BCS Standings: The 5 Most Important Games Before Bowl Season

It's officially crunch time in college football.

With only two weeks remaining, there are few opportunities for teams to prove their merit prior to the release of the final rankings. Conversely, there are also few opportunities for the top contenders to stumble and open the door for someone else.

As we approach a titanic slate of games over Thanksgiving weekend, here is a look at the five games over the next two weeks which will have the most impact on the BCS race.

Arkansas at LSU, November 25th (2:30 ET, CBS)

Last year on the day after Thanksgiving we were treated to a game for the ages between No. 2 Auburn and No. 9 Alabama. This year, we might be just as lucky when No. 3 Arkansas visits No. 1 LSU.

The Tigers can wrap up the SEC West and likely a berth in the BCS Championship Game with a win over the Razorbacks, but the Hogs have had LSU's number of late. Arkansas has won three of the past four meetings, including a 31-23 victory last season in Little Rock.

In 2007, LSU fell at home to Arkansas as the No. 1 team in the country. Will history repeat itself in 2011?

Alabama at Auburn, November 26th (3:30 ET, CBS)

No college football game matters more to the individual fanbases than the Iron Bowl. Over the past two seasons, both teams have rallied from double-digit deficits over the other en route to national championships.

Alabama likely controls its destiny for the BCS Championship Game, but not for the SEC Championship Game, needing Arkansas to beat LSU to share the SEC West title. Auburn has slid back to 7-4 after last year's 14-0 season. 

In a similar situation in 2009, the Tigers did not trail until the final minute against the second-ranked Crimson Tide in a 26-21 Alabama victory.

Notre Dame at Stanford, November 26th (8 ET, ABC)

Stanford was one of the beneficiaries of the upset-filled weekend, climbing from No. 9 to No. 5 in the coaches' poll after defeating Cal. They host the 8-3 Fighting Irish on Saturday, with national title hopes and Andrew Luck's Heisman Trophy hopes still alive.

The Cardinal would likely need losses by both Alabama and Oklahoma State to even sniff one of the top two spots in the final BCS Standings. They'll get a great opportunity in front of a nationwide audience to boost their credentials, even with the Pac-12 title likely out of reach.

SEC Championship Game, December 3rd (4 ET, CBS)

If LSU beats Arkansas, there is a chance the title game in college football's best conference could be rather meaningless for the Tigers. However, even if LSU has locked up a trip to New Orleans, the SEC has a chance to capture three BCS bowl bids, which would bring in approximately $17 million of additional revenue for the league.

Georgia has locked up one spot in the game, with the other to be decided next week based on the results of the Arkansas-LSU and Alabama-Auburn games.

The SEC Championship Game winner has won the past five national titles. 

Oklahoma at Oklahoma State, December 3rd (8 ET, ABC)

Even with losses by both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State over the weekend, Bedlam still may impact the BCS race in addition to it being the de facto Big 12 Championship Game. The two teams are strong in the computer polls, which comprise one-third of the BCS Standings, due to playing difficult schedules.

The Cowboys could be the highest ranked non-SEC team going into the game, so if Alabama and Arkansas both lose over the next two weeks, Oklahoma State could find themselves right back in the same No. 2 spot that they vacated after losing to Iowa State.