College Football Rankings 2011: Top 25 Heading into Week 12

The BCS Top 25 standings are headed for a massive shake-up heading into college football's Week 12. The 2011 season is nearing completion and the battle for national supremacy in the BCS standings are coming down to the wire.

Week 11 features four top 25 matchups along with many heavyweight in-conference bouts. There's no better time of the year to be a college football fan than right now.

In terms of the BCS rankings, Week 12 will look drastically different as many teams are on upset alert in Week 11. The top 10 will undergo a face-lift as every team but the No. 1 LSU Tigers are susceptible to demotion. 

Here is what the BCS Top 25 heading into Week 12 will look like. 

Honorable Mention: Arizona State

The Arizona State Sun Devils were looking solid before a slip-up last week against UCLA. 

The Sun Devils are now 6-3 and face a rather wretched 3-6 Washington State Cougars squad this weekend on the road in Pullman, Washington.

One thing the Sun Devils must watch out for is Cougars quarterback Marshall Lobbestael, who's capable of producing 300-plus yards through the air. 

Lobbestael won't be enough for the Cougars and the Sun Devils will win. In doing so, they'll just miss the top 25 in Week 12.

Prediction: Arizona State 42, Washington State 24

No. 25: Ohio State

The Ohio State Buckeyes are quietly 6-3 and with a road win against the Purdue Boilermakers in Week 11, they'll crack the top 25.

The Buckeyes have put up 30-plus points in consecutive weeks heading into Week 11. Once upon a time this year the Ohio State offense was horrid.

Good thing for the Buckeyes, Purdue allowed 62 points last week to the Wisconsin Badgers, so they should be able to score plenty to win.

This is the last gimme-game of the season for Ohio State, as they play Penn State and Michigan the final two weeks.

The win will have the Buckeyes rejoin the national ranks at No. 25 in the BCS standings. 

Prediction: Ohio State 31, Purdue 17 

No. 24: Baylor

At 5-3, the Baylor Bears have had their ups and downs in 2011. The Bears narrowly escaped an average Missouri Tigers team last week to avoid their third straight defeat.

Luckily for Baylor, the team gets a breather this week when taking to the road to face the 2-7 Kansas Jayhawks.

The Bears shouldn't have trouble finding the end zone this week because the Jayhawks have allowed 40-plus points on seven occasions this year.

Look for quarterback Robert Griffin III to have a monster game and the Bears to win with ease.

The win will give the Bears a boost to No. 24.

Prediction: Baylor 52, Kansas 31  

No. 23: Michigan State

The 7-2 Michigan State Spartans travel to duel with the 6-3 Iowa Hawkeyes in Week 11. Last season, Iowa eliminated Michigan State's BCS hopes and will spoil the party once again this year.

After being destroyed by the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Week 9, the Spartans had just enough to squeak by the Minnesota Golden Gophers in Week 10.

The Spartans are only 1-2 on the road this season and the Hawkeyes would like nothing more than to move ahead of the Spartans in the Big Ten Legends Division. 

Kinnick Stadium will be rocking and the Hawkeyes won't disappoint.

Michigan State's disappointing performance will force them to downgrade to No. 23 in the Week 12 BCS standings.  

Prediction: Iowa 24, Michigan State 20

No. 22: Kansas State

The Kansas State Wildcats began the season 7-0, but have since dropped their last two.

The Wildcats will fall for a third straight time in Week 11 as they square off against the Texas A&M Aggies at home in Bill Snyder Stadium.

Both teams have lost two straight coming into this matchup and in the end, the Aggies will be victorious.

This game will be a shootout as both teams have a high-scoring offense and a porous defense.

Texas A&M's quarterback Ryan Tannehill will be too much for the Wildcats' defense, which has allowed 50-plus points in consecutive weeks. Expect Tannehill to have at least 40 attempts and find the end zone at least five times.

A third straight loss will cause the Wildcats to fall to No. 22. 

Prediction: Texas A&M 49, Kansas State 38

No. 21: Cincinnati

Whoa! The Cincinnati Bearcats are 7-1 and haven't lost since Week 2 against the Tennessee Volunteers. 

The Bearcats have the 11th-ranked offense and 18th best defense in the nation. Right now, the team is in the lead of the Big East standing.

