BCS Rankings

by

Final 2013 BCS Rankings: Florida State And Auburn Finish Year On Top

biggerbcslogo

The BCS was never much more than a result of the staples that have long ruled college football — tradition, formality and prestige. Pair teams that should play each other together in a bowl, sure, but make sure they’re also the biggest names.

Official BCS Rankings
Rank Team
1 Florida State Seminoles
2 Auburn Tigers
3 Alabama Crimson Tide
4 Michigan State Spartans
5 Stanford Cardinal
Scroll down for more

As the BCS sings its swan song, habits that seem old — like the SEC always being in the driver’s seat for the national title — are actually recent developments of the BCS era. But in 2013 it looked like there might be a chance to end the streak just before the BCS met its own end.

Then Michigan State stepped in the way. The Spartans topped Ohio State and the SEC’s Auburn will face Florida State in the national title game.

Not only that, but the SEC lands the No. 3 team in the country, Alabama, in another BCS bowl automatically, and ends the year occupying nearly half of the BCS’s top 10.

And so the BCS ends just like it was supposed to — granting 10 berths to 10 teams from the “power” conferences, though the AAC might have lost its claim to power long before it lost its “Big East” name.

The Big 10 and Pac-12 champions will meet in the Rose Bowl. The Fiesta Bowl will feature the Big 12’s champion. And the Sugar Bowl will get the replacement team of its dreams in Alabama. The BCS worked just like it should have, whether you liked it or not. We were just trying to make sense of it as it was handed down.

Some times we could, some times we couldn’t.

—

The last-ever BCS rankings:

Final BCS Standings — December 8th

Rank Team BCS Score
1 Florida State Seminoles .9957
2 Auburn Tigers .9638
3 Alabama Crimson Tide .9061
4 Michigan State Spartans .8600
5 Stanford Cardinal .8191
6 Baylor Bears .7722
7 Ohio State Buckeyes .7705
8 Missouri Tigers .7256
9 South Carolina Gamecocks .7152
10 Oregon Ducks .5811
11 Oklahoma Sooners .5756
12 Clemson Tigers .5553
13 Oklahoma State Cowboys .5233
14 Arizona State Sun Devils .4416
15 UCF Knights .4343
16 LSU Tigers .4322

—

Some thoughts:

  • BCS Know How’s Projected BCS vs. Actual BCS Rankings
    • Not a great final showing, so be it! This is too much fun to be sad about.
  • Again, we’re looking at a much different BCS Know How moving forward. We’ll figure it out after bowl season, which should actually be a ton of fun. Check out the non-BCS bowl schedule, too, if you’re looking for some interesting action.
by

Seventh 2013 BCS Rankings: Ohio State Holds Off Auburn For No. 2

biggerbcslogo

The BCS just wont go down without a fight. Just more than a week ago we might have been wondering what would happen if we ended the season with four undefeated teams. Now we’re trying to piece together what just happened and explaining how a one-loss team is on the verge of making BCS history.

Official BCS Rankings
Rank Team
1 Florida State Seminoles
2 Ohio State Buckeyes
3 Auburn Tigers
4 Alabama Crimson Tide
5 Missouri Tigers
Scroll down for more

After Alabama’s reign over college football was seemingly cut down by Auburn things got a bit wonky in the BCS.

Of course, this opened up the No. 1 spot for the first time this season, and fresh from an in-state victory over Florida, Florida State was more than happy to claim its spot atop these seventh BCS rankings.

Then things got interesting. Undefeated Ohio State was supposed to cruise to the No. 2 spot tonight. After all, no undefeated AQ conference team has ever been leapfrogged for a top-two spot in the BCS standings by a once-beaten team. But No. 3 Auburn made the No. 2 Buckeyes sweat for the second position tonight. And both teams will sweat for another week while we chew on the scenarios.

