BCS Rankings 2010: Power Ranking the Top 10 Teams' Path to the BCS
With the first BCS Rankings of 2010 out it's time to go deeper into the rankings and break down the easiest paths to the national championship.
Inside, I rank the top 10 teams in the poll by the difficulty of their schedule. The toughest schedules are at the front with the easiest at the top. If you agree or disagree, make sure to leave it in the comments.
Also, if you think a team outside of the top 10 could make a run at the title game, be sure to make that known as well.
No. 10: LSU
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In its next two games LSU hits the road to play No. 4 Auburn and then comes home to take on No. 8 Alabama in the Bayou.
Not only that, but the Tigers end the season taking on Arkansas in yet another tough contest before possibly playing in the SEC title game. LSU has been in some wars this season and have escaped and with that type of playing style, I'm not sure the Tigers can hang on to an undefeated season.
This stretch will show us if Les Miles is a mad genius or a hack.
No. 9: Alabama
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The road for the defending national champions doesn't get any easier from here on out as the Crimson Tide takes on LSU, Mississippi State and Auburn down the stretch. Alabama plays host to the latter two but going into LSU is never an easy task.
If Alabama wins out they would play in the SEC title game and have to win another big game. It's not easy to be a defending national champion, but when you're trying to repeat and you have to go through that type of schedule, you really have your work cut out for you.
We'll see if Alabama can continue to mature and get through this stretch.
No. 8: Auburn
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Cam Newton and company have LSU this week and then Alabama at the end of the season with nothing really impressive in between.
If Auburn wins out, it will be in the SEC title game and that is always a slugfest. As you can see, all three SEC teams that are in the top 10 have the three toughest schedules on this list. The SEC is a beast of a conference and it is always a tough road to go in conference play.
I don't envy any of these teams.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
No. 7: Oklahoma
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The Sooners only face one ranked opponent the final few weeks of the season and that's Oklahoma State in the regular season finale. If Oklahoma wins out, the Sooners will be in the Big 12 title game and ask Texas how competitive that game can be.
However, games like Texas Tech, Texas A&M and Baylor shouldn't be any problem for Oklahoma. It's not a tough schedule by any stretch, but it's not the easiest one in the top 10 either.
I'm not sold on Oklahoma, as I've made known on this site, but things are lining up for Landry Jones and company to make it to the championship game.
No. 6: Oregon
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The Ducks are tops in both national polls and have things set up nicely for a run at the national title game.
Oregon only faces one team currently ranked in the polls and that's Arizona. Other than a rivalry game against Oregon State to end the season, there aren't really another other tests unless you want to count USC, and I don't.
The Ducks offense looks unstoppable and it very well may carry them to a national championship appearance this winter. It also doesn't hurt that the Pac 10 doesn't have a championship game as of right now.
No. 5: TCU
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The Horned Frogs don't play the toughest schedule in the nation out of the Mountain West, but TCU will play Air Force, who at one point was ranked this season and then have a showdown with No. 9 Utah in a couple of weeks.
If TCU gets past that, there is nothing in its way except the teams in front of it. The Horned Frogs are more likely to get an at-large bid for a BCS bowl game than a bid to the championship game. If you're rooting for a BCS buster, you should hitch your wagon to Boise State because TCU has no shot of making the big game.
If we had a playoff, that's another story.
No. 4: Utah
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Utah's biggest game down the stretch is against No. 4 TCU but also has a national TV matchup against Notre Dame.
While the Fighting Irish aren't what they used to be, it's a national showcase game and if the Utes can really give Notre Dame the business, it could help rise their stock. However, Utah doesn't really have a shot for the national title game.
The Utes could beat TCU and if they do, that's impressive, but it won't mean much in terms of the BCS. That's the problem with this system.
No. 3: Ohio State
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Other than a matchup against No. 15 Iowa, not much separates the Buckeyes from finishing out the season on a winning streak.
There is the annual matchup against rival Michigan, but the Wolverines have struggled after a hot start and Denard Robinson has had his issues against tougher defenses. The Buckeyes should run the table and hope for a couple of losses ahead of them.
If not, Ohio State isn't going to even win the Big Ten, let alone find themselves in the national championship game.
No. 2: Michigan State
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Michigan State is in a similar position to Ohio State, with Iowa being the only test between the Spartans and a Big Ten championship.
There is a road matchup at Penn State to finish the season and while that's a tough place to play, the Nittany Lions aren't what they used to be. I put Sparty above the Buckeyes simply because Michigan State is in the driver's seat in the conference.
Michigan State could be in a BCS bowl. Who would have thought that coming into the season?
No. 1: Boise State
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Boise State really has no one left on the schedule that should scare any fans of the Broncos. After big wins over Virginia Tech and Oregon State early in the season, the Broncos got into their conference schedule and that's where things got easy.
The WAC isn't the best conference in the nation and Boise State is far superior to these teams. Sure, there are some scrappy teams left on the schedule, but the Broncos are going to be huge favorites in every game from here on out.
The Broncos are going to need a team ahead of them to lose because there's no way they'll get in otherwise. I'm not sure a one-loss SEC champion wouldn't hop Boise State either.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
