BCS Rankings: Georgia and More Dark Horses on the Rise

Upset losses by high-ranked squads such as Stanford and Boise State have raised hopes for teams on the fringe of BCS contention. These three will look to keep climbing after much-needed wins.

Georgia Bulldogs

Widely overlooked after getting trounced by Boise State in the season opener, the Bulldogs have clawed back into contention by winning eight in a row. They hold a half-game lead (one in the loss column) on South Carolina in the SEC East.

A win over Kentucky next Saturday will secure No. 14 Georgia the opportunity to lose to LSU in the SEC title game. Even so, with three conference opponents ahead of them in the rankings, a BCS bowl is out of reach for the Dawgs (regardless of how they fare against Georgia Tech in the regular-season finale).

Virginia Tech Hokies

After a clutch road win over dangerous Georgia Tech, the No. 8 Hokies are still neck and neck with No. 7 Clemson in the ACC chase. After winning in Blacksburg earlier this year, the Tigers have to be considered the favorite for the conference crown, but with a neutral-site rematch looming, Virginia Tech has a great shot to get its revenge.

North Carolina and Virginia pose little threat to upset the Hokies, but the ACC title game (against Clemson or otherwise) is still a must-win. The league just isn’t strong enough to get two teams into BCS bowls this season.

Wisconsin Badgers

No. 15 Michigan State, who beat the Badgers head-to-head, looks like the team to beat in the Big Ten, but 17th-ranked Wisconsin is still very much in the hunt. It currently stands second in the Leaders Division but closes the regular season against division-leading Penn State in Madison (where its won every game this season by at least 30 points).

Wisconsin stayed on track for a conference championship shot by stomping Minnesota yesterday, 42-13. Look for the Badgers to win a neutral-site rematch with the Spartans in December and capture the Big Ten crown.