BCS Rankings Week 11: Breaking Down All 25 Teams in the Fourth BCS Standings
The BCS rankings Week 11 were released Sunday night and we've got the breakdown of every team in the top 25.
It was a busy Saturday in the college football world, and the rankings reflect much of the shaking out that took place. Several one-loss and a previously undefeated team all saw their hopes for a BCS bid dashed by losses, while others continued to enhance their resumes with wins.
We're breaking down each team's remaining schedules and showing you where they stood prior to this week's polls, as well as telling you what each team needs to do to climb up the polls, or how they could fall down them.
Let's get rolling.
25. Texas A&M Aggies
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Last Week’s Ranking: The Aggies were unranked in Week 3 of the BCS polls.
Upcoming Games of Note: Nov 13 @ Baylor, Nov 20 vs. Nebraska, Nov 27 @ Texas.
How They Can Climb: The Aggies best hope of shooting up the charts is to win out. Wins over a good Baylor team and a great Nebraska squad would boost their profile, while Texas is still a fairly impressive scalp, even in a down year.
How They Can Fall: Continue to struggle against strong opposition. Other than last week's win over Oklahoma, the Aggies have lost their other three contests against ranked opposition. With Nebraska coming to town in two weeks, a loss would prove extremely costly.
24. Kansas State Wildcats
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Last Week’s Ranking: The Wildcats were unranked in last week's BCS standings.
Upcoming Games of Note: Nov. 13 @ Missouri.
How They Can Climb: Beat Mizzou. The Wildcats' remaining schedule is fairly soft, and the only remaining test is against the Tigers. If they want to move up, a win over Mizzou is a must.
How They Can Fall: Lose to Missouri. The Wildcats need to go 3-0 to end the season, otherwise, they'll find themselves out of the polls.
23. South Carolina Gamecocks
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Last Week’s Ranking: The Gamecocks entered last week's rankings at 19.
Upcoming Games of Note: Nov. 13 @ Florida, Nov 27 @ Clemson
How They Can Climb: Beat Florida. A win over the Gators would give South Carolina a big boost in their SEC title game hopes, and could do wonders for the Gamecocks' BCS standing.
How They Can Fall: Lose to Clemson. Losses to the Tigers and the Gators would be devastating to South Carolina's BCS ranking, and a loss to Florida would all but eliminate them from the SEC title game.
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22. Florida Gators
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Last Week’s Ranking: The Gators were unranked in last week's BCS poll.
Upcoming Games of Note: Nov. 13 vs. South Carolina, Nov 27 @ Florida State.
How They Can Climb: Win the SEC East. That means beating South Carolina in the Swamp, a game both teams will be ready for. A win over Florida State couldn't hurt either.
How They Can Fall: Lose to both the Gamecocks and Seminoles. A 1-2 finish would be a lackluster finish to a disappointing season in Gainesville.
21. Nevada Wolfpack
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Last Week’s Ranking: Nevada were ranked 23rd in last week's BCS standings.
Upcoming Games of Note: Nov. 26 vs. Boise State
How They Can Climb: Beat Boise. If the Wolfpack can knock off the Broncos, their BCS rank will soar.
How They Can Fall: Lose to anyone but Boise. Nevada's got three relatively soft games surrounding that clash with the Broncos, and anything less than a 3-1 finish to the season would be a disappointment.
20. Virginia Tech Hokies
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Last Week’s Ranking: The Hokies sat 22nd in last week's BCS standings.
Upcoming Games of Note: Nov. 13 @ North Carolina, Nov 20 @ Miami, Nov. 27 vs. Virginia
How They Can Climb: Run the table. If the Hokies want to finish the season high in the rankings, they need to win out from this point forward. With three winnable (if somewhat tough) contests, they have to win out to rise.
How They Can Fall: Lose to any of their remaining opponents. The Hokies can't afford a loss in any of their remaining games, if they want to stay in the polls and win the ACC.
19. Mississippi State Bulldogs
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Last Week’s Ranking: Mississippi State was ranked 22nd in last week's standings.
Upcoming Games of Note: Nov 13 @ Alabama, Nov 20 vs. Arkansas, Nov 27 @ Ole Miss
How They Can Climb: Finish strong. If the Bulldogs can beat Alabama and/or Arkansas, Mississippi State will see its steady climb continue deeper into the top 20.
How They Can Fall: Lose to Ole Miss. The Bulldogs' clash with the Rebels is always a hard-fought affair, and this year will be particularly dangerous if Mississippi State can knock off either Alabama or Arkansas.
18. Arizona Wildcats
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Last Week’s Ranking: Arizona was 15th in last week's polls.
Upcoming Games of Note: Nov. 13 vs. USC, Nov. 26 @ Oregon, Dec. 2 vs. Arizona State.
