Kansas State Football: BCS Standings Put Wildcats on Path to National Title

Beating West Virginia just became that much more important.

It's not going to be easy, but with Kansas State landing fourth in the initial BCS standings, a path has been laid for it to wind up in sunny Miami Gardens, Fla., on January 7, 2013.

Consider the three teams ahead of Kansas State in the standings: Alabama, Florida and Oregon.

It stands to reason that Alabama and Florida will meet in the SEC Championship game. Someone's going to lose, and the loser of that game won't be contending for the National Championship.

Oregon has a tough schedule coming up, with games against Arizona State, USC, Stanford and Oregon State still to come.

If they make it through those games undefeated, they'll still have to win the Pac-12 championship, either against Arizona State or USC once again.

It's not that Kansas State has an easy schedule the rest of the way, because it doesn't.

West Virginia is first on tap, and you know the Mountaineers are going to be fired up after getting embarrassed last week against Texas Tech. West Virginia could very well beat Kansas State, and it is an early 4.5-point favorite, according to Vegas Insider.

But let's say that the Wildcats beat West Virginia.

With a world-class coach in Bill Snyder and a Heisman Trophy candidate in Collin Klein under center, Kansas State can beat Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, TCU, Baylor and Texas.

They don't have to worry about facing the Big 12's best for a second time in the Big 12 Championship Game because that game doesn't exist right now.

Kansas State's defense is stout and its offense is explosive.

They can win the rest of their games on their schedule.

I can't see a one-loss team, whether it be Alabama, Florida or Oregon, staying ahead of an undefeated Kansas State team in the BCS standings, not when it is sitting fourth to begin with.

There's only one team who can stop Kansas State from running the table and making it to the biggest game of the college football season.

Kansas State.