BCS Rankings 2010: Did Alabama Loss Give Boise State New Life?

The 2010 BCS rankings will be released on October 17, 2010, and after a weekend of some fantastic college football, things are looking up for many schools.

Alabama has fallen to No. 8 in the current AP Poll, and Oregon and Ohio State are fighting for the top spot.

But next week, the real rankings come out, and as of right now, the race for the top 20 is very close.

ESPN's Brad Edwards has his own predictions for the top 5:

1. Boise State

2. Oregon

3. TCU

4. Oklahoma

5. Ohio State

But I see things a bit differently.

Read on to see my predictions for the top 20 teams next week (pending any big upsets in Week 7).

20. Arizona (4-1)

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TUCSON, AZ - OCTOBER 09: Runningback Keola Antolin #2 of the Arizona Wildcats rushes the football against Dwight Roberson #59 of the Oregon State Beavers during the college football game at Arizona Stadium on October 9, 2010 in Tucson, Arizona. The Beav

Arizona suffered their first loss to a very strong Oregon State team this weekend, but the Wildcats have had impressive victories over both Iowa and Cal.

This coming weekend, Arizona visits Washington State, and I think they'll get the win and remain in the top 20 for at least one more week.

19. Wisconsin (5-1)

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MADISON, WI - SEPTEMBER 18: J.J. Watt #99 of the Wisconsin Badgers rushes against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Camp Randall Stadium on September 18, 2010 in Madison, Wisconsin. Wisconsin defeated Arizona State 20-19. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Ima

This Wisconsin team ran up the score on their conference rivals the Minnesota Golden Gophers this past weekend, but they do have one loss to the dominant Michigan State Spartans.

The Badgers will take on the undefeated Ohio State Buckeyes this coming weekend, and while losing to the current No. 1 program is nothing to be ashamed of, I think we'll see Wisconsin slip to the No. 19 spot.

18. Oklahoma State (5-0)

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STILLWATER, OK - SEPTEMBER 5: Running back Kendall Hunter #24 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys carries the ball six yards as Rennie Curran #35 of the Georgia Bulldogs tries to stop him during the fourth quarter of the game at Boone Pickens Stadium on Septemb

Oklahoma State has yet to lose a game, and next week the Cowboys will take on Texas Tech.

This will be one of the best games of the weekend, but I expect the Cowboys to continue their wining streak.

17. Nevada (6-0)

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LAS VEGAS - OCTOBER 02: Nevada Reno Wolf Pack head coach Chris Ault (C) is flanked by quarterbacks Tyler Lantrip #16 and Mason Magleby #13 as Ault watches his players take on the UNLV Rebels at Sam Boyd Stadium October 2, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Nevad

The Nevada Wolf Pack is killing the competition this season. The only team to keep them under 30 points has been BYU, and I don't understand why this team isn't ranked higher.

Boise State is currently ranked No. 3 in the AP Poll with a schedule that looks pretty much the same (strength-wise) as Nevada.

In fact, the only game that I see being close for Nevada is when they host the Broncos in November.

16. Iowa (4-1)

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TUCSON, AZ - SEPTEMBER 18: Quarterback Ricky Stanzi #12 of the Iowa Hawkeyes prepares to snap the ball during the college football game against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium on September 18, 2010 in Tucson, Arizona. The Wildcats defeated the H

Iowa is one of the best teams in the Big Ten, and even with a loss to Arizona, the Hawkeyes have stomped every other team on their schedule.

Next week, Iowa will travel to Ann Arbor to test the Michigan Wolverines, and if this weekend was any indication of how Michigan will handle the stronger Big Ten teams, it shouldn't be much of a contest for Iowa.

15. Florida State (5-1)

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MIAMI, FL - OCTOBER 9: Jermaine Thomas #38 pats Christian Ponder #7 on the head as he is held by Andrew Datko #67 of the Florida State Seminoles after scoring a touchdown against the Miami Hurricanes on October 9, 2010 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, Florid

With the Florida Gators knocked down to No. 22 in the AP Poll and the Miami Hurricanes now completely out of the top 25, the Florida State Seminoles have emerged as the best team in the State of Florida.

Sure, the 'Noles had a tough loss to Oklahoma, but that is understandable.

14. Stanford (5-1)

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PALO ALTO, CA - OCTOBER 09: Andrew Luck #12 of the Stanford Cardinal in action during their game against the USC Trojans at Stanford Stadium on October 9, 2010 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The Cardinal's only loss of the season came from the dominant Oregon Ducks, but Stanford is looking like one of the top teams in the Pac 10.

13. Arkansas (4-1)

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FAYETTEVILLE - SEPTEMBER 25: Ryan Mallett #15 of the Arkansas Razorbacks tries to avoid pressure from Courtney Upshaw #41 of the Alabama Crimson Tide at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on September 25, 2010 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Alabama won 24-2

The Hogs played a very close game with the Alabama Crimson Tide, and they will be coming off a win over Texas A&M to take on the Auburn Tigers.

I expect Auburn to win this one, but you never know with the SEC. Arkansas has a solid team, and if they can pull off the upset over the Tigers, they will definitely move up in my rankings.

12. Utah (5-0)

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FORT WORTH, TX - NOVEMBER 14: Shaky Smithson #1 of the Utah Utes celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown in the first quarter of the game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Amon G. Carter Stadium on November 14, 2009 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Phot

Utah is another team that has been completely crushing every single opponent on their schedule. Their closest game resulted in an overtime win over Pitt, and they have been rolling through their competition ever since.

