BCS Rankings 2011: Wisconsin Badgers and 3 Teams Ready to Pounce When Top 3 Fall

We won't know the official BCS rankings until Sunday. Still, it's a pretty fair assumption that the Top 3 will be Oklahoma, LSU and Alabama. The order of those three will fluctuate depending on who you ask, but it doesn't really matter.

Alabama and LSU play each other. If they both win every game other than that one, the winner will go to the National Championship Game to play Oklahoma, assuming the Sooners also run the table.

So, while one team will be disappointed on Sunday, realize that it doesn't really make a big difference.

Now, let's say that those assumptions don't come true and the National Championship Game doesn't match Alabama/LSU against Oklahoma. Which teams are most likely to jump in and earn that spot?

Boise State doesn't make this list. As is always the case, they will lack the quality wins to get into the National Title picture, unless they get a lot of help. The lack of quality opponents in the Mountain West isn't doing the Broncos any good.

Oklahoma State

Neither team plays an easy schedule from this point, but it's quite likely that Bedlam on December 3 will match up an undefeated Oklahoma team versus an undefeated Oklahoma State team.

While I do think the Cowboys need to get a little sharper if they are going to compete with the Sooners, they are clearly the team with the best chance of beating Oklahoma.

So if they falter, it's likely that Oklahoma State will step right in and take the place of their cross-state rivals.

Stanford

The Cardinal have a very manageable schedule from this point on. Their only ranked opponent is Oregon, and that's a home game.  

Two potential trap games are also on the schedule. Stanford travels to Los Angeles to take on USC on October 29, and then host Notre Dame in the regular season finale on November 26. Assuming they run the table, Stanford will also need to win a Pac-12 Championship Game.

But Stanford is an extremely efficient team. I like their chances of running the table.

Wisconsin

The Badgers proved against Nebraska that they can handily beat the good teams on the schedule. The only ranked opponents on the schedule are Michigan State and Illinois.

The Big Ten Championship Game also potentially awaits, but there isn't a team in that conference that should beat the Badgers.

If Wisconsin doesn't get through their remaining games undefeated, it will be a major disappointment. This team is loaded.