BCS Rankings Projections: What the First Top 25 Should Look Like

The first official BCS rankings will be released tonight after weeks of anticipation and buildup surrounding the No. 1 spot.

At this point, the fight for No. 1 seems like a three-horse race between the three top-ranked teams in the country—LSU, Alabama and Oklahoma, but in reality, it should really be a battle between the Tigers and the Tide.

LSU and Alabama have been the two most impressive teams in the first half of the season, and they’ll get a chance to settle things in a huge showdown game in Tuscaloosa on Nov. 5.

Right now, though, both are battling for national bragging rights and it should be interesting to see who comes out on top in the first rankings.

Because there are so many different variables involved, it’s always hard to accurately predict the BCS standings, and I'm not even going to pretend like I understand the full formula involved, however, if it were up to me, here’s a look at how I would personally rank the first Top 25.

1. LSU Tigers

Here they come!

The LSU Tigers are clawing their way through the toughest schedule in college football, and so far, there’s not a team in the country that has a stronger resume than Les Miles’ crew.

The Tigers already have four wins over ranked opponents.

The scary part is, they now look like they’re really starting to hit their stride.

Tennessee didn’t stand a chance yesterday, as the Vols became the latest team to feel the wrath of LSU’s tenacious defense.

After a 38-7 romp in Knoxville, LSU is now 7-0 on the season.

Next up is Auburn and then comes the big one against Alabama.

2. Alabama Crimson Tide

Alabama players got a chance to pad their stats in a 52-7 victory over Ole Miss last night and RB Trent Richardson took full advantage, racking up 183 yards and four TDs to help bolster his Heisman resume.

The Tide defense looked as stout as it has all season, letting up just 0.9 yards per rush and 141 total yards.

With dominating wins over Penn State, Arkansas and Florida, Alabama can make a strong case to be the No. 1 team in the first BCS rankings, but whether the Tide end up at one or two, it really doesn’t matter. It’s all going to come down to what Nick Saban’s squad does on Nov. 5 against LSU.

3. Oklahoma Sooners

After a monster win over Texas in Week 6, Oklahoma slept-walked its way to a 47-17 victory over Kansas last night.

The Sooners may not have given their best effort in Lawrence, but this is still a team that has all makings of a national title contender.

This is one of most talented Oklahoma teams we’ve seen during the Bob Stoops era, and that’s certainly saying something.

With QB Landry Jones and WR Ryan Broyles leading the way, the Sooners have one of the most dangerous offenses in the country, and the defense has stepped it up and really complemented the offense well.

Although their two wins over ranked opponents, Florida State and Texas, are starting to decrease in value, if the Sooners run the table, there’s no way they won’t end up in the title game.

4. Oklahoma State Cowboys

Oklahoma State went into this weekend with the top scoring offense in the country, averaging 51 points per game. While the Cowboys failed to put up another 70 spot again, they did manage to go into Austin and put up 38 points and 420 yards on a quality Texas defense.

I still have my fair share of questions about Oklahoma State’s defense, which currently ranks ninth in the Big 12, but as long as QB Brandon Weeden and WR Justin Blackmon are at the top of their games, this team has the offensive firepower to play with any team in the country.

The Cowboys now have two road wins over ranked opponents under their belt and they’ll have a chance to make a few more statements in the coming weeks against Baylor and Kansas State.

If Oklahoma State can make it to the Bedlam game against Oklahoma on Dec. 3 undefeated, the Cowboys will control their own destiny.

5. Boise State Broncos

Another week, another Boise State blowout.

The Broncos racked up an astonishing 742 yards of total offense in a 63-13 drubbing of Colorado State on Saturday, as they showed the college football world that they’re not playing around this season.

It’s easy to take shots at Boise State’s schedule, but honestly, are you telling me you wouldn’t want to see what this team could do against LSU or Alabama this year?

Kellen Moore and the rest of the smurfs are going to need some help if they want to make it to the national title game, but from the looks of it, there isn’t a team on Boise State ‘s schedule (sorry TCU) that looks like they can pull a Nevada this year.

6. Wisconsin Badgers

QB Russell Wilson has made a seamless transition to the Wisconsin offense, and the Heisman hopeful has guided the Badgers to a 6-0 record to start the season.

The offense has rolled over every opponent it's faced, and that story remained the same on Saturday when the Badgers destroyed a putrid Indiana team, 59-7.

While you can’t help but be impressed by what Wisconsin’s accomplished so far, remember, it’s not like we haven’t seen this before.

The Badgers are notorious for playing a safe and soft early schedule, and that’s exactly the case this year.

Wisconsin only has one notable win on its resume, a blowout of Nebraska back in Week 5, and the Badgers have yet to play a true road game.

This is a team that is just 11-9 on the road over the last four years, so the Badgers are going to have to prove that they can handle road trips to Michigan State, Ohio State and Illinois before we can start considering them a true title contender.

