BCS Rankings 2013 Week 12: Landing Spots for Each Top 25 Program

There were no surprises in the BCS rankings. The No.1-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide proved their mettle by turning away LSU, 38-17. Florida State is sitting pretty at No. 2 after throttling Wake Forest, 59-3. The 'Noles don't have another ranked team left on their regular-season schedule. 

They clinched a berth in the ACC Championship Game, and if the season ended today, their opponent would be unranked Georgia Tech. The Tide and 'Noles would be an interesting BCS title game, but both will likely have to win out to make it to Pasadena.

Here's a look at the rankings that were unveiled on Sunday night:

1	Alabama	9-0	1
2	Florida State	9-0	2
3	Ohio State	9-0	4
4	Stanford	8-1	5
5	Baylor	8-0	6
6	Oregon	8-1	3
7	Auburn	9-1	9
8	Clemson	8-1	7
9	Missouri	9-1	8
10	South Carolina	7-2	12
11	Texas A&M	8-2	15
12	Oklahoma State	8-1	14
13	UCLA	7-2	19
14	Fresno State	9-0	16
15	Northern Illinois	9-0	18
16	Michigan State	8-1	17
17	Central Florida	7-1	21
18	Oklahoma	7-2	10
19	Arizona State	7-2	22
20	Louisville	8-1	20
21	LSU	7-3	13
22	Wisconsin	7-2	24
23	Miami, Fla	7-2	11
24	Texas	7-2	NR
25	Georgia	6-3	NR

'Bama's Tough Road

If the Crimson Tide make it to a third straight BCS National Championship Game, they will have earned their spot. 'Bama takes on archrival Auburn in the Iron Bowl in the regular-season finale. As long as it beats Mississippi State on Saturday and Auburn on Nov. 30, Alabama would play in the SEC Championship Game.

That could be a tough battle against the Missouri Tigers. These games are far from gimmes. As maligned as 'Bama's early schedule has been, no one can dispute the level of difficulty they'll face in their last two games.

Wounded Ducks

Oregon likely squandered any chance of making the BCS title game. The Ducks' 26-20 loss to Stanford on Thursday makes them just the second-highest rated one-loss team. They need a ton of help to get back into one of the top two spots. Honestly speaking, the feat seems nearly impossible.

Looks like another wasted opportunity for the guys from Eugene.

Hoping for a Break

There is a chance we could see four undefeated teams shut out of the BCS title game. Fresno State and Northern Illinois haven't lost, but because neither school belongs to a major conference, their ascension into the Top Five was always a long shot.

The Ohio State Buckeyes and Baylor Bears may have a more agonizing experience. The teams are third and fifth in the BCS rankings, respectively. Baylor still has two relatively difficult games ahead with Texas Tech and Oklahoma State on the ledger in the next two contests.

Because their schedule is stronger than the Buckeyes', the Bears could move past the Bucks in the next two weeks without Urban Meyer's team losing. That said, if 'Bama and Florida State run the table, equalling the feat won't be enough to move Baylor into the Top Two.

If this happens, you can bet you'll have at least two programs wishing the playoff system began a year earlier.