Auburn has Missouri to prepare for, Ohio State has Michigan State on its plate. Wins from both squads next weekend might set up a final chase for the No. 2 spot that will rival any of the best controversy the BCS has had to offer. We can sit back and enjoy it.

The rest of the BCS falls mostly into place as expected. Alabama claims No. 4 with SEC title game-bound Missouri rounding out the top-five. Oklahoma State, in the driver’s seat for a AQ bid for the Big 12, is in at No. 6, and Pac-12 title game combatant Stanford is in at No. 7. South Carolina, Baylor, Arizona State and Michigan State are setting themselves up for BCS eligibility while Oregon and rounds out the top 12.

Northern Illinois is just a win away from a second straight BCS buster bowl bid after entering the top 14 and seeing Fresno State lose at the most inopportune time.

—

It’s all come down to one week. Not sure if we’re ready to say goodbye without one final blowout weekend.  Be sure to stay tuned to BCS Know How and @BCSKnowHow throughout the coming week for all the latest analysis and news.

Here’s the seventh BCS rankings of 2013:

BCS Standings Week Seven — December 1st

Rank Team BCS Score
1 Florida State Seminoles .9948
2 Ohio State Buckeyes .9503
3 Auburn Tigers .9233
4 Alabama Crimson Tide .8539
5 Missouri Tigers .8428
6 Oklahoma State Cowboys .7629
7 Stanford Cardinal .7069
8 South Carolina Gamecocks .7037
9 Baylor Bears .6623
10 Michigan State Spartans .6529
11 Arizona State Sun Devils .5833
12 Oregon Ducks .5321
13 Clemson Tigers .5201
14 Northern Illinois Huskies .4812
15 LSU Tigers .4213
16 UCF Knights .3838

—

Some thoughts:

by

Fourth 2013 BCS Rankings: No. 2 Florida State Solidifies Its Stake

biggerbcslogo

Can a top-five team beating another top-five team truly be considered an upset? Whether the answer is yes or no, Stanford’s victory over Oregon is felt strongly throughout the fourth BCS standings, most notably as Florida State stakes the nation’s strongest claim to No. 2 yet.

Official BCS Rankings
Rank Team
1 Alabama Crimson Tide
2 Florida State Seminoles
3 Ohio State Buckeyes
4 Stanford Cardinal
5 Baylor Bears
Scroll down for more

After much hair-pulling about whether Oregon or Florida State would finish the season at No. 2 if they won out, it was the Ducks’ faltering on a Thursday night that ended the debate.

Of course, Florida State is far from completing an undefeated run through its schedule, but for now, the Seminoles look like they’re in the driver’s seat for a title game bid, along with the prohibitive favorite Alabama.

The next debate, in the final year of the debate era of college football (also known as the BCS), is who would replace the Seminoles if they were to falter. The BCS, and the country at large, has elected new No. 3 Ohio State for that position. But there are plenty of teams on the tail of the Buckeyes, starting with No. 4 Stanford and No. 5 Baylor.

Yes, the once-beaten Cardinal out pace the undefeated Bears because of their strong support in the computers after beating Oregon. Baylor, which was able to beat top-10 Oklahoma on Thursday, is still lagging in the computer component, and is hurting because of it.

Elsewhere, the BCS buster potential grows this week, as No. 14 Fresno State and No. 15 Northern Illinois continue to climb. They both remain ahead of the top AAC team, UCF, which would allow an automatic bid for a non-AQ team, and the Bulldogs and Huskies are vying for just that.

There’s plenty still to come in this season. Four more sets of these will tell the final story of the 2013 college football season.

—

With just four weeks of BCS rankings left ever, we’re in the home stretch. Be sure to stay tuned to BCS Know How and @BCSKnowHow throughout the coming weeks for all the latest analysis and news.

