BCS Rankings Week 13 Predictions: How This Week's Games Will Blow Up BCS Again
BCS Rankings Week 13 predictions are a perilous task this week, as we are faced with a slate of games that will make or break the BCS chances for several teams.
Not only do we have the most important Iron Bowl in years between No. 2 Auburn and No. 11 Alabama, we also have another huge SEC showdown in No. 5 LSU's visit to No. 12 Arkansas.
There's also Bedlam to consider, as No. 14 Oklahoma will pay a visit to No. 10 Oklahoma State.
And then there's No. 4 Boise State's biggest test of the year, as they travel to Reno to take on No. 19 Nevada.
Make no mistake, the top 25 is going to look very different when the new rankings are announced on Sunday. Here is an educated guess on what they might be.
25. Northern Illinois Huskies
1 of 25
Where They Stood: The Huskies are currently unranked, but have won eight games in a row, scoring over 40 points a game in the process.
Who's the Matchup: They travel to Eastern Michigan to take on the 2-9 Eagles. The Eagles give up over 40 points a game, and the Huskies lead the MAC in offense with 36.4 points per game. Not a good matchup for Eastern Michigan.
Why They're Here: Mississippi State is your current No. 25, but they've lost two in a row and have to visit an Ole Miss team that nearly beat LSU. Hence, the No. 25 spot will be open, and the Huskies are just outside the human polls. Congrats, friends. You're going to make it to No. 25.
24. Arizona Wildcats
2 of 25
Where They Stood: The Wildcats were idle last week and received a one-spot boost in the rankings from No. 22 to No. 21.
Who's the Matchup: Arizona is the next lucky team that is tasked with beating the No. 1 Oregon Ducks in Autzen Stadium. They may have the Pac-10's second best scoring defense (18.1 points/game), but they're going to need more than that to beat the Ducks.
Why They're Here: Please, nobody is going to beat the Ducks this year. Arizona will drop to 7-4, but won't be penalized to harshly for losing to the No. 1 team in the land. They'll drop from No. 21 to No. 24.
23. Iowa Hawkeyes
3 of 25
Where They Stood: The Hawkeyes have been the victim of two consecutive fourth quarter comebacks. The latest was to Ohio State, and it dropped them all the way to No. 24.
Who's the Matchup: They get to go on the road to face Minnesota, which snapped a nine-game losing streak with a 38-34 win at Illinois on November 13th. The Golden Gophers shouldn't be too much of an argument for an Iowa team that is better than its record.
Why They're Here: The Hawkeyes will have their way with Minnesota's rotten defense and will improve to 8-4. The win will bump them up to No. 23.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
22. Nevada Wolf Pack
4 of 25
Where They Stood: The Wolf Pack beat New Mexico State 52-6 last week, but dropped from No. 18 to No. 19 thanks to Texas A&M's win over Nebraska.
Who's the Matchup: They get to host the No. 4 Boise State Broncos, who are second in the country in both scoring offense and scoring defense. The Wolf Pack will put the latter to the test with their pistol offense, which is fourth in scoring.
Why They're Here: Nobody's stopping the Broncos this year. Nevada will drop to 10-2, but will only fall three spots to No. 22.
21. North Carolina State Wolfpack
5 of 25
Where They Stood: The Wolfpack wasn't ranked in Week 12, but were able to crack the rankings thanks to their late rally in North Carolina, as they scored 19 second half points to win 29-25. They jumped to No. 22 in the Week 13 rankings.
Who's the Matchup: The Wolfpack hits the road to take on the 7-4 Maryland Terrapins, who are coming off a 30-16 loss at home to Florida State. If NC State wins, it will wrap up the ACC Coastal division thanks to their tiebreaker with Florida State.
Why They're Here: The Wolfpack will pull out a clutch performance to advance to their first ACC Championship Game. They will also jump up to No. 21.
20. Florida State Seminoles
6 of 25
Where They Stood: The Seminoles were No. 25 heading into their game at Maryland, and Christian Ponder returned to lead his team to a victory. Combined with some losses in front of them, the Seminoles were allowed to jump up to No. 22.
Who's the Matchup: Florida State hosts their biggest rival as the Florida Gators come to town. The Seminoles have lost six in a row in the series, but they'll know that a win could very well place them in the ACC Championship game. The Gators obviously haven't been the same this season and have lost all three of their games against ranked opponents.
