BCS Rankings: Six Teams Fighting for a BCS Title Game Berth

With the second half of the 2011 college football season well under way, it's becoming easier to distinguish contenders from pretenders.

We are only a month-and-a-half away from  determining who will receive a bid to the BCS National Championship Game at the Superdome in New Orleans in January, and there are just a handful of teams at this point who look poised to claim that bid.

As the conference schedules wind down, and conference champions are named, the rankings will naturally weed out the worthy from the unworthy.

Here is a look at six teams fighting for that coveted BCS berth.

LSU

From here on out, the top teams have control of their own destinies.

With LSU top, if the Tigers run the table, they are in. Lose once, and their shot at glory is in jeopardy.

At the moment, LSU's defense has dominated the opposition, allowing just 11.5 points per game, good for third in the FBS. Additionally, the Tigers have kept opposing offenses to seven points or less in four of their eight games this season.

LSU began the season in the top five, and it has kept up its end of the bargain by claiming wins over five ranked opponents.

If there is one favorite in the entire BCS debacle, LSU has to be it.

Alabama

Sitting right next to LSU on its long, bumpy ride to the BCS Championship Game is Alabama.

With both teams hailing from the SEC East, they are set to meet each other on Nov. 5, a contest already being dubbed as the "Game of the Century." In short, one of these teams will lose, leaving just one as the division's representative in the SEC Championship Game.

The Tide and the Tigers have maintained their places as two of college football's top teams. Other teams simply will buy time until one of these two faces a blemish on their record.

Alabama's defense is the best in the nation, No. 1 in scoring defense, rushing defense and pass-efficiency defense. Coupled with the FBS' third-best pass defense, the Tide have looked overwhelming to virtually every opponent they have faced to this point.

Oklahoma State

Because LSU and Alabama are set to square off in two weeks, Oklahoma State finds itself in the best position of any team hoping for a place in the BCS National Championship.

As the Cowboys moved up to No. 3 in this week's AP Top 25, all they have to do is wait until either of the two top teams lose, which is an inevitable prophecy.

The Pokes have one of the most potent aerial attacks in the country, picking up 387 yards through the air per game. They can compete with any team offensively.

Defensively, however, they are poor, giving up 431 yards per game. But in the case that the Cowboys run the table, including their final home contest against Oklahoma, it will not matter. The computers favor Oklahoma State more than any other program.

For the Pokes, the strategy is simple. Win everything from now until Dec. 3, and they will be in New Orleans come Jan. 9.

Stanford

Andrew Luck came back to Stanford for two reasons: to finish his education and to win a national championship.

The senior undoubtedly will complete the first, but he may come up a little short on the second.

The Cardinal will not jump an undefeated SEC team or an undefeated Oklahoma State, so Stanford needs help if it is to receive that coveted BCS bid.

For an undefeated Stanford, running the table obviously would do them well if the cards are in their favor. Lose once, and they can kiss a trip to the Superdome goodbye.

Boise State

Unfortunately for Boise State, the Mountain West Conference simply does not provide the hard-earned resumé that leads to the BCS National Championship, no matter how undefeated the Broncos may be.

Frankly, there is not a team in the Top 10 that needs more help to get to the Superdome, but it is not entirely impossible.

The Broncos would have to see both LSU and Alabama lose, as well as Oklahoma State and Stanford, to even have a remote opportunity at a BCS Championship Game berth.

Clemson

Clemson has put together a fantastic season to date, as they have climbed from being unranked in the preseason to No. 6 in this week's AP Top 25.

The Tigers have flirted with defeat numerous times, but their tenacity has proven too much as they remain one of seven undefeated teams.

But like Boise State ahead of them, Clemson will need a serious amount of help to have a shot at a national championship.

Though some will argue that the Tigers have what it takes to make that appearance in New Orleans, their body of work probably does not overcome what the rest of their competitors have done.