How They Can Climb: Run the table. If Arizona can pull the upset and finishes the season on a 3-0 tear, the Wildcats could claw their way back up the standings.
How They Can Fall: Lose to Arizona State. The annual in-state rivalry between the Sun Devils and Wildcats could see Arizona State play major spoiler if the Wildcats beat Oregon the week before.
17. Missouri Tigers
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Last Week’s Ranking: The Tigers ranked 12th in last week's BCS standings.
Upcoming Games of Note: Nov. 13 vs. Kansas State.
How They Can Climb: Beat Kansas State. Mizzou's only got one game against a ranked foe left in 2010; if they want to stop their slide, they need to make it count.
How They Can Fall: Lose to Kansas. The Jayhawks are plucky, and the Tigers could lose this bitter rivalry clash if they're not careful. A loss to Kansas would drop Mizzou right out of the BCS standings.
16. Oklahoma Sooners
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Last Week’s Ranking: The Sooners were ranked eighth in last week's polls.
Upcoming Games of Note: Nov 20 @ Baylor, Nov 27 @ Oklahoma State
How They Can Climb: Run the table. The Sooners could still make the Big 12 title game and climb the standings, but they need to win out to do it.
How They Can Fall: Lose. Oklahoma cannot lose any of its remaining three games if they hope to climb into the top 15.
15. Arkansas Razorbacks
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Last Week’s Ranking: The Hogs were ranked 18th in last week's BCS standings.
Upcoming Games of Note: Nov. 20 @ Mississippi State, Nov 27 @ LSU
How They Can Climb: Go 2-1 or 3-0 from here on out. The Razorbacks have two tough but winnable games in their last three, against Mississippi State and LSU. If Arkansas can win at least one of those two games, their BCS ranking will rise.
How They Can Fall: Lose to UTEP. The one loss the Hogs can afford cannot come to the Miners of UTEP, the one cupcake remaining on Arkansas' schedule. Blowout losses to either LSU or Mississippi State would hurt as well.
14. Utah Utes
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Last Week’s Ranking: The Utes slid to 14th after being ranked fifth in last week's rankings.
Upcoming Games of Note: Nov. 13 @ Notre Dame, Nov 20 @ San Diego State, Nov 27 vs. BYU.
How They Can Climb: Win out. Want to prove the loss to TCU should have been closer? Run the table. Knock off the Irish in South Bend, the Aztecs in San Diego and beat the Cougars in the Holy War.
How They Can Fall: Lose. Pollsters are looking for an excuse to drop the Utes out of the BCS standings, and another loss would give them plenty of reason to do so.
13. Iowa Hawkeyes
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Last Week’s Ranking: Iowa was ranked 16th in last week's BCS polls.
Upcoming Games of Note: Nov. 13 @ Northwestern, Nov 20 v. Ohio State
How They Can Climb: Beat the Buckeyes. If Iowa can pull off the upset, it'll climb into the top 12, and the Rose Bowl will be within reach.
How They Can Fall: Lose a game. Iowa can't afford a loss the rest of the way if it wants to have a chance of playing in Pasadena on New Year's Day.
12. Alabama Crimson Tide
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Last Week’s Ranking: The Crimson Tide ranked sixth in last week's poll.
Upcoming Games of Note: Nov. 13 vs. Mississippi State, Nov. 27 vs. Auburn
How They Can Climb: Run the table. Believe it or not, Alabama can still make a BCS bowl in 2010. If the Tide can knock off both Mississippi State and Auburn, they could steal a wild card spot this season.
How They Can Fall: Lose. Alabama can't afford another loss if it hopes to sniff a BCS bowl bid this season.
11. Michigan State Spartans
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Last Week’s Ranking: Last week, the Spartans ranked 14th in the BCS standings.
Upcoming Games of Note: Nov 27 @ Penn State
How They Can Climb: Win out. And do it convincingly. With no ranked opponents left, the Spartans have to blow teams out if they want to rise in the rankings.
How They Can Fall: Lose. Penn State's a tough game, especially in Happy Valley, and the Spartans need three victories to maintain their lofty perch.
10. Oklahoma State Cowboys
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Last Week’s Ranking: The Cowboys were ranked 17th in the BCS standings last week.
Upcoming Games of Note: Nov. 13 @ Texas, Nov 27 vs. Oklahoma
How They Can Climb: Run the table. If the Cowboys can win out, they'll get the Big 12 South's title game berth, thanks to Oklahoma's loss to Texas A&M this week.
How They Can Fall: Lose. The Cowboys can ill afford a loss at this late juncture of the 2010 season.
9. Ohio State Buckeyes
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Last Week’s Ranking: The Buckeyes ranked 11th in last week's polls.
