BCS Rankings: Which Conference Leaders Are Still in BCS Hunt?

Often forgotten in the BCS ranking hoopla are the system's automatic bids to power conference champions. That includes the Big East, even though the conference is clearly struggling to live up to that billing.

Here are three conference or division leaders who could still steal a BCS bid.

Big East: Cincinnati Bearcats

Even though Cincinnati lost to West Virginia Saturday, the Bearcats are still leading the Big East and control their own destiny with three games left to play. It's quite possible the Big East champion will have three losses, which will upset a bunch of one-loss schools that don't get a BCS invite.

Cincinnati is led by dual-threat quarterback Zach Collaros, who has totaled 22 touchdowns, and Isaiah Pead. The Bearcats have to go on the road against Rutgers next weekend. A win would put them in great shape to claim the Big East's bid, but a loss would leave the Scarlet Knights on top.

Current BCS Ranking: Unranked

Big Ten: Michigan State Spartans

Michigan State is two wins away from playing in the Big Ten Championship Game and both games of are the winnable variety. If the Spartans fancy themselves as BCS contenders, they can't afford to slip up against Indiana or Northwestern, which knocked off Nebraska.

Kirk Cousins leads an inconsistent offense that has been bailed out by the team's eighth-ranked defense on several occasions. While the Spartans have wins over Michigan and Wisconsin, the BCS computers don't have much love for them, so an automatic bid is their only route.

Current BCS Ranking: No. 15

SEC: Georgia Bulldogs

Georgia has been overshadowed by all the talk about LSU and Alabama's potential rematch. The Bulldogs lead the SEC East Division and can clinch a spot in the conference title game with a home win over Kentucky.

After losing their first two games of the season, the Bulldogs have bounced back in a big way with eight straight wins. If Georgia could capture the SEC Championship it would send the entire BCS into chaos, which would be perfectly fine with the Bulldogs.

Current BCS Ranking: No. 14