BCS Rankings Week 14: Can Anybody Overtake Alabama at No. 2?

Now that the latest BCS rankings have been released, the biggest question everyone wants to know is if anyone besides Alabama can end the season at No. 2 in the standings.

Alabama has finished its regular season with an 11-1 record and sits at the No. 2 team in the standings. The Crimson Tide do not have to play in the SEC championship game, so there is no chance the team can lose again before the last rankings come out on Dec. 4.

So is there any chance a team can jump Alabama without the Tide losing?

It is unlikely, but not impossible.

Stanford is the No. 4 team in the country according to the BCS, but like Alabama, it did not qualify for its conference championship game. The Cardinal have no games left to impress the voters, so you will not see Andrew Luck playing for a national championship.

The next team with a chance of overtaking Alabama is Virginia Tech. Although the Hokies are No. 5 in the BCS, they have some supporters in the Coaches' Poll, where they are the third-ranked team.

With a blowout win over Virginia, the Hokies clinched a spot in the ACC championship game. A convincing win over Clemson could sway some voters, but three losses in four games makes Clemson a less impressive win.

The schedule is also a drawback for Virginia Tech, as it has not defeated a single team in the current BCS standings.

Even avenging its only loss for the season will not be enough for Virginia Tech to reach the title game.

This leaves Oklahoma State with the only chance to impress voters this weekend.

The Cowboys have a very impressive body of work, as they have defeated four teams (Texas, Missouri, Baylor, Kansas State) currently in the BCS Top 25. 

A win over current No. 10 Oklahoma would make five wins and its most impressive yet this season.

So can one win change the mind of voters and put them ahead of Alabama? According to the human polls, the Cowboys are still far away.

Oklahoma State is currently No. 5 in both the Harris Poll and the Coaches' Poll, which each represent one-third of the BCS ranking. With Stanford and Alabama both finished playing, only a loss for Virginia Tech could make life easier by losing next weekend.

However, for any true change to occur, the human voters would need to have a huge change of thought process.

An Oklahoma State blowout win would certainly turn some heads, and it could possibly force the writers to re-evaluate the entire body of work.

Either voters would realize that Oklahoma State has much better wins than Alabama, and good wins are more important than bad losses. Or they realize that a team should have to win its conference, or at least its division. Or they simply do not want to see a rematch of a 9-6 game.

Whatever the reasoning, Oklahoma State will only have a chance at a championship if it gets a blowout win and a lot of changes of heart.