BCS Rankings 2011: The Toughest Remaining Game for Every BCS Top 25 Team

We're just past the halfway point in the college football season. From here on out, the competition gets fiercer and more challenging as the weeks go along. 

Even the underdogs get the sense of urgency and turn up their game at this time of year. 

They're all tough once a team gets to October with a chance to secure a BCS bowl berth, but there still remains those games the redefine toughness and opportunity. 

Here's what teams in the initial BCS Top 25 have to look forward to. 

25. Washington Huskies

Nov. 5 vs. Oregon

Although the Huskies play at Stanford this weekend, their first game in November is even bigger than playing the future No. 1 draft pick simply because the game will be played at Husky Stadium. 

Washington will still likely be an underdog against Oregon, but the home field gives the Huskies a better shot at the Ducks than the Cardinal. 

24. Texas Longhorns

Nov. 24 at Texas A&M

Thanksgiving night at College Station is setting up to be quite the brouhaha. Not only will both the Longhorns and Aggies have a potential big bowl game on the line, this appears to be the final time these two bitter rivals will play for quite some time. 

23. Illinois Fighting Illini

Oct. 29 at Penn State

Illinois still has to play Michigan and Wisconsin in Champaign, but a loss at Penn State later this month could deem those games less important in the grand scheme. 

A loss to the Nittany Lions and their mighty defense would all but end the Illini's Big 10 division title hopes. 

22. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Nov. 10 vs. Virginia Tech

This one is even bigger than hosting top 10-ranked Clemson the week prior, because it will likely decide the winner of the ACC Coastal division. Even if Georgia Tech loses to Clemson, owning the tie-breaker over the Hokies would force Beamer's crew to stay perfect for the remainder of the season. 

21. Penn State Nittany Lions

Nov. 26 at Wisconsin

If Penn State can somehow get through Illinois, Nebraska and Ohio State, their final game of the season at Wisconsin could be for all the Big Ten Leaders Division marbles. The Nittany Lions will have to find an offense sometime between now and November to make this matchup as appealing as it could be. 

20. Auburn Tigers

Nov. 12 at Georgia

Forget beating LSU and/or Alabama. That's just not going to happen. The Georgia game could mean the difference in Auburn playing a bowl game before or after New Year's Day. 

19. Houston Cougars

Nov. 19 vs. Southern Methodist

The winner of this one will likely go on to win Conference USA. But this game holds a lot more importance for Houston than it does SMU. A lot of good teams in front of the Cougars will have to lose between now and November for this game to matter in the BCS, though. 

18. Michigan Wolverines

Nov. 12 at Illinois

The Wolverines loss to Michigan State gave the Spartans the upper hand in the Big Ten Legends Division, but this race is far from over. Illinois will be the final on-the-road block before Michigan ends the season at home against Nebraska and Ohio State. 

17. Texas A&M Aggies

Nov. 24 vs. Texas

The Aggies play at Oklahoma the first weekend in November, but that game pales in comparison to the final grudge match with Texas at season's end. A loss or two between now and then could make this one especially important for head coach Mike Sherman. 

16. Michigan State Spartans

Oct. 23 vs. Wisconsin

The old adage, "The biggest game is the next one" couldn't be any more true for these Spartans. Michigan State plays host to Gameday and the primetime game of the week against National Championship contender Wisconsin. It doesn't get much bigger than this weekend in the Big Ten title race. 

15. West Virginia Mountaineers

Nov. 12 at Cincinnati

If you haven't noticed, the Bearcats are playing good football since the loss at Tennessee. West Virginia will be playing their third road game in four weeks. The Big East championship could very well be on the line in this one. 

14. South Carolina Gamecocks

Nov. 12 vs. Florida

The Gamecocks just lost 75 percent of their offense for the season to a knee injury. All South Carolina has to do to repeat as SEC East champions is win its remaining three SEC games.

Games at Tennessee and Arkansas could derail those title hopes before the Gators come to town, but a loss to Florida would seal the deal and keep the Gamecocks out of Atlanta. 