Cincinnati plays host to a talented 6-3 West Virginia Mountaineers team this week in a critical Big East battle.

The Bearcats has won their last two games by three points a piece while West Virginia lost their last by a field goal. 

This one will be another close game for these squads, and the Bearcats will triumph. 

Cincinnati will upgrade to No. 21 in Week 12's BCS standings. 

Prediction: Cincinnati 37, West Virginia 34

No. 20: Southern Miss

The Southern Miss Golden Eagles aren't to go overlooked this Bowl season.

At 8-1, the Golden Eagles are headed for a collision course with the ranked Houston Cougars in this year's Conference USA Championship Game. 

Southern Miss plays against the 4-5 Central Florida Knights in Week 11 and look to win with ease.

The Knights have a better than average defense but the Golden Eagles can score on offense, defense and special teams. 

Head coach Larry Fedora has his kids believing that they're great and it shows in the box score. This week will be no different and the Golden Eagles will roll on.

Another victory means Southern Miss will rise a few more positions to No. 20 in Week 12. 

Prediction: Southern Miss 42, Central Florida 24

No. 19: TCU

The 7-2 TCU Horned Frogs will burst onto the national scene in their upcoming game against the ranked Boise State Broncos.

Led by sophomore quarterback Casey Pachall, TCU is silently going about their business of winning games this year. The Horned Frogs average 41.6 points/game and will give Boise State more than they can handle. 

The Horned Frogs rely on running backs Waymon James and Matthew Tucker along with receivers Josh Boyce and Skye Dawson. Pay attention to these guys in Week 11 as they'll make a name for themselves.

With the win, the Horned Frogs will land at No. 19.

No. 18: Penn State

The 8-1 Penn State Nittany Lions' future is in jeopardy in light of the present scandal. 

The Nittany Lions host the ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers in Week 11 and may not win another game this year. 

The loss will cause the Nittany Lions to plummet to No. 18 in the Week 12 rankings. 

No. 17: Wisconsin

The 7-2 Wisconsin Badgers rebounded from two straight losses with a big 62-17 win over the Purdue Boilermakers in Week 10.

Week 11 takes the Badgers to TCF Bank Stadium to battle the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Quarterback Russell Wilson and his Badger teammates look to discharge more artillery against the Golden Gophers and nothing will slow them down.

Given, the Gophers have looked better in the last two weeks, but their 2-7 on the season. 

Badgers win in a romp and move up ever so slightly in the BCS rankings. 

Prediction: Wisconsin 59, Minnesota 20

No. 16: Virginia Tech

The Virginia Tech Hokies are currently sitting atop the ACC at 8-1, right above their Week 11 opponent, the ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. 

The Hokies have a stud in running back David Wilson, who has 100-plus yards in every game except one this season. Wilson is currently second in the nation with 1,185 yards. 

The Hokies travel to Bobby Dodd Stadium to go up against a tough Yellow Jackets team. Expect plenty of David Wilson in this game, but in the end, he can't do it alone and the Hokies will fall. 

The loss will drop the Hokies to No. 16 in the Week 12 BCS standings. 

No. 15 Georgia Tech

The 7-2 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are bidding for the ACC Coastal Division lead in Week 11 against the Virginia Tech Hokies.

Both teams are coming off a bye week and will be ready for their opponent. 

The Yellow Jackets feature the nation's No. 2 rushing attack with 328 yards/game and will look to control the clock with success on the ground.

Look for the Yellow Jackets to slow down Hokies running back David Wilson and force quarterback Logan Thomas into making mistakes.

A win this week will put Georgia Tech in control of the division with BCS Bowl aspirations in mind.

Expect Georgia Tech to move up to No. 15 in the BCS standings with a signature victory over the Hokies. 

Prediction: Georgia Tech 27, Virginia Tech 24

No. 14: Nebraska

The 7-2 Nebraska Cornhuskers travel to Happy Valley to play the Penn State Nittany Lions in Week 11 in a most interesting game. 

The Cornhuskers were upset in Week 10 by the Northwestern Wildcats and are in need of an impressive bounce-back win. 

Powered by running back Rex Burkhead, the Cornhuskers will beat Penn State. The Nittany Lions have plenty of distractions right now and won't be completely focused on Nebraska. 

