BCS Rankings Week 9: The Highest Each Top 25 Team Could Rise by Season's End
The Week 9 BCS Standings feature seven undefeated teams in the Top 25 after losses to Oklahoma and LSU.
The Auburn Tigers skipped over several teams to move up to the number one spot, even after Oregon had a convincing win over UCLA.
The question now is whether or not Auburn can hold on to the number one spot for the rest of the season. If not, is it possible that the BCS Championship Game will be Boise State against TCU?
Some teams, who have lost their chance to play in the championship, now can play the role of spoiler and mix up the BCS Standings.
Here is how far each team in the Top 25 can move up by season's end.
25. Baylor Bears (6-2)
1 of 25
The Baylor Bears are coming off an impressive win against Kansas State, who were ranked No. 22 before the game.
With four games left in their season, three of them will be very difficult. Next week, Baylor goes on the road to play their in-state rival, the Texas Longhorns.
The following week Baylor goes on the road to play No. 17 Oklahoma State. The last game of the season comes at home, against No. 9 Oklahoma.
Baylor would have to win the rest of their games to move up far in the BCS Standings.
Highest Possible Rank: Between No.10 and No. 15
24. Nevada Wolf Pack (6-1)
2 of 25
The Nevada Wolf Pack only have one game out of the remaining five that can really impact their rank in the BCS Standings.
After a disappointing loss to Hawaii, Nevada does not have a very impressive resume.
On November 26th, Nevada hosts No. 3 Boise State at home. This game is much more meaningful for Boise State, but it will be interesting if the Wolf Pack can play spoiler.
Highest Possible Rank: No. 15
23. Virginia Tech Hokies (6-2)
3 of 25
Virginia Tech ruined their season in the first two games of the season, with back-to-back losses to Boise State and James Madison.
However, they have not loss a game since. The Hokies only have one ranked team, the No. 22 Miami Hurricanes, left on the schedule.
That will be a huge game for Virginia Tech, as it will help determine who plays in the Orange Bowl.
Highest Possible Rank: No higher than No. 15
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22. Miami Hurricanes (5-2)
4 of 25
The Miami Hurricanes game against Virginia Tech is the most important and most challenging game left in the season.
Miami will not be able to move up that far in the BCS Standings, but they have a great shot to win an automatic bid to the Orange Bowl.
Highest Possible Rank: No. 15
21. Mississippi State (6-2)
5 of 25
The Mississippi State Bulldogs still have two ranked opponents left on their schedule.
In back-to-back week, they go on the road to No. 7 Alabama and then back home to play No. 19 Arkansas.
The Bulldogs have the chance to officially ruin Alabama's BCS Championship hopes, but they probably can not win the SEC.
Highest Possible Rank: No.10 to No. 15
20. South Carolina Gamecocks
6 of 25
After a surprising win against, at the time, No. 1 Alabama, South Carolina suffered a devastating loss against Kentucky.
The Gamecocks only have one ranked opponent left on the schedule, as they try and defeat No. 19 Arkansas at home.
Highest Possible Rank: No. 15
19. Arkansas Razorbacks (5-2)
7 of 25
The Arkansas Razorbacks have a very tough remaining schedule. However, that is good news when trying to move up in the BCS Standings.
Here are the ranked opponents left on Arkansas' schedule:
at No. 20 South Carolina, at No. 21 Mississippi State, No. 12 LSU
A lot may depend on how high those teams are ranked by the end of the season, but Arkansas could move up very far in the standings. Especially since their only two losses came to No. 7 Alabama and No. 1 Auburn.
With some help along the way, the Razorbacks could move up almost ten spots.
Highest Possible Rank: No. 10
18. Iowa Hawkeyes (5-2)
8 of 25
The Iowa Hawkeyes may have lost their chance of eventually breaking the top ten in the BCS Standings after losing to No. 13 Wisconsin.
However, they still have a chance to move up more than five sports by the season's end.
Next weekend, Iowa can ruin Michigan State's BCS Championship hopes when they go on the road to play the Spartans.
Iowa also plays No. 11 Ohio State on November 20th.
Highest Possible Rank: No. 10
17. Oklahoma State Cowboys (6-1)
9 of 25
Oklahoma State lost a heart-breaker against Nebraska last weekend for their first loss of the season.
With that loss, the team has yet to defeat a team that currently is ranked in the Top 25 BCS Standings.
The Cowboys have two ranked opponents, No. 25 Baylor and No. 9 Oklahoma, left on the schedule. However, they should not move up that much.
Highest Possible Rank: No. 12 to No. 15
16. Florida State Seminoles (6-1)
10 of 25
Florida State does not have much room to move up in the standings. The Seminoles have no ranked opponents left on the schedule, so they are in danger of only moving down in the standings.
However, at least the Seminoles have the ACC Championship Game to work towards.
Highest Possible Rank: No. 14 or No. 15
15. Arizona Wildcats (6-1)
11 of 25
The Arizona Wildcats are aiming towards winning the Pac-10 championship.
However, Arizona has maybe one of the toughest remaining schedules in college football.
Arizona plays USC at home in late November and also must go on the road to UCLA, No. 13 Stanford, and No. 2 Oregon.
If they win out, Arizona should definitely be in the top eight and could break the top five with some help from other teams.
Highest Possible Rank: No. 5
14. Nebraska Cornhuskers (6-1)
12 of 25
After a big win on the road against No. 17 Oklahoma State, Nebraska is still hoping that they can win the Big 12.
Their biggest game of the year comes next week at home against No. 6 Missouri.
If Nebraska can win the rest of their games, which seems possible, they could work their way into one of the BCS Bowl Games. A lot depends on how Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma play during the final stretch of the season.
