BCS Standings: 10 Teams That Could Rise Most After Week 9 Games
We've only had two weeks of the BCS standings, and there's already been a lot of complaining and "disrespecting."
Every conference feels its flagship school should be No. 1 in the polls: SEC, Pac-10, Big Ten, Big 12, WAC...well, maybe not the Big East and ACC.
There is another huge week of college football coming at us, beginning tonight when the No. 3-ranked Boise State Broncos get another audition for a BCS National Championship Game bid against 3-4 Louisiana Tech.
Georgia Bulldogs (4-4)
1 of 10
BCS: Not Ranked
AP: Not Ranked
Coaches/USA Today: Not Ranked
Next Week: vs. 4-3 Florida (at neutral site, Jacksonville)
This isn't quite as absurd as it sounds...although it's borderline ridiculous.
The Bulldogs are 4-4 and started the season in terrible fashion, losing four in a row after a season-opening victory. But they've bounced back in recent weeks with convincing wins over Vanderbilt, an underrated Kentucky team and rival Tennessee.
Of course, if the Gators were undefeated (or even ranked) heading into the former World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, then the Bulldogs would definitely make some noise in the BCS with a win.
But consider the SEC East standings for a moment. The Bulldogs have a 3-3 record in conference; only South Carolina is better. The Gamecocks do own the tiebreaker since they won the head-to-head matchup. But Steve Spurrier's team still has to play Florida and also plays Tennessee and 12th-ranked Arkansas.
If the Gamecocks lose two of those tough matchups and the Dawgs win out (not easy with Auburn on the schedule), they would reach the SEC title game.
Just the fact that they are in contention should get some notoriety, and since it's on national TV, voters are going to be aware. A blowout of their big rival might help them sneak into the Top 25 of the BCS of all three polls.
Oklahoma State Cowboys (6-1)
2 of 10
BCS: 17th
AP: 20th
Coaches/USA Today: 20th
This Week: at Kansas State (5-2)
The Cowboys missed an opportunity to burst into the national championship discussion last week with a 51-41 loss to the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
But they are still very much alive in the race for the Big 12 South, which leaves them a chance to contend for the BCS title should they win a conference title game against someone like No. 1 or 2-ranked Missouri.
Voters might keep that in mind while watching the Cowboys in their visit to Manhattan this Saturday afternoon. The Wildcats had cracked the Top 25 until last week's loss to Baylor, so a road win over a good team could get Oklahoma State near the Top 10 of the BCS.
Arizona Wildcats (6-1)
3 of 10
BCS: 15th
AP: 15th
Coaches/USA Today: 16th
Next Week: at 3-4 UCLA
The Bruins were embarrassed last week by Oregon, 60-13, so they not only have a bad record, they are probably not a good team either.
But don't forget that they did go to Texas and wallop the Longhorns. The Wildcats had better not take them lightly for that fact.
Because UCLA has that stunning win on this season's resume, the Wildcats earn an extra bit of kudos if they take care of business against at the Rose Bowl. A 30-point win and near shutout would bring more people to their camp.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Iowa Hawkeyes (5-2)
4 of 10
BCS: 18th
AP: 17th
Coaches/USA Today: 19th
Next Week: vs. fifth-ranked 7-0 Michigan State
Iowa has played one of the nation's tougher schedules this season. Not only have they had huge intra-conference showdowns with Penn State, Wisconsin and Michigan, they've also traveled to Arizona for an out of conference game, as well as hosted the in-state battle with the Iowa State Cyclones.
A win over the only remaining undefeated Big Ten team would boost them high up the rankings. Because they only have one loss in the conference, they would become a front runner for the Big Ten title.
Nebraskas Cornhuskers (6-1)
5 of 10
BCS: 14th
AP: 14th
Coaches/USA Today: 12th
Next Week: vs. sixth-ranked 7-0 Missouri
The Cornhuskers are still in great position despite the loss two weeks ago against Texas. Missouri might not be getting that much love nationally (ranked just sixth in the BCS and eighth in the two human polls), but they are still the last undefeated team in the powerhouse Big 12 conference.