7. Clemson Tigers

Clemson has one of the most impressive offensive trios in the country with QB Tajh Boyd, RB Andre Ellington and WR Sammy Watkins, and it’s certainly been fun to watch this talented team rise up the polls after starting off the season unranked.

The Tigers got a scare from Maryland last night, but they proved to be just too fast and athletic for the Terrapins, ultimately prevailing, 56-45.

This doesn’t look like a typical Clemson team that’s going to collapse down the stretch.

Dabo Swinney is preaching the good word, and his team is listening.

If Boyd, Ellington and Watkins can keep up their current pace, Clemson will keep on climbing.

8. Stanford Cardinal

Stanford QB Andrew Luck may be the most recognizable face in college football, but that still doesn’t change the fact that the Cardinal haven’t beaten anybody yet.

Stanford trudged its way to a 44-17 win over Washington State on Saturday, which helped improve the Cardinal’s record to 6-0.

The only problem?

Those six wins came against opponents that have a combined record of 14-24.

The Cardinal still need to prove themselves against top competition, and we really won’t find out if this team is truly a legitimate title contender until Nov. 12 when Stanford hosts Pac-12 North foe Oregon.

9. Arkansas Razorbacks

Don’t overlook the Arkansas Razorbacks, folks.

Bobby Petrino’s team had an off week to rest up for the stretch run of the season, but it only takes one look back at what they did in the first half of the year to realize that this is a very dangerous team.

The 5-1 Razorbacks are coming off two consecutive wins over ranked teams, Texas A&M and Auburn, and their remaining schedule isn’t exactly daunting.

If Arkansas can develop a running game to complement a deadly passing attack that currently ranks eighth in the country, the Razorbacks are going to be a team to watch out for.

10. Oregon Ducks

Oregon managed to survive without star running back LaMichael James and quarterback Darron Thomas, who was lost to a leg injury early in the third quarter, to beat Arizona State 41-27 on Saturday night.

Although they weren’t at full strength, the Ducks still showed that they have the type of explosive playmakers that can break down a defense over four quarters.

After playing a lousy early schedule, Oregon finally has a win over a ranked opponent to hang its hat on.

We're starting to learn a lot about this Oregon team, and one of the lessons we learned last night is that you never mess with one of Chip Kelly's postgame interviews.

11. Kansas State Wildcats

Guess who’s still undefeated, the Kansas State Wildcats!

Bill Snyder’s squad has been one of the most surprising stories of the first half of the 2011 season, and they kept their magic carpet ride going with a 41-34 win at Texas Tech on Saturday night.

Sure, you can question their strength of schedule (their only notable win is a come from behind one-point victory over Baylor at home), but let’s give credit where credit’s due.

With Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M all waiting around the corner, the schedule is about to get considerably tougher.

Until the Wildcats slip up, though, you have to at least show them some respect for what they've done so far.

12. West Virginia Mountaineers

West Virginia hasn’t exactly beaten stellar competition so far, but you have to be impressed by how this offense is starting to shape up.

The Mountaineers are finally beginning to get the feel of Dana Holgorsen’s system, and quarterback Geno Smith appears to be the perfect catalyst to ignite the high-powered offensive attack.

Smith has thrown for 2,159 yards and 16 TDs and he could help West Virginia become the savior that the Big East desperately needs.

13. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Georgia Tech suffered its first loss of the season at Virginia on Saturday, but the Yellow Jackets still look like they’ll be a major contender in the ACC this season.

Georgia Tech’s triple option attack is one of the most difficult offenses in the country to try to contain, and it’s the type of offense that the team can ride all the way to the ACC championship game.

The Yellow Jackets may not have any victories over Top 25 teams just yet, but they have some great opportunities to prove their worth against Clemson and Virginia Tech in the coming weeks.

14. Michigan State Spartans

Michigan State rained on Michigan’s parade yet again, as the Spartans' defense stepped it up and quieted star quarterback Denard Robinson for a second straight year to earn a 28-14 victory.

The fourth straight win over the Wolverines now moves Michigan State to 5-1 on the season.

The Spartans have the nation’s top-ranked defense and it should be fun to see how they match up with Wisconsin next week for what could be an early preview of the Big Ten championship game.

15. Nebraska Cornhuskers

Nebraska made up for its embarrassing performance against Wisconsin by rallying to beat Ohio State back in Week 6, but this is still a team that is very much an unknown.

Now that they’ve lost arguably their top defensive player, defensive tackle Jared Crick, it will be interesting to see how the struggling Cornhuskers defense plays in the second half of the season.

Nebraska may be 5-1, but it’s a soft 5-1, and the Cornhuskers certainly have improvements to make on both sides of the ball if they want to make it to Indianapolis.

16. South Carolina Gamecocks

South Carolina slogged its way to a 14-12 victory over Mississippi State on Saturday but the Gamecocks still haven’t really done anything yet to change the perception that they’ve been one of the most disappointing teams of the first half of the season.