The Cornhuskers struggle on defense but the Nittany Lions suffer on offense. The Cornhuskers defense will be the difference in the game as they'll find a way to win.

The crucial win will put the Cornhuskers in the No. 14 spot in the BCS standings heading into Week 12.

Prediction: Nebraska 24, Penn State 10

No. 13: Texas

The 6-2 Texas Longhorns have blown up the scoreboard the last two weeks and will do it again in Week 11 when they face the Missouri Tigers. 

The Longhorns have scored 95 points in their last two outings as they continuously run the ball. Texas averages 246.4 yards/game on the ground as they punish opponents for 60 minutes. 

The focal point for Texas will be to stop Tigers running back Henry Josey, who has amassed 1,149 yards this season. He's one of the nation's best, but the Longhorns will be up to the challenge. 

Another victory for the Longhorns will put them at No. 13 in the BCS standings in Week 12.

Prediction: Texas 37, Missouri 21

No. 12: Georgia

The Georgia Bulldogs are the one of the hottest teams in all of college football at the moment. Now 7-2, the Bulldogs haven't lost since Week 2. 

This week brings a tough task for the Bulldogs as they face the ranked Auburn Tigers at home. The Tigers are 6-3, but have been outscored 249-235 on the season. 

Georgia's offense, quarterbacked by sophomore Aaron Murray, will be too much for Auburn to handle. Murray is coming off of a five touchdown performance in Week 10 and now has 23 touchdown tosses this year.

Georgia will simply outscore the Tigers and earn the No. 12 spot in Week 12's BCS rankings. 

Prediction: Georgia 31, Auburn 17

No. 11: South Carolina

The South Carolina Gamecocks are 7-2 and host the 5-4 Florida Gators this week. The Gamecocks lost in Week 10 to the Arkansas Razorback but will spring back to life in Week 11. 

The Gamecocks deserve credit for not falling apart at the seams this year. With the dismissal of quarterback Stephen Garcia and the injury to running back Marcus Lattimore, the team could have quit, but didn't.

Head coach Steve Spurrier has done a masterful job of motivating his kids.

The Gamecocks are now led by sophomore quarterback Connor Shaw, who has done enough to keep this team afloat. Let's not forget, the Gamecocks still have junior wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, who is regarded as one of the nation's best.

Week 11 brings a struggling Gators squad to Williams-Brice Stadium and home field advantage will put the Gamecocks over the top and in the No. 11 slot in Week 12.

Prediction: South Carolina 24, Florida 21

No. 10: Oregon

The 8-1 Oregon Ducks are one of the most fun teams to watch in the country. Week 11 takes the Ducks to Stanford Stadium to face the highly-ranked Stanford Cardinal.

The Pac-12 Conference lead is on the line and both teams need a win to attain admiration in the BCS standings. 

Running back LaMichael James returned from a gruesome elbow injury a few weeks ago and proved that he's alright with a 25-carry, 156-yard performance in Week 10 against the Washington Huskies. 

Unfortunately for James and the Ducks, the Cardinal defense is better than the Huskies. 

Oregon will fall to Stanford in Week 11 and it will show in the upcoming Week 12 standings. 

No. 9: Boise State

R-E-S-P-E-C-T! The Boise State Broncos get none because of their weak schedule. 

The Broncos are 8-0 but have only played one tough opponent, Georgia, in Week 1. 

Week 11 will be the biggest game of the year for the Broncos when they host the TCU Horned Frogs. 

The Mountain West Conference lead is at stake and the Horned Frogs will pull the upset and destroy the BCS dreams of the Broncos.

Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore has only thrown five interceptions all season, but he'll throw two in Week 11.

This game will be a high scoring fight til the end, and the Horned Frogs will prevail when time expires.

Prediction: TCU 45, Boise State 38

No. 8: Houston

The 9-0 Houston Cougars are the team that's creating an oil slick in the BCS' system this year. 

The Cougars are making a case for themselves on the national stage and have a great chance to go undefeated. 

Driven by the arm of senior quarterback Case Keenum, the Cougars have the nation's best offense. The team averages 457.1 yards/game through the air and 52.7 points/game. 

One could argue that, like the Boise State Broncos, that the Cougars have a weak schedule. The difference between the two teams is that the Cougars haven't been highly ranked all season long.

They've become this year's Cinderella, and everyone loves a darling. 