Here’s the fourth BCS rankings of 2013:

BCS Standings Week Four — November 10th

Rank Team BCS Score
1 Alabama Crimson Tide .9958
2 Florida State Seminoles .9619
3 Ohio State Buckeyes .8926
4 Stanford Cardinal .8689
5 Baylor Bears .8618
6 Oregon Ducks .7665
7 Auburn Tigers .7206
8 Clemson Tigers .7200
9 Missouri Tigers .7118
10 South Carolina Gamecocks .5584
11 Texas A&M Aggies .5473
12 Oklahoma State Cowboys .4671
13 UCLA Bruins .4548
14 Fresno State Bulldogs .4317
15 Northern Illinois Huskies .3505
16 Michigan State Spartans .3417

—

Some thoughts:

by

2013 BCS implications and strength of schedule worksheet for Week 10

IMPLICATIONS10

As it has in every college football season under the reign of the BCS, a team’s computer ranking is its most confusing and debate-causing aspect of the entire Bowl Championship Series process.

Which team has accomplished the most when the numbers are all you can see? It’s hard for a sport that includes so much subjectivity to remove the fan/expectation/showmanship aspect from the game and look at only the data.

That’s why here at BCS Know How for the last three years we’ve put together the implication worksheet. Which teams have accomplished the most according to the computers? And what teams still have the opportunity to accomplish more?

So what can you find here? The top eight BCS teams (or smaller, if the “striking distance” shrinks), along with their record and strength of schedule, according to Sagarin.

The real important stats, however, come after that. Each team is listed with key games already played, and key games to come. Key games are any against the BCS top 25 or the Sagarin PURE_ELO top 60. If teams are unlisted in the BCS, they are listed with their Sagarin rank, and all SOS is Sagarin-based.

Games for the upcoming weekend are bolded.

Note: All teams are included in the Sagarin data, including bowl-ineligible and FCS teams. If they count there, they count here. The BCS throws out any FCS or ineligible team when calculating its final tally.

BCS No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide (8-0) SOS: 41

Key games already played:

  • BCS No. 12 Texas A&M Aggies (6-2) SOS: 32 — Won 49-42
  • Sagarin No. 15 Virginia Tech Hokies (6-2) SOS: 37 — Won 35-10
  • Sagarin No. 19 Ole Miss Rebels (5-3) SOS: 2 — Won 25-0
  • Sagarin No. 57 Tennessee Volunteers (4-4) SOS: 5 — Won 45-10

Key games remaining:

  • BCS No. 11 Auburn Tigers (7-1) SOS: 51 — Nov. 30
  • BCS No. 13 LSU Tigers (7-2) SOS: 30 — Nov. 9
  • SEC Championship Game (Potential) — Dec. 7

—

BCS No. 2 Oregon Ducks (6-0) SOS: 16

Key games already played:

  • BCS No. 20 UCLA Bruins (5-2) SOS: 28 — Won 42-14
  • Sagarin No. 36 Washington Huskies (5-3) SOS: 16 — Won 45-24
  • Sagarin No. 47 Washington State Cougars (4-4) SOS: 15 — Won 62-38
  • Sagarin No. 57 Tennessee Volunteers (4-4) SOS: 5 — Won 59-14

—

Key games remaining:

  • BCS No. 5 Stanford Cardinal (7-1) SOS: 9 — Nov. 7
  • Sagarin No. 28 Oregon State Beavers (6-2) SOS: 60 — Nov. 29
  • Sagarin No. 34 Arizona Wildcats (5-2) SOS: 55 — Nov. 23
  • Pac-12 Championship Game (Potential) — Dec. 7

—

BCS No. 3 Florida State Seminoles (7-0) SOS: 68

Key games already played:

  • BCS No. 8 Clemson Tigers (7-1) SOS: 39 — Won 51-14
  • Sagarin No. 46 Pittsburgh Panthers (4-3) SOS: 42 — Won 41-13
  • Sagarin No. 56 FCS Bethune-Cookman (7-1) SOS: 190 — Won 54-6

—

Key games remaining:

