BCS Rankings 2011: LSU vs. Alabama and 5 Most Important Games Remaining

Pull out your calendar and get a sharpie ready: the more exciting half of the college football season is yet to come.  There are plenty of must-watch contests left this year, but a number of matchups stand out from the rest of the bunch.  Here are the five most important games remaining in 2011 that you better circle on your calender:

5. Oklahoma at Kansas State – Saturday, October 29th 

Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are the front-runners to take home the Big 12 crown, but Kansas State is a dark-horse contender.  The Wildcats will most likely enter this late-October contest undefeated and if they can upset the Sooners at home, they’ll shake up the college football universe.  All of a sudden, K-State would be a legitimate national-title contender.

4. Arkansas at LSU – Friday, November 25th

If LSU takes out Alabama, this game becomes even more meaningful.  The chance to knock off a No. 1 Tigers squad at home is a golden opportunity for the Razorbacks.  The game would have national championship implications and even if LSU loses to the Crimson Tide, it’s still a big deal as each will be competing for a BCS at-large bid.

3. Oregon at Stanford – Saturday, November 12th

In the weak Pac-12, Oregon is the only thing standing between Stanford and an undefeated season.  A Stanford win would tighten up the race for the BCS national title.  Oregon could really help a team like Boise State sneak in if they can pull off the upset on the road.

2. Oklahoma at Oklahoma State – Saturday, December 3rd

Unless Kansas State creates an earthquake, this game will decide the Big 12 title.  Oklahoma and OK State will most likely be undefeated going into the game.  If so, on the line would a national-championship bid.

1. LSU at Alabama – Saturday, November 5th

The same stakes of the Oklahoma-Oklahoma State game apply to LSU and Alabama if the SEC powerhouses are undefeated on game day.  Barring a major upset, the winner of this contest will finish the regular season No. 1.  It is the game of the year and no other contest even comes close.

Here are the current BCS rankings:

Rank	Team	BCS Points
1	LSU	.9522
2	Alabama	.9519
3	Oklahoma	.930
4	Oklahoma State	.857
5	Boise State	.803
6	Wisconsin	.771
7	Clemson	.758
8	Stanford	.748
9	Arkansas	.626
10	Oregon	.619
11	Kansas State	.569
12	Virginia Tech	.505
13	Nebraska	.497
14	South Carolina	.491
15	West Virginia	.373
16	Michigan State	.329
17	Texas A&M	.308
18	Michigan	.300
19	Houston	.286
20	Auburn	.265
21	Penn State	.231
22	Georgia Tech	.197
23	Illinois	.152
24	Texas	.135
25	Washington	.087

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.  Follow him on Twitter.