The Cougars travel to the Superdome to play the 2-8 Tulane Green Wave in Week 11. Another big victory combined with a few key losses by teams ranked higher than them, and the Cougars will officially be in the BCS talk.

Expect the Cougars to be ranked No. 8 in the Week 12 BCS poll. 

Prediction: Houston 70, Tulane 17

No. 7: Clemson

The Clemson Tigers may have lost its last game to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in Week 9, but after a bye week, all will be forgotten.

The Tigers are 8-1 on the season and host the 5-4 Wake Forest Demon Deacons in Week 11. 

Clemson's offense is too prolific for a below-average Demon Deacons defense.

Tigers sophomore quarterback Tahj Boyd will have a field day and unleash some leftover frustration from the Week 9 loss to the Yellow Jackets.

Clemson wins hands down and moves to No. 7.

Prediction: Clemson 42, Wake Forest 27

No. 6: Arkansas

The 8-1 Arkansas Razorbacks have only lost to ranked Alabama this year and will be victorious once again in Week 11 with a win over the 4-5 Tennessee Volunteers at Razorback Stadium. 

The Razorbacks are coming off a win over the ranked South Carolina Gamecocks last week and will decimate the Volunteers this week. 

Tennessee lost four straight games before beating the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders last week, 24-0. Now that the Volunteers are back to playing quality competition, they'll get back to losing.

With the win the Razorbacks will gain foothold at No. 6 in the Week 12 BCS rankings.

Prediction: Arkansas 31, Tennessee 10

No. 5: Oklahoma

The 8-1 Oklahoma Sooners enjoy a bye week in Week 11. This will allow head coach Bob Stoops to refocus his players on their final three games of the 2011 season. 

While everyone is looking forward to the Sooners showdown with the Oklahoma State Cowboys in their final game, they can't overlook the ranked Baylor Bears next week on the road. 

Stoops will make sure his team is targeted on the Bears in Week 12.

Even with the bye week, the Sooners move up a notch to No. 5 heading into Week 12. 

Prediction: Find a way to stop Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III

No. 4: Alabama

The 8-1 Alabama Crimson Tide lost an instant classic in Week 10 to the ranked LSU Tigers, but they'll have fun beating up on the 5-4 Mississippi State Bulldogs in Week 11.

The Crimson Tide have a terrific defense and the Bulldogs will have trouble scoring.

Expect head coach Nick Saban to let his boys hang loose and run up the score. 

Despite the bulky victory, Alabama will drop to No. 4 in the upcoming standings.

Prediction: Alabama 52, Mississippi State 17

No. 3: Stanford

The 9-0 Stanford Cardinal have been scratching and clawing their way up the national rankings all season.

Week 11's matchup against the ranked Oregon Ducks will be the game of the week on the college football schedule. 

The Ducks spoiled Stanford's season last year and senior quarterback Andrew Luck won't let it happen again.

The Cardinal defense only allows 16.6 points/game and will cause problems for the Ducks. Given that this won't be a low scoring affair, but the Cardinal will overcome the Ducks.

Luck is the Golden Child of college football right now and he won't let his supporters down in Week 11.

The victory over the Ducks will boost the Cardinal to No. 3 heading into Week 12.

Prediction: Stanford 45, Oregon 35

No. 2: Oklahoma State

The 9-0 Oklahoma State Cowboys are a high octane, explosive offense that's a blast to watch.

They won't disappoint in Week 11 when they face the Texas Tech Red Raiders in what promises to be a ridiculous display of offense for both sides.

The Red Raiders handed the ranked Oklahoma Sooners their only loss of the season in Week 8, but have lost two straight games since. The Cowboys will be on their toes and won't be embarrassed on the road by Texas Tech.

Expect a ton of scoring and little defense in this game as the Cowboys will remain at No. 2 in the Week 12 BCS standings.

Prediction: Oklahoma State 63, Texas Tech 38

No. 1: LSU

The LSU Tigers are 9-0 and everyone is all smiles in Baton Rouge, Louisiana right now. 

After defeating the ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in Week 10, the Tigers get a lay-up in their Week 11 opponent, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. 

This won't be much of a contest and the Tigers will win handily. 

LSU will remain at No. 1 in the Week 12 BCS rankings.

Prediction: LSU 37, Western Kentucky 3