  • BCS No. 7 Miami Hurricanes (7-0) SOS: 82 — Nov. 2
  • Sagarin No. 31 Florida Gators (4-3) SOS: 14 — Nov. 30
  • ACC Championship Game (Potential) — Dec. 7

—

BCS No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes (8-0) SOS: 69

Key games already played:

  • BCS No. 24 Wisconsin Badgers (5-2) SOS: 90 — Won 31-24
  • Sagarin No. 39 Iowa Hawkeyes (5-3) SOS: 43 — Won 34-24
  • Sagarin No. 45 Buffalo Bulls (6-2) SOS: 138 — Won 40-20
  • Sagarin No. 53 Penn State Nittany Lions (4-3) SOS: 36 — Won 63-14

—

Key games remaining:

  • BCS No. 21 Michigan Wolverines — Nov. 30
  • Big Ten Championship Game (Potential) — Dec. 7

—

BCS No. 5 Stanford Cardinal (7-1) SOS: 9

Key games already played:

  • BCS No. 20 UCLA Bruins (5-2) SOS: 28 — Won 24-10
  • Sagarin No. 28 Oregon State Beavers (6-2) SOS: 60 — Won 20-12
  • Sagarin No. 30 Arizona State Sun Devils (5-2) SOS: 12 — Won 42-28
  • Sagarin No. 36 Washington Huskies (5-3) SOS: 16 — Won 31-28
  • Sagarin No. 47 Washington State Cougars (4-4) SOS: 15 — Won 55-17

—

Key games remaining:

  • BCS No. 2 Oregon Ducks (6-0) SOS: 16 — Nov. 7
  • Sagarin No. 25 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-2) SOS: 27 — Nov. 30
  • Sagarin No. 49 USC Trojans (5-3) SOS: 23 — Nov. 16
  • Pac-12 Championship Game (Potential) — Dec. 7

—

BCS No. 6 Baylor Bears (7-0) SOS: 96

Key games already played:

  • None

—

Key games remaining:

  • BCS No. 10 Oklahoma Sooners (7-1) SOS: 44 — Nov. 7
  • BCS No. 15 Texas Tech Red Raiders (7-1) SOS: 79 — Nov. 16
  • BCS No. 18 Oklahoma State Cowboys (6-1) SOS: 52 — Nov. 23
  • Sagarin No. 27 Texas Longhorns (5-2) SOS: 13 — Dec. 7

—

BCS No. 7 Miami Hurricanes (6-1) SOS: 33

Key games already played:

  • Sagarin No. 31 Florida Gators (4-3) SOS: 14 — Won 21-16
  • Sagarin No. 38 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (5-3) SOS: 35 — Won 45-30

—

Key games remaining:

  • BCS No. 3 Florida State Seminoles (7-0) SOS: 68 — Nov. 2
  • Sagarin No. 15 Virginia Tech Hokies (6-2) SOS: 37 — Nov. 9
  • Sagarin No. 46 Pittsburgh Panthers (4-3) SOS: 42 — Nov. 29
  • Sagarin No. 54 Duke Blue Devils (6-2) SOS: 80 — Nov. 16
  • ACC Championship Game (Potential) — Dec. 7

—

BCS No. 8 Clemson Tigers (5-0) SOS: 9

Key games already played:

  • BCS No. 3 Florida State Seminoles (7-0) SOS: 68 — Lost 51-14
  • Sagarin No. 26 Georgia Bulldogs (4-3) SOS: 1 — Won 38-35

—

Key games remaining:

  • BCS No. 14 South Carolina Gamecocks (6-2) SOS: 11 — Nov. 30
  • Sagarin No. 38 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (5-3) SOS: 35 — Nov. 14
  • ACC Championship Game (Potential) — Dec. 7

—

by

Second 2013 BCS Rankings: Oregon Laps Florida State For No. 2 After One Week

biggerbcslogo

The fight at the top of the BCS rankings got a little less competitive just one week after Oregon lagged behind Florida State by just .003 in the BCS for No. 2 last week.