Why They're Here: Florida State has something to play for, so they'll snap their losing streak to Florida in this one. They won't get into the ACC Championship game thanks to NC State's win over Maryland, but they will move up to No. 20.
19. Utah Utes
7 of 25
Where They Stood: The Utes snapped their two-game losing streak with a 38-34 win over San Diego State and jumped three spots from No. 23 to No. 20.
Who's the Matchup: They host BYU, who beat them 26-23 in 2009. The Cougars have also won four in a row, scoring at least 40 points in the last three. Utah hasn't had been at home since losing 47-7 to current No. 3 TCU. They've won their other three home games by an average of 44.7 points.
Why They're Here: Utah is favored by nine points, and that seems about right. They'll win their final matchup with BYU as conference opponents and will move up to No. 19 thanks to Nevada's loss to Boise.
18. South Carolina Gamecocks
8 of 25
Where They Stood: The Gamecocks wrapped up the SEC East with their win over Florida two weeks ago, and put a hurting on Troy last week, beating them 69-24. They dropped a spot to No. 18 thanks to Texas A&M's big win over Nebraska.
Who's the Matchup: Steve Spurrier's boys wrap up their season against the Clemson Tigers, who are 6-5 and have traded wins and loss in their last four games. They lead the ACC in scoring defense (16.7 points/game), but will have to contain a suddenly hot Marcus Lattimore, who has 313 yards and six touchdowns in his last two games.
Why They're Here: They'll win, but there doesn't seem to be any reason why a win over Clemson should elevate them beyond No. 18.
17. Texas A&M Aggies
9 of 25
Where They Stood: The Aggies pulled off a huge upset of then-No. 8 Nebraska last week, which may or may not have had something to do with bad officiating. Regardless, they jumped from No. 19 to No. 17 with the win.
Who's the Matchup: The Aggies are the latest up-and-comer to get a shot at the dreadful Texas Longhorns. Mack Brown's team finally got a win last week, beating Florida Atlantic 51-17. They had lost four in a row and six of seven before that.
Why They're Here: The Longhorns are as close to a sure thing as you're likely to find these days, and they will lose again to the Aggies, who are one of the hottest teams out there. Mike Sherman's boys finish the season with a six-game win streak and a 9-3 record. But they won't budge from No. 17.
16. Oklahoma Sooners
10 of 25
Where They Stood: The Sooners took out their road frustration on the Baylor Bears, thumping them 53-24 and moving up a spot from No. 14 to No. 13.
Who's the Matchup: They take on No. 9 Oklahoma State on the road in the Bedlam game, and will be tasked with stopping the Cowboys' offense, which is third in the nation in scoring with 45.3 points per game. The Pokes do struggle against the pass, however, as they allow 258 passing yards every game. Landy Jones will have his arm ready.
Why They're Here: The Sooners will be playing for yet another Big 12 North title, but this just doesn't look like their year. They're 2-2 on the road, and have only beaten hapless teams. They will fall to 9-3, and will drop three spots to No. 16.
15. Virginia Tech Hokies
11 of 25
Where They Stood: The Hokies clinched the ACC Coastal in Week 12 and already have a spot in the ACC Championship game waiting for them. They didn't budge from No. 16 after their 31-17 win over then-No. 24 Miami, however.
Who's the Matchup: They face the 4-7 Virginia Cavaliers at home. The Cavaliers only have one conference win and have yet to win a game on the road. Even if the Hokies rest up in this one, they should still be able to come away with a W.
Why They're Here: The Hokies will get it done, and will ride a 10-game win streak to a 10-2 record. They should also be able to jump a spot to No. 15.
14. Missouri Tigers
12 of 25
Where They Stood: Missouri had a tough time at Iowa State, but walked away with a 14-0 victory. They moved up from No. 15 to No. 14 thanks to Nebraska's loss.
Who's the Matchup: They host the Kansas Jayhawks, who have lost two in a row and will be coming off a 48-14 loss to Oklahoma State. They have the worst scoring defense in the Big 12 (34.4 points/game), and should be easy pickings for Blaine Gabbert and friends.