Nebraska catches a huge break this week by getting Missouri right after the Tigers topped the previously No. 1-ranked Sooners.
Not only will the Tigers be vulnerable for the proverbial "letdown," but if the Huskers knock off the team that seven days earlier knocked off the team that was ranked first, voters will have to stand up and notice it.
Utah Utes (8-0)
6 of 10
BCS: Eighth
AP: Seventh
Coaches/USA Today: Eighth
Next Week: vs. 5-3 Air Force
Utah is not getting nearly the attention or respect that Boise State and TCU are receiving in 2010. They do have a win over a Top 25 team, in the season opener against Pitt (yes, Pitt was once ranked 15th). They are also undefeated and have held opponents to 10 points or less in half of their games.
Air Force is a quality opponent, and although a road win over the Falcons won't boost them ahead of their fellow "small conference" brothers, it would help them get a few votes.
The Falcons are 5-3, they pushed Oklahoma to the wire back in late September and they have the No. 1-ranked rushing offense in college football. Trouncing a team like that—while TCU and Boise State play teams with a combined four wins—helps out the Utes' cause.
Baylor Bears (6-2)
7 of 10
BCS: 25th
AP: 24th
Coaches/USA Today: 24th
Next Week: vs. 4-3 Texas
When are the Bears going to start being taken seriously? A win over in-state rival Texas would be a huge start. Baylor hasn't beaten Texas during the Mack Brown era (their last win came in 1997), but if the Longhorns were ever ripe, it's now.
Forget the fact that Texas has three losses; it's still a road trip to Austin...try, also, to forget that the UCLA Bruins creamed the Longhorns at Darrell K Royal Stadium just a few weeks ago.
If the Bears, Robert Griffin III and their extremely high-scoring offense can defeat Texas by double digits, they should get a boost into the Top 20.
Missouri Tigers (7-0)
8 of 10
BCS: Sixth
AP: Eighth
Coaches/USA Today: Eighth
Next Week: at 14th-ranked 6-1 Nebraska
Not much analysis is needed for this one. A Mizzou victory proves that the triumph over Oklahoma was not a fluke.
To win on the road, to Lincoln, a week after such an emotionally charged win against the Sooners would mean that the Tigers are a legitimate threat to win the Big 12 North, finish undefeated and play for the national championship.
Especially in the human polls, a road win over a Top 15 team means that the Tigers must climb and possibly leap over TCU, which plays the 1-5 UNLV Runnin' Rebels this week.
Michigan State Spartans (8-0)
9 of 10
BCS: Fifth
AP: Fifth
Coaches/USA Today: Fifth
Next Week: vs. 18th-ranked 5-2 Iowa
After the tough schedule that Michigan State has played recently and their coach's heart attack, the pink locker rooms at Kinnick Stadium shouldn't faze the Spartans.
The Hawkeyes are a very good team and just narrowly missed out on a win against Wisconsin, which would have propped them up, probably into the Top 10.
If Kirk Cousins gets this team to 8-0, with wins over Wisconsin, Michigan and Iowa, the Spartans deserve to spring over TCU in the BCS rankings.
Oregon Ducks (7-0)
10 of 10
BCS: Second
AP: First
Coaches/USA Today: First
Next Week: at 5-2 USC
Even without the records and the Pac-10 and national championship implications, this should be a great game with both teams combining to top 100 points.
But because it's USC, at the Los Angeles Coliseum, a year after the Trojans were crushed in Eugene, 47-20, a Ducks win might be enough to get them closer to Auburn for the top ranking.
Regardless of the sanctions and their two losses, USC is a very good team and probably deserves to be in the Top 25. LaMichael James and Darron Thomas will have their typical prolific day, so the defense is the side of the ball that can push Oregon into the top spot.
Matt Barkley is quietly having an outstanding season (1,869 yards, 65 percent completion rate, 20:4 touchdown-to-interception ratio). If the Ducks silence him, they will prove their defense is for real, and that might make them seem a more balanced, all-around team than Auburn.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
