BCS Rankings: Oklahoma Sooners and Top 1-Loss Teams

The few remaining undefeated teams are securely entrenched at the top of the BCS standings, but as losses pile up elsewhere, it’s becoming obvious that plenty of teams with blemishes on their records will be in contention for major bowls.

With Week 10 in the books, this trio is in the best position of the once-beaten teams in the country:

Oklahoma Sooners

Brought down to earth by a stunning Texas Tech upset, the Sooners bounced back with a vengeance yesterday. Their 58-17 demolition of Kansas State suggests that the loss to the Red Raiders may have been a fluke rather than an indication of deeper problems in Norman.

If the Sooners avoid any further upsets and win their season finale against as-yet-unbeaten Oklahoma State, they’ll earn the Big 12’s BCS bid and be among the top contenders for a national title shot. Even if they fall to the Cowboys, Oklahoma’s resume may still be strong enough to slip into a major bowl with two losses.

Arkansas Razorbacks

Being the third-best team in this year’s SEC is still awfully good. The Razorbacks have lost only to Alabama, with victories over Texas A&M and Auburn to their credit.

A win over South Carolina next week will help Arkansas’ chances, but the big matchup will come in the season finale. Even without a win at LSU (a near-impossible task), a good showing against the Tigers could help a presumed two-loss Razorbacks team claw their way into a BCS bowl.

Oregon Ducks

There’s no shame in Oregon’s season-opening loss to LSU, and the Ducks have beaten every opponent since by at least two touchdowns. Of course, the remainder of their season pivots on just one game: the November 12 duel with still-perfect Stanford in Palo Alto.

A victory over the Cardinal will all but assure the Ducks of a Pac-12 title, but a loss would be devastating. In that scenario, Oregon would have only one win over a ranked foe (then-No. 18 Arizona State) and be in serious trouble where the BCS is concerned.