season.