13. Nebraska Cornhuskers

Nov. 19 at Michigan

The Big Ten Legends division title could come down to this one. Nebraska gets current division lead Michigan State in Lincoln and will have to defeat Penn State on the road to set this one up as a potential division clincher. 

12. Virginia Tech Hokies

Nov. 10 at Georgia Tech

The ACC Coastal division and a potential rematch with Clemson all rides on this one. Virginia Tech is the forgotten team in the ACC right now, but winning out to finish 11-1 would catapult the Hokies right back into the national conversation. 

11. Kansas State Wildcats

Oct. 29 vs. Oklahoma

It was really hard to pick just one for the Wildcats, as they get Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Texas in consecutive weeks beginning October 29. 

But a win in that first one, against BCS National Championship Game favorite Oklahoma would take Kansas State from feel-good story to legit contender. 

10. Oregon Ducks

Nov. 12 at Stanford

Oregon is battered and bruised right now, but all hands will be on deck when the Ducks travel to play Stanford in mid-November. This one will be a nationally televised game, and it will likely serve as the de facto Pac 12 Championship game, as the winner of the north division will be heavy favorites in the title game in December. 

9. Arkansas Razorbacks

Nov. 25 at LSU

If the Tigers defeat Alabama in a couple of weeks, the only real obstacle between LSU and an appearance in the BCS National Championship Game will be Arkansas. 

The Razorbacks have defeated LSU before with a title game appearance on the line. Even though that loss didn't ruin LSU's title hopes, an Arkansas win this time around would likely land the Razorbacks in a BCS bowl for the second consecutive year. 

8. Stanford Cardinal

Nov. 12 vs. Oregon

If Stanford want to be known for more than Andrew Luck's program, it will have to pull off a win at home against Oregon. A Cardinal win would put Stanford in the driver's seat to win the Pac-12 and secure that all-important BCS bowl berth. If some things happen at the top of the rankings, this one could mean a whole lot more. 

7. Clemson Tigers

Oct. 29 at Georgia Tech

Provided Clemson doesn't pull a Clemson against North Carolina this weekend, any hope for national publicity rides on a Saturday night game in Atlanta. Clemson will likely be favored in every game from here on out if they take care of business against Georgia Tech.

6. Wisconsin Badgers

Oct. 22 at Michigan State

"The next game is the biggest one" goes for the Badgers this week as well. Wisconsin's only blemish a year ago came against the Spartans. Oddly enough, that game was played at East Lansing as well. 

Not only is revenge on the Badgers mind this time around, Wisconsin's national championship hopes are riding on this one as well.

5. Boise State Broncos

Nov. 12 vs. TCU

TCU might not be as stout as they've been in recent years, but the Horned Frogs are the biggest obstacle standing between Boise State and another BCS bowl berth. 

The final Mountain West conference championship is also on the line in this one. 

4. Oklahoma State Cowboys

Dec. 3 vs. Oklahoma

Bedlam is always the toughest game on the Cowboys schedule. This time around, however, a berth in the BCS National Championship game will likely be on the line. 

It doesn't get any bigger or tougher than that. 

3. Oklahoma Sooners

Dec. 3 at Oklahoma State

Pardon me if you've heard this before, but bedlam is the biggest game for Oklahoma this year as well. 

Both teams will likely carry undefeated records into Stillwater for this annual grudge match, so a lot more than state pride will be on the line in this one. 

2. Alabama Crimson Tide

Nov. 5 vs. LSU

This one has been circled on both team's calendars all season long. Alabama and LSU are clearly the top two teams in the country, and the hype surrounding this game will be well deserved. 

Alabama is better statistically, but the SEC West championship, and likely the SEC championship, will be decided on this day. If recent history is any indication (SEC teams has won five straight BCS titles), the winner of this one will probably win it all in January. 

1. LSU Tigers

Nov. 5 at Alabama

In case you didn't catch my drift in the previous slide, this one is huge. Since former LSU head coach Nick Saban came back to the SEC as Alabama's head coach, this series is split at 2-2. 

If there's such a thing as a rubber match in college football, this is the rubber match to end all rubber matches.