BCS Rankings Predictions 2013: Teams with Best Cases for Jump in Standings

The BCS standings are now yet again in a state of flux after the No. 5 Stanford Cardinal lost to the unranked USC Trojans in Week 12.

Things remain about the same at the top. No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Florida State remain on a collision course. No. 3 Ohio State continues to prey on a weak schedule and pray for a loss to the two names above it.

After that things get a bit wild.

Here is a projection of the Top 25 with Week 12 in the books. After the jump we'll examine three teams that have a legitimate claim to a rise in the rankings. Enjoy.

Rank	Team	Record	Conference	Pvs
1	Alabama	10-0	SEC	1
2	Florida State	10-0	ACC	2
3	Baylor	9-0	Big 12	5
4	Ohio State	10-0	Big Ten	3
5	Oregon	9-1	Pac-12	6
6	Clemson	9-1	ACC	8
7	Auburn	10-1	SEC	7
8	Missouri	9-1	SEC	9
9	Stanford	8-2	Pac-12	4
10	Texas A&M	8-2	SEC	11
11	South Carolina	8-2	SEC	10
12	Oklahoma State	9-1	Big 12	12
13	UCLA	8-2	Pac-12	13
14	Fresno State	9-0	MWC	14
15	Northern Illinois	10-0	MAC	15
16	Michigan State	9-1	Big Ten	16
17	Central Florida	8-1	AAC	17
18	Oklahoma	8-2	Big 12	18
19	Arizona State	8-2	Pac-12	19
20	Louisville	9-1	AAC	20
21	LSU	7-3	SEC	21
22	Wisconsin	8-2	Big Ten	22
23	Ole Miss	7-3	SEC	NR
24	Minnesota	8-2	Big Ten	NR
25	USC	8-3	Pac-12	NR

Note: Current rankings info courtesy of the BCS. 

No. 5 Baylor

Let the great debate begin.

With the Cardinal taking a ride down the rankings with two losses to the unranked, things get a little cloudy where Oregon and Baylor are concerned.

Oregon has one loss, which came two weeks ago at the hands of the then-ranked No. 5 Cardinal. The Bears have a pristine record, but the toughness of that schedule should rightfully be called into question.

Baylor took on a seven-win Texas Tech team in Week 12. The result was a 63-34 victory for the Bears and a jaw-dropping line from the folks over at ESPN:

The Bears have been absurd this year. Quarterback Bryce Petty is a Heisman candidate and two freshman running backs, Shock Linwood and Devin Chafin, accounted for over 200 yards and three touchdowns against the Red Raiders.

Now the case can be made for Baylor jumping Ohio State. The Buckeyes are also undefeated but have played a cupcake schedule. The Bears are deserving of a jump.

No. 16 Michigan State

The Michigan State Spartans have a single blemish on their record, but it came to a ranked Notre Dame squad in mid-September.

Michigan State still has a top-five defense that allows just over 11 points per game. While allowing 182 rushing yards to Nebraska in Week 12 hurts, the Spartans still managed a 41-28 victory. It was another dominant showing for the Spartans with a 38:37-21:23 time-of-possession victory.

More importantly, Michigan State is no longer a joke offensively. The Spartans have scored 112 points in their last three games. Sophomore quarterback Connor Cook continues to play at a steady pace and threw for 193 yards and a touchdown against the Cornhuskers.

Northern Illinois from the MAC and Fresno State from the MWC continue to sit above Michigan State, but it's time for that to change.

No. 22 Wisconsin

Wisconsin is another old-school team that continues to bully the opposition into submission.

Week 12 saw the Badgers rack up 554 total rushing yards in a 51-3 victory over Indiana. Wisconsin handily won the time of possession battle, as it controlled the ball for more than 37 minutes.

Wisconsin has a top-ten defense of its own that allows just over 15 points per game.

Three teams in front of the Badgers may deserve a drop. LSU (7-3) had a bye, Louisville (9-1) won by only seven points over Houston and Arizona State (8-2) won by 13 over Oregon State.

The Badgers do have two losses this year. One came to the aforementioned Sun Devils early in the year. The other was against then-ranked No. 4 Ohio State.

Other than that it's hard to dislike the body of work for the Badgers. It's time they catapult back up the standings after five straight wins.

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