Highest Possible Rank: No. 6
13. Stanford Cardinal (6-1)
13 of 25
Stanford's biggest game of the season is on November 6th against Arizona.
Besides that game, there are no teams currently in the BCS Top 25 left on the schedule. Stanford has also not defeated a team in the BCS Top 25 Rankings
Highest Possible Rank: No. 10
12. LSU Tigers (7-1)
14 of 25
LSU lost their chance to play in the BCS Championship Game after losing to Auburn last weekend.
However, the Tigers can still break the top ten rankings by winnings the rest of their games. It certainly will not be easy.
In two weeks, LSU hosts No. 7 Alabama at home and eventually goes on the road to play No. 19 Arkansas to finish the season.
Highest Possible Rank: No. 7
11. Ohio State Buckeyes (7-1)
15 of 25
After a disappointing loss to Wisconsin, Ohio State took out their frustration on Purdue by defeating them 49-0.
However, Ohio State will definitely needs some help and has to win the rest of their games in order to win the Big Ten.
Their second to last game of the season comes on the road against No. 18 Iowa.
Highest Possible Rank: No. 8
10. Wisconsin Badgers (7-1)
16 of 25
Wisconsin has defeated two ranked teams in back-to-back weeks. Now, they just have to win the rest of their games against mostly average teams and hope for some help.
The Badgers' hardest game left will come on the road at Michigan.
Wisconsin needs Michigan State to lose, maybe twice, and win the rest of their games in order to win the Big Ten.
Highest Possible Rank: No. 7
9. Oklahoma Sooners (6-1)
17 of 25
Oklahoma's season will be determined by the final two games, which both happen to be on the road.
First, the Sooners travel to play No. 25 Baylor and then No. 17 Oklahoma State.
After losing their No. 1 spot by being defeated by Missouri, Oklahoma must hope for some help.
Missouri plays No. 14 Nebraska this week, but then they do not have any ranked opponents on the schedule.
Highest Possible Rank: No. 6
8. Utah Utes (7-0)
18 of 25
Utah is the lowest-ranked undefeated team in the BCS Rankings and deservingly so.
Utah's biggest game on the season is on November 6th against No. 4 TCU. The next week, the Utes have to go on the road to Notre Dame.
If Utah stays undefeated, it will be hard for Utah not to be in the top five. If Alabama and every team that is currently undefeated loses, it should be possible that Utah earns the number one spot.
It may be crazy, but it is possible.
Highest Possible Rank: No. 1, but realistically No. 4
7. Alabama Crimson Tide (7-1)
19 of 25
Alabama may have the most difficult schedule in college football, so if they only have one loss, they should be in the BCS Championship game.
Their next two games come against ranked opponents. First Alabama goes on the road to No. 12 LSU and then they host No. 21 Mississippi State.
On their last game of the regular season, Alabama plays No. 1 Auburn at home.
Alabama is going to need some of the top teams to lose one game, but if they win out, they are clearly the best team with one loss.
Highest Possible Ranking: No. 1
6. Missouri Tigers (7-0)
20 of 25
Missouri's biggest game of the season came last week in a win against Oklahoma.
Next week will be their second most important game of the year, as they go on the road to play No. 14 Nebraska.
Nebraska is the only ranked opponent left on Missouri's schedule, so it is possible that they can run the table.
If either Michigan State, Auburn, and Oregon lose one game while Missouri stay undefeated, the Tigers will be in the BCS Championship Game.
Highest Possible Ranking: No. 1
5. Michigan State Spartans (8-0)
21 of 25
Michigan State escaped with a win after visiting Northwestern last weekend.
Michigan State has one ranked opponent left on the schedule, as they go on the road in two weeks to play the No. 18 Iowa Hawkeyes.
The Spartans have managed to stay undefeated, but their resume is not that impressive.
In order to be number one in the BCS Rankings, Oregon, Auburn, and maybe even Missouri must lose one game.
Highest Possible Ranking: No. 1
4. TCU Horned Frogs (8-0)
22 of 25
TCU is one of the seven undefeated teams left in college football, but their resume will most likely keep them from reaching the number one spot.
The biggest game of the season will come against their rival, Utah, on November 6th.
TCU will have to win on the road in Utah and win the rest of their games in order to be considered for the BCS Championship Game.
In order to get to the number one spot in the BCS Rankings, all of the teams in the top eight, maybe including Alabama, must lose one game.
Highest Possible Rankings: No. 1, realistically No. 3
3. Boise State Broncos (6-0)
23 of 25
The controversy around how high can Boise State be ranked will last for the remainder of the season. Currently, it looks as if Boise State will be in the BCS Championship unless Oregon and Auburn stay undefeated.
There is only one tough obstacle on the rest of the Broncos schedule.
On November 26th, they go on the road to play No. 24 Nevada.
Boise State will only be ranked number one if every team has one loss as they stay undefeated.
Highest Possible Ranking: No. 1, Realistically No. 2
Oregon Ducks (7-0)
24 of 25
Oregon was very impressive in their game last week against UCLA, but they have a tough remaining schedule.
Here are some the biggest obstacles that may keep Oregon from going undefeated:
at USC, Washington, at Arizona, Oregon State
Oregon will only be ranked number one in the BCS Rankings if they stay undefeated and if Auburn loses.
Highest Possible Ranking: No. 1
1. Auburn Tigers (8-0)
25 of 25
This is pretty obvious after Auburn's big win against LSU.
If Auburn stays undefeated, they will be the number one team in the BCS Standings.
However, it will not be that easy for the Tigers. They will go on the road on November 26th to play Alabama.
Besides that, the toughest obstacle may be next week in Mississippi. The Rebels will try to knock off the number one team for the fourth straight week.
Assuming that the Tigers win that game, they still have a tough game in the SEC Championship.
Highest Possible Rankings: No. 1
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