Upcoming Games of Note: Nov. 13 vs. Penn State, Nov. 20 @ Iowa, Nov. 27 vs. Michigan
How They Can Climb: Run the table. The only hope the Buckeyes have of getting to the Rose Bowl is to win out, and hope Wisconsin stumbles.
How They Can Fall: Lose again. With a loss in-conference, Ohio State can't afford another misstep, if they want to make Pasadena, or keep their outside chances at a BCS title bid alive.
8. Nebraska Cornhuskers
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Last Week’s Ranking: The Huskers slip a spot, as they were ranked seventh last week.
Upcoming Games of Note: Nov. 20 @ Texas A&M.
How They Can Climb: Run the table and win the Big 12. It's a down year in the Big 12, but a title could seriously bolster Nebraska's national title bid hopes.
How They Can Fall: Lose. With a weak schedule remaining, Nebraska certainly can't afford to lose any of their remaining three games, nor can they fall in the Big 12 title game.
7. Wisconsin Badgers
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Last Week’s Ranking: The Badgers ranked ninth last week.
Upcoming Games of Note: Nov. 20 @ Michigan, Nov. 27 vs. Northwestern.
How They Can Climb: Run the table. The Badgers control their own destiny from here on out, and with three winnable games, Wisconsin's the Rose Bowl favorite.
How They Can Fall: Lose. Wisconsin's end-of-season schedule isn't too tough, so a loss would more or less end the Badgers' BCS bowl hopes.
6. Stanford Cardinal
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Last Week’s Ranking: The Cardinal sat 13th in last week's BCS standings.
Upcoming Games of Note: Nov. 20 @ Cal, Nov 27 vs. Oregon State
How They Can Climb: Win out convincingly. The Cardinal are the Rose Bowl favorites right now (Oregon will be in the BCS title game, if the season ended today, and Stanford's second in the Pac-10), so all they need to do is avoid falling into any of the trap games that await them down the stretch.
How They Can Fall: Lose. Stanford's schedule isn't tough down the stretch, so they have to take care of business or risk falling out of their top 10 perch.
5. LSU Tigers
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Last Week’s Ranking: The Tigers ranked 10th in last week's BCS standings.
Upcoming Games of Note: Nov 20 vs. Ole Miss, Nov 27 @ Arkansas
How They Can Climb: Beat Arkansas. The Razorbacks are the only ranked school left on LSU's schedule, and the Tigers need a win to keep their SEC title game hopes alive.
How They Can Fall: Lose to Ole Miss. The Rebels are a sneaky good team in 2010, fully capable of stealing a victory in Baton Rouge. A loss would end the Tigers' chances and send them skidding down the standings.
4. Boise State Broncos
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Last Week’s Ranking: The Broncos stood fourth in last week's BCS rankings.
Upcoming Games of Note: Nov. 26 @ Nevada
How They Can Climb: Win out, and win big. The Broncos have to win convincingly if they want to climb in the polls, and they'd need losses out of at least two teams ahead of them to make a jump.
How They Can Fall: Lose, or even come close. Pollsters are looking for any reason to drop Boise in the standings, and if the Smurf Turfers show the slightest hint of weakness, they'll drop them like a bad habit.
3. TCU Horned Frogs
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Last Week’s Ranking: The Horned Frogs were ranked third in last week's polls as well.
Upcoming Games of Note: Nov. 13 vs. San Diego State
How They Can Climb: Win out big, and hope Oregon or Auburn trips. The Horned Frogs dismantled the then fifth-ranked Utah Utes last week and still couldn't crack the top two, so the only hope they really have is a loss above them.
How They Can Fall: Lose. TCU's remaining two games are must-wins against teams who could ruin its title hopes.
2. Auburn Tigers
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Last Week’s Ranking: The Tigers sat second in last week's BCS standings, as well.
Upcoming Games of Note: Nov. 13 @ Georgia, Nov. 26 @ Alabama.
How They Can Climb: Win out. Beat Georgia and Alabama on the road, and win the SEC title game. If the Tigers do that, odds are good they'll jump the Ducks in the rankings.
How They Can Fall: Lose a game. With undefeated teams beneath them, Auburn cannot afford a loss if it wants to play for the national title.
1. Oregon Ducks
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Last Week’s Ranking: The Ducks were the top-ranked team in the BCS standings last week, as well.
Upcoming Games of Note: Nov. 26 vs. Arizona, Dec. 4 @ Oregon State
How They Can Climb: They can't, but if they run the table, they won't drop.
How They Can Fall: Lose, or come close. No one's been able to touch Oregon in 2010, but if someone comes close, don't be surprised to see Auburn leapfrog them in the standings.
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