Why They're Here: They'll win easily, but won't budge if Nebraska wins, as that would mean the Big 12 North and a spot in the Big 12 Championship game for the Cornhuskers.
13. Nebraska Cornhuskers
13 of 25
Where They Stood: The Cornhuskers self destructed on the road against Texas A&M in Week 12, losing 9-6 and dropping all the way from No. 8 to No. 15.
Who's the Matchup: They host the Colorado Buffaloes, who have won two in a row after firing Dan Hawkins. It will be a tougher matchup than it first appears, as the Cornhuskers' Big 12-best rushing attack will be going against a Colorado defense that gives up barely more than 128 rush yards per game (second in the conference).
Why They're Here: Nebraska will play much more inspired than they did last week, and will take care of business. They will secure the Big 12 North and will be headed to the Big 12 Championship game. A win will also allow them to jump ahead of Missouri to No. 13.
12. Michigan State Spartans
14 of 25
Where They Stood: The Spartans pulled off a fourth quarter comeback to down Purdue 35-31, and were able to jump two spots from No. 12 to No. 10 in the BCS rankings for Week 12.
Who's the Matchup: Sparty hits the road to take on Joe Pa and the Penn State Nittany Lions. The Spartans will look to their running game to sink their opponent, who gives up over 160 rushing yards per game. If a banged up Kirk Cousins can man up like he did last week, the Spartans should win easily.
Why They're Here: There doesn't seem to be much reason to believe in Penn State against ranked teams this year, so the Spartans are an easy pick. They will clinch at least a share of the Big Ten title, and will be rooting for a Rose Bowl spot that will come with an Ohio State loss.
11. LSU Tigers
15 of 25
Where They Stood: The No. 5 Tigers eked out a 43-36 win over Ole Miss thanks to a late touchdown run by Stevan Ridley. The win naturally wasn't enough for the one-loss Tigers to leap any of the undefeateds.
Who's the Matchup: They have to take to the road for a matchup with No. 12 Arkansas and the SEC's top passer in Ryan Mallett. The Tigers will have to rely on their SEC-best passing defense to shut down the Razorback point machine.
Why They're Here: This is the second-toughest road test LSU will face this season (after Auburn), and they will once again face something of a juggernaut. Arkansas is favored by 3.5 points, and they will pull out a close win to drop LSU just outside of the top 10.
10. Arkansas Razorbacks
16 of 25
Where They Stood: The Razorbacks barely pulled out a 38-31 overtime win against then-No. 21 Mississippi State. It was the fifth win in a row for the Hogs, and it elevated them to No. 12.
Who's the Matchup: The Hogs host No. 5 LSU and their beastly defense. The Tigers' defense is the toughest to budge in the SEC (286.9 yards/game), but Ryan Mallett and the Razorbacks are second in the SEC in scoring with 37.9 points per game.
Why They're Here: LSU is a very, very good team, but they've been playing with fire with all their close games this year, and they're not going to be able to get away with it against Arkansas. A risky pick, to be sure, but there just seems to be little reason to doubt Mallett, and I for one just don't trust Jordan Jefferson's newfound consistency. It will be close, but Arkansas will jump two spots to No. 10.
9. Ohio State Buckeyes
17 of 25
Where They Stood: The Buckeyes used a late drive to rally for a win over then-No. 20 Iowa, and were able to move up to No. 8 thanks to Nebraska's loss.
Who's the Matchup: They host the Michigan Wolverines, who are coming off a beating by Wisconsin. Their offense is solid, but they give up more yards per game than any team in the Big Ten (445.6).
Why They're Here: They'll be fine against Michigan, but will effectively be given the short end of the stick thanks to the big winners behind them in the rankings from Wee 12. They drop down two spots to make room for next couple teams. This also means no dice for Michigan State.
8. Alabama Crimson Tide
18 of 25
Where They Stood: The Tide dismantled Georgia State 63-7 in Week 12, but didn't move up from No. 11 thanks to the fact that the Panthers are a mere FCS team.
Who's the Matchup: They face No. 2 Auburn in the Iron Bowl, and will look to run their Iron Bowl win streak to three. Their biggest hurdle will naturally be Cam Newton. If they can contain (not stop, contain) him, and Greg McElroy can capitalize on Auburn's weak pass defense, the Tide can definitely win.
