BCS Rankings: Top Teams Headed for a Fall

For many of the nation’s top-ranked teams, the worst of their schedule is past. Oregon, for example, has a downhill road to the Pac-12 championship after stunning Stanford last night.

This trio, however, still faces critical roadblocks that will knock them down the BCS ladder by season’s end:

Oklahoma State Cowboys

The front-runners for a national title date with LSU, Brandon Weeden and the unbeaten Cowboys have only played one close game in 2011 (a come-from-behind squeaker at Texas A&M). Nevertheless, No. 2 Oklahoma State’s unbeaten standing is in serious jeopardy.

Next week’s visit to Iowa State won’t be much of a challenge, but the Cowboys close the year with archrival Oklahoma coming to Stillwater. The nation’s second- and third-best passing games are set for an epic shootout, but the pick here is that OU will come away victorious and steal the conference championship at the finish line.

Arkansas Razorbacks
After slaughtering Tennessee at home, Tyler Wilson and company are 9-1, with their only loss coming at mighty Alabama. Unfortunately, they’re stuck in the wrong division to take full advantage of their lofty No. 6 ranking.

Next weekend’s home date with Mississippi State should be a gimme, but the Razorbacks close the regular season with an impossible road game at unbeaten LSU. They’ll finish with two losses against two of the best teams in the country, but that might be one too many to stay in the BCS bowl picture.

Clemson Tigers

Clemson escaped from Wake Forest yesterday on a last-second field goal, but they’re far from out of the woods for the remainder of this season. The No. 7 Tigers face back-to-back road games—a trap game against mediocre NC State before the rivalry showdown with South Carolina—to close the regular season.

Even if Clemson escapes with a pair of wins there, the ACC title game against Virginia Tech will be no picnic either. For a Tigers team that’s been living on the edge, it will take their best efforts of the season to win out and make it to a BCS bowl game.