College Football Rankings: How Wisconsin Can Play in the BCS Championship Game

The Wisconsin Badgers are ranked fourth in both the AP and coaches polls. However, when the first BCS standings of 2011 were released on Sunday, Wisconsin was ranked a measly sixth.

The Badgers are first in the nation in points scored per game. Their closest game so far was a 31 point victory (48-17) over Nebraska, which is currently ranked 13th in the BCS. 

Quarterback Russell Wilson, a transfer from North Carolina State, is a major reason for Wisconsin’s success. Wilson is completing 74 percent of his passes with 14 touchdowns and just one interception.

However, Wilson can continue being as brilliant as he wants, but if Wisconsin cannot figure out how to move up at least five spots in the BCS polls, it will ultimately not matter.

Fear not, Wisconsin fans, there is hope. If a few games go the Badgers’ way, Wisconsin will be sitting pretty by the end of the season and awaiting their first ever BCS Championship game.

What Wisconsin Can Do

The most important part of this equation is Wisconsin doing their part. If the Badgers falter at all in the coming weeks, their bid for a championship will almost certainly be denied.

Wisconsin has traditionally had an easy start to the season with a light non-conference schedule, as was the case this year. Nebraska is the only credible team that the Badgers have faced so far and they were disposed of with ease.

While Wisconsin’s schedule does get harder, it will open the door for them to rise in the polls. Their first, and probably biggest, test of the season comes this weekend when they travel to East Lansing to take on Michigan State. The Spartans are ranked 16th in the BCS and are coming off an impressive win against rival Michigan. Beating Michigan State would certainly enhance the Badgers’ profile.

Oct. 29, the Badgers play Ohio State who, while not at its usual caliber, is still a good team. The Buckeyes had a key win last week against Nebraska and have many more games left on their schedule to improve their ranking and thus, assuming the Badgers win, Wisconsin’s.

Wisconsin closes 2011 with back-to-back games at Illinois (23rd in BCS) and against Penn State (21st in BCS). Winning both of those games would be a great way to end the season and improve their BCS ranking.

However, even if Wisconsin has a perfect record by the end of the season, they will need some help from the five teams ahead of them in the BCS polls.

LSU

Currently the number one team in the polls, LSU does not appear ready to relinquish its spot anytime soon.

The Tigers began the season ranked fourth, but leapfrogged everyone ahead of them in the polls with their decisive play. LSU does have three games left against ranked teams, but the only game the Tigers will not dominate is Nov. 2 against Alabama.

LSU plays Auburn (20th in BCS) Oct. 22 and Arkansas (9th in BCS) Nov. 25 to close out the season. Assuming they are still sporting a perfect record, LSU will also be in the SEC Championship game. Auburn is a young team that has shown signs of greatness, but will be no match for the Tigers in Baton Rouge. Arkansas lost to Alabama by 24 points and while the Razorbacks are a good team, LSU is a great team.

Don’t forget, LSU also has the maniac/genius that is Les Miles on their side. Miles spends his time chomping on grass, showing off his inability to manage a clock, and winning games. It’s still not clear if the coach is crazy or more intelligent than anyone gives him credit for. So far this season, it certainly appears to be the latter.

Alabama

The good news for Wisconsin is that Alabama and LSU must play one another on Nov. 2. Otherwise, it does not appear as if either team will lose.

The SEC West is a ridiculously tough division, undoubtedly the best in college football. Alabama has the best defense in the country, allowing a mere seven points per game. They also have a weapon named Trent Richardson who has almost broken the 1,000 yard mark for the season. After seven games. 

At this point in time, Alabama and LSU seem to be on a collision course for the best record in the country. However, only one of them can escape the SEC with an unblemished record. Alabama has played a more difficult schedule thus far and, if they can escape LSU, only the Auburn Tigers and the SEC Championship game stand in their way.

If they can reach the BCS Championship, Wisconsin will most likely be playing either Alabama or LSU. The Badgers should take solace in the fact that they do not have to face either team earlier. 

Oklahoma

The Sooners are getting almost as little respect as Wisconsin. Oklahoma started the season ranked number one in the country. They have not lost a game, yet have somehow dropped all the way to number three in the polls, behind the two SEC powerhouses.

Oklahoma and quarterback Landry Jones are certainly looking to regain that top spot. However, the road to do so will not be an easy one. 

Oklahoma plays at eleventh ranked Kansas State on Oct. 29. The Wildcats are an upstart team in the Big 12, trying to prove that they belong with the conference’s elite teams. A win against Oklahoma would certainly show that, so Kansas State will be gunning hard for the Sooners.

If Oklahoma can survive that test, they will come home to face a sneakily good Texas A&M team, looking to give parting shots to their Big 12 conference mates before departing next season for the SEC. Oklahoma should be able to beat the Aggies, but coming off a tough game at Kansas State, the Sooners might not have enough left in them. 

The grand finale of the Big 12, serving the place of a conference championship game, will be when Oklahoma travels to Oklahoma State to play the Cowboys. Oklahoma State is currently ranked fourth in the BCS and could be the toughest test Oklahoma faces all season. Wisconsin should hope that one of those teams has a loss come their meeting Dec. 3. Otherwise, the winner of that game is likely to take on the last team standing in the SEC. 

Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State has moved up in the polls from ninth at the beginning of the season to fourth in the first BCS rankings. Their only test of the season was overcoming a 17-point deficit to beat Texas A&M 30-29 in the fourth week of the season. 

Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon have been a lethal combination thus far this season, combining for seven of Weeden’s 16 touchdown throws.

Oklahoma State is a good team who has a few weaknesses, mainly on the defensive end. Therefore, their game against Baylor on Oct. 29 could end the Cowboys BCS title hopes.

Robert Griffin III is lethal in every aspect of the game. He is completing close to 80 percent of his passes with 22 touchdowns and just two interceptions. The Oklahoma State defense will have their hands full containing Griffin. So far, no one has been up to the task yet.

Boise State

Known as either the darling or the buster of the BCS, Boise State is trying to be the first team in a non-automatic qualifying conference to play in the BCS Championship game. Their bid to do so last season fell just short, as they lost a heartbreaking game to Nevada at the end of 2010.

This year, Boise State seems primed to finally get their chance. Unlike the top four teams, all the Broncos must do is play solid football and wait for someone else to mess up. 

The Mountain West Conference is no Big 12 and it is leaps and bounds away from the SEC. However, Boise State still has some hurdles to jump that Wisconsin can take advantage of. 

First, the Broncos must play TCU on Nov. 12. Sure, the Horned Frogs no longer have the Red Rife, i.e. Andy Dalton, to lead them to victory, but a game against Boise State is still important. Expect TCU to bring everything they’ve got.

Secondly, Boise State must avoid a repeat of last year’s devastating loss to Nevada. The problem with such a good team playing in a weak conference is that it is easy to overlook opponents and not come ready to play. Boise State found out last year how damaging that can be, but it can be difficult to stave off mediocre play when playing against mediocre teams.

Third, and the factor that might help Wisconsin most in the BCS standings, is that Boise State’s schedule keeps getting easier. Other than TCU, no opponent the Broncos will face from here on out is rated higher than 50 in the Sagarin ratings. UNLV is all the way down at 159 and New Mexico is even worse, ranked 196th. Boise State played good teams early such as Georgia, Toledo, and Nevada; all ranked in the top 50. 

As the season winds down, Wisconsin’s schedule will get tougher while Boise State’s gets easier. A key part of the BCS calculations is strength of schedule so even if the Broncos manage to stay undefeated, Wisconsin still has a good chance of overtaking them in the BCS polls.