Why They're Here: Because they're going to beat Auburn, and a win over the No. 2 team in the land will be good for a three-spot boost to No. 8. It might even be good for more depending on how much they impress the voters.
7. Oklahoma State Cowboys
19 of 25
Where They Stood: The Cowboys moved up a spot to No. 9 in Week 12 thanks to their 48-14 win over Kansas and Nebraska's loss.
Who's the Matchup: They host the No. 13 Oklahoma Sooners in the Bedlam game, and can clinch their first ever Big 12 Championship game with a win. The Sooners have won 80 of the 104 matchups.
Why They're Here: The Pokes look like a team of destiny, and will prevail over a Sooners team that has had trouble on the road. The win over the ranked Sooners will allow the Pokes to leapfrog Ohio State. They'll head to the Big 12 Championship game against Nebraska.
6. Wisconsin Badgers
20 of 25
Where They Stood: The Badgers maintained their No. 7 spot with a 48-28 over the Michigan Wolverines in Week 12, which was largely helped by 357 yards rushing.
Who's the Matchup: They host the 7-4 Northwestern Wildcats, who will be coming off the Wrigley Field game that saw them give up a Illinois record 330 yards rushing by Mikel LeShoure. That doesn't bode well heading into a game against the Badgers.
Why They're Here: The Badgers will take care of business and will move up a spot to No. 6 thanks to LSU's loss. They'll also be headed to the Rose Bowl thanks to the three-way tie atop the Big Ten, as they have the highest BCS ranking.
5. Stanford Cardinals
21 of 25
Where They Stood: The Cardinals stood pat at No. 6 after their 48-14 win over Cal in the Big Game, but were unable to leapfrog No. 5 LSU after they pulled out a win over Ole Miss.
Who's the Matchup: They host the 5-5 Oregon State Beavers, who have been decimated by injuries this year. The Cardinals will look to wrap up a school-record 11th win, as well as their first seven-game win streak in almost two decades.
Why They're Here: Because LSU will finally lose their second game, there is no reason why the Cardinals would not be No. 5 after they beat the Beavers. And being this high will make them a virtual lock for the Rose Bowl.
4. Auburn Tigers
22 of 25
Where They Stood: The Tigers were idle in Week 12, and did not budge from their No. 2 spot.
Who's the Matchup: They travel to No. 11 Alabama for the 75th Iron Bowl. Alabama is favored by 4.5 points, and there's no doubt that Alabama's balance on offense and defense is the biggest hurdle the Tigers will have to clear on their way to a BCS Championship appearance.
Why They're Here: The Tigers will finally run in to a defense that can contain Cam Newton that actually has an offense that can also score points. They will lose. But they will now deserve their new handle of the nation's "best one-loss team."
3. TCU Horned Frogs
23 of 25
Where They Stood: The No. 3 Frogs were idle in Week 12 and got a chance to regroup after their tough win over San Diego State.
Who's the Matchup: They're going to hit the road to play quite possibly the most dreadful team in the land in the New Mexico Lobos. The Lobos have one win this year, and got destroyed by TCU by the final score of 51-10 in 2009.
Why They're Here: The win over New Mexico normally would be enough, but there will be enough calamity both above and below them in the rankings to hold on to their No. 3 spot.
2. Boise State Broncos
24 of 25
Where They Stood: The Broncos didn't budge from No. 4 in Week 12, even despite their 51-0 thrashing of Fresno State.
Who's the Matchup: Boise has to take their show on the road to Reno, where the No. 19 Nevada Wolf Pack and their fourth-best scoring offense awaits.
Why They're Here: The Broncos will defeat the Wolf Pack, and will be able to move up to No. 2 by merit of Auburn's loss and TCU's yawn-worthy win over a one-win New Mexico squad.
1. Oregon Ducks
25 of 25
Where They Stood: The Ducks enjoyed an idle weekend after their close win in Berkeley, and maintained the top spot.
Who's the Matchup: The Ducks will host Nick Foles and the No. 20 Arizona Wildcats. The Ducks, naturally, are undefeated at home, where their average margin of victory is 49 points.
Why They're Here: Arizona has lost two in a row, and shouldn't be much of a challenge for the Ducks at Autzen Stadium.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