11. Michigan State (6-0)

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ANN ARBOR, MI - OCTOBER 09: Le'Veon Bell #24 of the Michigan State Spartans scores on a 41 yard touchdown in the second quarter during the game against the Michigan Wolverines during the game on October 9, 2010 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Michigan State upset Wisconsin and dominated Michigan and they have the advantage of not having to play Ohio State this season.

The Spartans still have to play Iowa, but there's another team that I think will give them a greater challenge: Illinois.

I was actually surprised that Illinois didn't make the top 25 this week because I think the Illini are emerging as one of the top teams in the Big Ten.

The Spartans will find out soon because they will host the Illini this Saturday.

10. Alabama (5-1)

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COLUMBIA, SC - OCTOBER 9: Quarterback Greg McElroy of the Alabama Crimson Tide runs upfield against the South Carolina Gamecocks October 9, 2010 at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

Do I think there are nine teams in the country that are better than the Crimson Tide?

Absolutely not,

Do I think their loss to South Carolina will push them further in the polls?

Sadly, yes.

9. LSU (6-0)

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GAINESVILLE, FL - OCTOBER 09: Punter Josh Jasper #30 of the Louisiana State University Tigers runs a fake punt for yardage past Ahmad Black #35 and Janoris Jenkins #1 of the Florida Gators during the game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on October 9, 2010 in

The LSU Tigers are the kind of team that will find a way to win games. They may not be the fastest, strongest, or most talented, but Les Miles has perfected what I like to call the "WTF? Play."

We'll see how LSU fairs as they move deeper into the meat of their SEC schedule, but for now, they are at No. 9.

8. South Carolina (4-1)

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COLUMBIA, SC - OCTOBER 9: Quarterback Stephen Garcia #5 of the South Carolina Gamecocks sets to pass against the Alabama Crimson Tide October 9, 2010 at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

The GameCocks stunned the nation on Saturday with an outstanding upset over the Alabama Crimson Tide.

South Carolina's only loss comes from an undefeated Auburn team, and I think they will continue to be a dominant force in the SEC.

7. Nebraska (5-0)

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LINCOLN, NEBRASKA - SEPTEMBER 25: Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Taylor Martinez #3, with the help of teammates offensive linesmen Keith Williams #68 and Mike Caputo #58 works his way through the South Dakota State Jackrabbit defense during their game a

This is another team that deserves to be ranked higher than No. 7, but with so many other teams remaining undefeated, I think voters will keep the Huskers out of the top five.

6. TCU (6-0)

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DALLAS - SEPTEMBER 24: Quarterback Andy Dalton #14 of the TCU Horned Frogs at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on September 24, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Here we will get into some controversy.

TCU has a good football team, but who have they played?

Oregon State? Wyoming?

They'll start high in the rankings, but they will slip lower as the season progresses.

5. Auburn (6-0)

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LEXINGTON, KY - OCTOBER 09: Cam Newton #2 of the Auburn Tigers throws a pass during the SEC game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Commonwealth Stadium on October 9, 2010 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

So far this season, the Auburn Tigers are the best team in the SEC.

Cam Newton is finding himself as the leader of the Auburn offense, and the Tigers defense has been just as dominant.

Auburn deserves to be in the top five simply for being the best team in the most competitive conference in college football.

4. Oklahoma (5-0)

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DALLAS - OCTOBER 02: Quarterback Landry Jones #12 of the Oklahoma Sooners drops back to pass against the Texas Longhorns in the fourth quarter at the Cotton Bowl on October 2, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Oklahoma is currently ranked No. 6 in the AP Poll, but come on!

The Sooners have played some very good teams, and each time they came out on top.

I will even go so far as to say that Oklahoma could be the best team in the country.

3. Boise State (5-0)

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BOISE, ID - SEPTEMBER 25: Wide receiver Titus Young #1 of the Boise State Broncos runs the ball against the Oregon State Beavers at Bronco Stadium on September 25, 2010 in Boise, Idaho. (Photo by Otto Kitsinger III/Getty Images)

I am all about rooting for the underdog, and I believe that Boise State deserves a whole bunch of credit for absolutely dominating all of their competition.

That being said, Boise State contending for the top spot in college football rankings is absolutely ridiculous. If they end up ranked higher than No. 3 in the BCS standings, we will see them fall very quickly as other teams continue to defeat stronger opponents.

2. Ohio State (6-0)

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COLUMBUS, OH - OCTOBER 9: Dan Herron #1 of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates his third-quarter touchdown run against the Indiana Hoosiers with teammate DeVier Posey #8 at Ohio Stadium on October 9, 2010 in Columbus, Ohio. Herron scored twice in Ohio Sta

The Ohio State Buckeyes are off to a great start, and as their season gets tougher, we will see what this team is really made of.

Ohio State is currently ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll, but I am not confident that they will remain at the top next Monday.

A win over Wisconsin will help their case, but I think voters will give the top spot to someone else...

1. Oregon (6-0)

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EUGENE, OR - OCTOBER 2: Running back LaMichael James #21 of the Oregon Ducks celebrates as he scores a touchdown in the second quarter of the game against the Stanford Cardinal at Autzen Stadium on October 2, 2010 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Steve Dykes/

The Oregon Ducks are ranked No. 2 in the country after an Alabama loss, and I think they'll claim the No. 1 spot in the first BCS rankings.

Their closest game was an 11 point win over Arizona State, and the Ducks will continue to dominate.

Repeat of the Rose Bowl in this season's BCS National Championship?

It's too soon to tell, but that is a definite possibility.