Sure, South Carolina is now 6-1, but Steve Spurrier’s squad hasn’t looked nearly as impressive as they were originally advertised.

The Gamecocks have zero wins over ranked opponents and now they could possibly be facing a future that doesn’t include star tailback Marcus Lattimore, who left today’s game on crutches after spraining his knee.

17. Texas A&M Aggies

After failing to close out games against Oklahoma State and Arkansas in consecutive weeks and subsequently falling to 2-2 on the season, Texas A&M rallied back with two big wins over Texas Tech and Baylor over the last two weeks.

Say what you will about their failure to close games in crunch time, but you can’t argue with the fact that the Aggies are one of the most talented teams in college football this year.

A&M still has a shot to take home the Big 12 title, but the Aggies are going to need big efforts against Oklahoma and Kansas State on the road to do so.

18. Michigan Wolverines

For the second year in a row, Michigan went into its big clash with in-state rival Michigan State with a Top 20 ranking and an undefeated record, and once again, the Wolverines limped out feeling inferior to the Spartans.

It was obvious that this Michigan team was overrated after beating six unranked teams at home.

Make no mistake about it, though, this is a quality team and they shouldn't experience another second-half collapse this season.

QB Denard Robinson will always give Michigan a chance to win, but the Wolverines will need the defense to play better if they actually want to contend in the Big Ten this year.

19. Virginia Tech Hokies

Virginia Tech has made up for its awful showing against Clemson in Week 5 with two consecutive victories over ACC foes Miami and Wake Forest.

The Hokies have one of college football’s most intriguing backfield combos with QB Logan Thomas and RB David Wilson, but obviously, Thomas, who is in his first year as a starter, is going to deal with a few growing pains along the way.

The sophomore signal-caller is starting to develop into a real offensive playmaker, though, and he’s beginning to look more comfortable each week.

If Virginia Tech can get steady play out of its young quarterback, this team has a great shot to contend with Georgia Tech and North Carolina in the ACC Coastal Division.

20. Auburn Tigers

Some expected Auburn’s title defense to be a bumpy ride, since the Tigers lost so much top talent from last year’s championship team, but so far, the defending champs are 5-2 and they’re only two losses are to Top 10-ranked teams, Clemson and Arkansas.

RB Michael Dyer is one of the top players in the country, and he and fellow backfield mate Onterio McCalebb are capable of carrying an inexperienced offense.

We’ll find out what Auburn’s really made of when the Tigers pay a visit to LSU next Saturday.

21. Illinois Fighting Illini

The Illinois bubble finally burst against Ohio State this weekend.

After coming roaring out of the gate with an impressive 6-0 record, QB Nathan Scheelhaase and the Illini were put in their place by the Buckeyes, who really took it to the Illinois defense by pounding them with the ground game.

We’ll have to see if Ron Zook’s team can recover from the tough loss when they head to Purdue next Saturday.

22. Arizona State Sun Devils

Arizona State showed some flashes in a 41-27 loss to Oregon on Saturday night, but overall, the Sun Devils just didn’t have what it takes to get the job done.

Still, you have to be impressed with quarterback Brock Osweiler and the talent that Arizona State possesses.

Even with the loss, the 5-2 Sun Devils still have to be considered the favorite to win the Pac-12 South division.

23. Baylor Bears

QB Robert Griffin III has been one of the most exciting players of the first half of the season, but the only problem is, Baylor’s defense hasn’t helped Griffin out in big spots.

The budding star signal-caller’s Heisman hopes took a big hit with a 55-28 loss at Texas A&M yesterday, the team’s second road loss of the season.

Griffin may be worth every cent of the price of admission, but Baylor has to start getting it done on the road, or else the 4-2 Bears will fade fast in the Big 12.

24. Washington Huskies

Don’t look now, but the Washington Huskies are 5-1 and are really starting to come into their own in the Pac-12.

Steve Sarkisian’s squad obliterated Colorado 52-24 on Saturday, which sets up a huge matchup with Stanford next weekend.

Although they’ve lost their only true test of the season against Nebraska, you’ve got to appreciate the direction Sarkisian is taking Washington in.

As it turns out, the Huskies are doing just fine without Jake Locker.

25. Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State has quietly sprinted out to a 6-1 record to start the season.

Sure, the Nittany Lions failed in their only real test with a poor performance against Alabama at home back in Week 2, but this is the type of team that has the pieces in place that could really cause some headaches for a team like Wisconsin in the Big Ten Leaders division.

If they can get consistent play from quarterbacks Matt McGloin and Robert Bolden, don’t be surprised if the Nittany Lions start to make some noise over the next few weeks.

On the Radar

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Houston Cougars

North Carolina Tar Heels

Texas Longhorns

Georgia Bulldogs

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Iowa Hawkeyes

Cincinnati Bearcats

Ohio State Buckeyes

SMU Mustangs

Virginia Cavaliers