http://www.bcsfootball.org/cfb/story/8694984/Longhorns-secure-top-spot-in-opening-BCS-standings Longhorns secure top spot in opening BCS standings FOXSports.com 2 minutes ago You can argue which conference is better, the Big 12 or the SEC, but there's no disputing the two are unquestionably the class of college football this season. And the first BCS standings of the season reflect that. Texas and Alabama currently occupy the top two spots in the rankings that will ultimately determine who will play for the national title. All told, seven of the top 10 spots in the standings are occupied by Big 12 and SEC teams. In addition to the Longhorns and the Crimson Tide, those two power conferences are represented by Oklahoma (No. 4), Oklahoma State (No. 6), Georgia (No. 7), Texas Tech (No. 8) and Florida (No. 10). So given the strength of those two conferences, it would appear to be all but impossible for Penn State (the No. 3 team in the standings) to pass either Texas or Alabama without a little help. Of course, given the strength of those two conferences, it would appear equally difficult for either Texas or Alabama to run the table and finish the regular season undefeated. That isn't the case for Penn State, which will play only one more game against a team in the top 25 of the initial BCS standings — No. 9 Ohio State. USC, on the other hand, won't have any challenges left this season — at least, according to the BCS standings. At No. 5, the Trojans are the only Pac-10 in the top 25 in the rankings. While that seems to suggest USC shouldn't have too much difficulty finishing the regular season with just the lone loss on its resume, it also gives the Trojans no opportunity to impress voters and the computers with a signature victory. While Brigham Young's chances of scoring a BCS bid took a serious hit this week (the loss to TCU knocked the Cougars down to 21 in the standings), several non-BCS teams are positioned to earn an at-large spot. Utah and Boise State are ranked 11th and 12th, respectively — a ranking that would earn either automatic BCS bowl berths if it holds through the rest of the season. All told, there were six schools from non-BCS conferences in the top 25 in the standings. In addition to Utah, Boise St. and BYU, Texas Christian (No. 14) Tulsa (No. 19) and Ball State (No. 20) can continue to harbor BCS-busting aspirations. -------------- Can't find any sites with a full rankings list posted yet, as the standings were just announced on Fox's NFL show, but I'll post it when I find one. Nice to see Oklahoma with three teams in the top 20. The OK state is representin'.
Complete BCS rankings: 1. Texas; 2. Alabama; 3. Penn State; 4. Oklahoma; 5. USC; 6. Oklahoma State; 7. Georgia; 8. Texas Tech; 9. Ohio State; 10. Florida; 11. Utah; 12. Boise State; 13. LSU; 14. TCU; 15. Missouri; 16. South Florida; 17. Pittsburgh; 18. Georgia Tech; 19. Tulsa; 20. Ball State; 21. BYU; 22. Northwestern; 23. Kansas; 24. Minnesota; 25. Florida State.
Before the season is over, either UT or Alabama is going to lose and Penn State will be in the BCS title game (assuming they beat Ohio State next week).
Both Bama and Texas still play multiple ranked teams which, regardless of a loss, will help them with the computer polls. Plus, the perception of the Big 10 being garbage might sway enough voters to place either a one loss Bama/Texas team ahead of an undefeated Penn St.
Thanks for posting the list. You know, if Bama and Penn lose, and OU and UT win out, that's going to be f'n crazy. And it's so plausible, it's scary.
It's a joke that USC is ranked higher than either Georgia or Florida. I seriously hope that we won't have this happen - the winner of the Georgia-Florida game beats Alabama (assuming they beat LSU) in the SEC Championship Game and finishes the regular season with 1 loss, yet cannot play for the NC because idiotic USC and the damn media that has a stiffy for them has them ahead in the polls. No way in hell does USC belong that high in the polls.
Unlikely to happen. I think OU would deserve it in that scenario, but the way so many voters changed their ballots on the final day of 2006 to avoid an Ohio State-Michigan rematch makes me think rematches are unlikely, especially when the alternative is USC. Hope I'm wrong, though -- another Texas-OU game would be amazing.
USC is gonna be that one looming team this year that messes up dream scenarios like these. Man, I hate the Pac-10.
I agree with you about the OSU-Michigan parallel. One interesting thing to consider, there is a potential for a total cluster-f**k in the Big 12 South if UT loses (doesn't look likely after these last two weeks but certainly possible). If either OkSU or Tech manage to nip UT, and then lose to OU, there's suddenly a huge controversy about who should be coming out of the Big 12 for the national title game. OR, and this is far less likely, what if Mizzou were somehow to beat UT in a rematch in the Big 12 Title game when OU had won out. You'd have a two loss team winning a conference without having played a team with one loss (which beat it twice last year, once by 21 points on a neutral field). Who would the media send to the big game? I think it's pretty clear that Penn State has to win out to be in the title game. If not, then it will almost assuredly be a Big 12 vs. SEC showdown. I can't see the media giving USC a pass when all the talk has been about how brutal the SEC and Big 12 have been this year and USC doesn't have a single quality win on their resume. Also, we can safely assume that even if they beat Penn State there's no WAY OSU sneaks back into the national title game right? I mean, two straight years of embarrassment seems to be enough...
In your Big 12 scenario...don't forget earlier this decade when OU went to the championship game after getting destroyed in the conference title game. It's isn't unprecedented.
Wow, yeah, forgot all about Jason White e. al's turdburger against K-State. I think this one would be a little different seeing as you'd have two, possibly three teams from the conference making a strong case whereas OU was clearly the class of the Big 12 that year and just didn't show up for the conference game. But it's obvious that it could happen.
It will be hard for USC to get in the mix. The computer polls have them at #10 - and that's only going to get worse as their schedule doesn't improve while the B12 / SEC schools will keep getting stronger schedules. Even if they got to #2 in the polls, I think it would be difficult unless it was a close-to-unanimous #2. I think a 1-loss OU has a really good chance of going above any other 1-loss team except an SEC champion. I think they definitely go ahead of 1-loss USC or 1-loss Penn State. OU's computer rankings are already great, and add wins over Tech and OSU in there, and they should be in great shape. The OSU-Michigan thing was a bit different because it was a rematch of a game that just happened to end the season. I think TX-OU would be far enough back to make it more workable.
Unless I'm mistaken and please let me know if I am If Texas Wins the Big 12 South OU cannot Play in the National Championship game No matter what happens in the Big 12 championship game If you don't win your conference [which they have no chance to if Texas wins the Big 12 south] . . .then you cannot play in the National Championship game am I correct? Rocket River
Not correct. Whoever's #1 vs. #2 will play in the championship game, regardless of if you won your conference or not. That said, there may be some voters that try to vote against OU to push them down and prevent that matchup. If it comes down to a bunch of 1 loss teams, it will probably all be based on style points - who dominates their opponents, etc.
