College Football: BCS Rankings: Will LSU Go Wire to Wire to Championship Game?

The BCS rankings come out tonight, and LSU is likely to take the top spot in the standings.

They came out as the No. 1 team in the AP poll and have the resume that the computers like, with four wins over top 25 teams—three coming away from home.

If they do take the No. 1 BCS spot this week, do they have the type of team that can keep the No. 1 ranking until January?

The Tigers have thus far passed every test thrown their way due to their rough early season slate.

This weekend, they have a home game against defending champion Auburn, and then face Alabama in what could be a championship game preview. Their other game remaining is against No. 10 Arkansas. 

Playing in the SEC is a double-edged sword for LSU. They, on the one hand, have many opportunities to impress the voters and the computers, but also have ample opportunity to stumble along the way.

So for LSU, they may have the best team in the nation, but to go wire-to-wire to the championship game will be a tall order.

The No. 2 and No. 3 teams in the BCS are likely to be Oklahoma and Alabama.  

Oklahoma also has a chance to impress the voters, with tough games against Texas A&M, Kansas State and Oklahoma State on the horizon. They too are in trouble with the K-State and OK State games on the road. The OK State game is the season closer and could be a de-facto playoff game with a berth in the championship on the line.

For now, LSU looks to be the strongest team in the nation.  They appear to have two capable quarterbacks with complementary skill-sets, the nation's best defense and depth at every position.

However, I believe the schedule will get them in the end. There are just too many tough games for LSU to run through the season undefeated to keep the No. 1 spot.

The good news for LSU, is that aforementioned Oklahoma—with its tough Big 12 schedule—and Alabama. who plays LSU on Nov. 5 are likely to stumble as well.

There are however, several teams with an opportunity to go undefeated. Boise State obviously comes to mind. It will be interesting to see if the BCS automatic teams can afford losses this year.

There should be some movement around the BCS top five this year. So while LSU isn't likely to go wire-to-wire, they could end up playing for the championship when the dust settles.