BCS Rankings 2011: Stanford and Wisconsin Will Rise with Big Wins in Week 8

If not for their weak schedules, Stanford and Wisconsin would likely have debuted several spots higher each in the initial BCS rankings of the 2011 college football season—which makes this weekend's games that much more crucial to their respective national championship hopes.

The eighth-ranked Cardinal will face their first Top-25 opponent of the season when they welcome No. 25 Washington to Palo Alto on Saturday. Everyone and their mother already knows about what Andrew Luck has done this season, but few have yet been exposed to the brilliant play of Huskies quarterback Keith Price.

The sophomore is the fifth-most efficient passer in the NCAA and sits at second in the nation with 21 touchdown passes against just four interceptions. Price has needed only a half season to make folks in Seattle forget all about Jake Locker while leading U-Dub to its first place in the polls during the Steve Sarkisian era.

Stanford should come away with a win in this one, though it won't be as easy as many might think. The Cardinal have had the privilege of beating up on the dregs of the Pac-12, and college football as a whole, on the way to a perfect 6-0 start. If Luck and his brainy teammates are to have any shot of playing for the BCS National Championship, they must make a statement against the Huskies, both to strengthen their resume and start the heart of their schedule on the right foot.

The sixth-ranked Badgers have done slightly more than the Cardinal to this point, hence their marginally higher place in the BCS rankings. A blowout win over No. 13 Nebraska in Week 5 went a long way toward establishing Wisconsin's credibility as a national title contender.

Another such victory at No. 16 Michigan State will certainly help to turn the schedule-savvy computers in the Badgers' favor. Rarely will you ever see a game featuring so much experience and talent at the quarterback position, between seniors Russell Wilson for Wisconsin and Kirk Cousins for Michigan State. Wilson, who transferred to Madison from North Carolina State, has played spectacularly for 'Sconsin, stewarding the team's powerful offense to perfection while thrusting himself firmly into the Heisman Trophy conversation.

But don't forget about Cousins. He may not wow anyone with numbers or physical prowess, but he knows how to win, having last year led the Spartans to a share of the Big Ten title.

This will easily be Wisconsin's toughest game of the season so far, as the Badgers attempt to make hay against a top-flight defense that limited Michigan's manic offense to just 14 points and 250 total yards last week. All signs point to the Badgers escaping East Lansing with a big win except for one—a 34-24 loss at Spartan Stadium last season.

That being said, look for Wisconsin to sneak away with a big win on Saturday to join Stanford among the unusually lengthy list of unbeaten teams hoping to finish the season in New Orleans with the crystal football in hand.