BCS Standings 2013: Official Standings for Top 25 Announced

The first edition of the 2013 BCS rankings have been announced, making this a very exciting time for college football fans.

The postseason picture has just begun to take shape, with the official standings giving every program an idea of where it currently stands and what must be done to make a prestigious BCS bowl game.

Let’s take a look at the initial standings and highlight how they will shape the rest of the 2013 campaign.

BCS Rankings (Week 9)

Rank	Team	Record	BCS Average
1	Alabama	7-0	.984
2	Florida State	6-0	.935
3	Oregon	7-0	.932
4	Ohio State	7-0	.855
5	Missouri	7-0	.822
6	Stanford	6-1	.741
7	Miami (FL)	6-0	.720
8	Baylor	6-0	.712
9	Clemson	6-1	.625
10	Texas Tech	7-0	.622
11	Auburn	6-1	.506
12	UCLA	5-1	.481
13	LSU	6-2	.455
14	Virginia Tech	6-1	.441
15	Oklahoma	6-1	.420
16	Texas A&M	5-2	.367
17	Fresno State	6-0	.338
18	Northern Illinois	7-0	.303
19	Oklahoma State	5-1	.269
20	Louisville	6-1	.256
21	South Carolina	5-2	.216
22	Michigan	6-1	.164
23	UCF	5-1	.139
24	Nebraska	5-1	.135
25	Oregon State	6-1	.104

Of course, the Alabama Crimson Tide stand alone atop this list. Head coach Nick Saban has demanded nothing short of excellence from this group over the past few years and is in prime position to pull off a rare three-peat.

Oregon was thought to be the main challenger, as the high-flying Ducks have improved on defense and could give the Tide a run for their money come January. But for now they have one more team in their way.

Florida State is No. 2 as the Seminoles are coming off a big win over the Clemson Tigers and cemented their status as one of the nation’s top teams, as well as the class of the ACC.   

Ohio State could outlast the competition and make a run to the BCS national championship, as the Buckeyes are still undefeated. Although the schedule hasn't been the toughest, OSU deserves to be rewarded if it can run the table for the second year in a row provided two of Alabama, Oregon and Florida State slip up.

Don’t forget about Miami (FL), Baylor or Missouri either, as these programs are surprising everyone and have yet to lose a single game. They are looking like great bets to go bowling with a BCS invitation, but must be cautious as there are still plenty of games left on the year.

Surprise squads like Fresno State and Northern Illinois will be doing all they can to crash the party and could have a case to make it in to the BCS over traditional powerhouses if they finish the 2013 season undefeated.

Now that the BCS rankings have finally been released, expect programs across the nation to crank up the pressure and do what is necessary to move up over the next few weeks.