Official BCS Rankings
Rank Team
1 Alabama Crimson Tide
2 Oregon Ducks
3 Florida State Seminoles
4 Ohio State Buckeyes
5 Stanford Cardinal
Scroll down for more

Yes, after one week of simmering controversy over the fact that Florida State was No. 2 in the BCS but No. 3 in both polls, Oregon storms right ahead of the Seminoles for the No. 2 spot. And it’s not nearly as close this week.

A strong showing in the computers gives Oregon the No. 2 spot by more than .030, more than 10 times the lead Florida State had last weekend. Can Florida State make up that ground? That’ll be the question moving forward.

After Missouri’s loss this weekend, we were expecting some shifting in the next part of the BCS, but unexpectedly, Stanford’s showing across the board was enough to push the one-loss Cardinal past undefeated Baylor to No. 5, while Baylor rests at No. 6. Baylor was largely unable to close the gap on Stanford in the computers, lagging .19 behind the Cardinal in the computer aggregate, which was enough to give Stanford No. 5.

Miami bows at No. 7, Clemson is in at No. 8 and Missouri falls only four spots to No. 9 after losing to South Carolina, which themselves climbs a handful of spots, but nearly as many as we had anticipated.

Oklahoma is back into the top-10 at No. 10, while Auburn is steady at No. 11 and Texas A&M rounds out the top 12 after climbing four impressive spots in one week.

Of interest — No. 16 Fresno State stays one spot ahead of No. 17 Northern Illinois for the second straight week, as expected. Can the Bulldogs hold off the Huskies in a year where a BCS buster seems all the more likely? It’ll be a chase to the spot if both finish undefeated.

—

With just six weeks of BCS rankings left ever, we’re in the most important stretch of the season. Be sure to stay tuned to BCS Know How and @BCSKnowHow throughout the coming weeks for all the latest analysis and news.

Here’s the second BCS rankings of 2013:

BCS Standings Week Two — October 27th

Rank Team BCS Score
1 Alabama Crimson Tide .9937
2 Oregon Ducks .9517
3 Florida State Seminoles .9211
4 Ohio State Buckeyes .8840
5 Stanford Cardinal .7918
6 Baylor Bears .7645
7 Miami Hurricanes .7560
8 Clemson Tigers .6687
9 Missouri Tigers .6096
10 Oklahoma Sooners .6064
11 Auburn Tigers .6025
12 Texas A&M Aggies .4812
13 LSU Tigers .4630
14 South Carolina Gamecocks .4486
15 Texas Tech Red Raiders .3749
16 Fresno State Bulldogs .3669

—

Some thoughts:

by

First 2013 BCS Rankings: Alabama & FSU Lead Gang Into The Final Year

 

biggerbcslogoJust one BCS standings in and we already have a rumble at the top on our hands — the BCS isn’t going to leave without a fight.

Official BCS Rankings
Rank Team
1 Alabama Crimson Tide
2 Florida State Seminoles
3 Oregon Ducks
4 Ohio State Buckeyes
5 Missouri Tigers
Scroll down for more

As expected, No. 2 Florida State  and No. 2 Oregon bunch together tightly in the race for the No. 2 spot in the inaugural BCS standings of 2013, both chasing convincing No. 1 Alabama.

The Seminoles’ victory over Clemson combined with Oregon’s long-standing position as the nation’s No. 2 team conspired to provide us with some real drama that could continue to play out the rest of the season if the two squads continue to win.

Oregon remained at No. 2 in the polls, but Florida State took full advantage of some major upsets around the board, grabbing the best computer support in the country and No. 3 in both the Coaches’ and Harris polls. For now, Florida State lands just .0028 ahead of Oregon.

If Florida State had received even a .01 smaller share of the computer rankings, Oregon would have been your No. 2 team this week.

But what if the Ducks and Seminoles don’t keep winning? The first BCS standings have given us a window into what we could expect. Ohio State’s almost quiet No. 4 comes as no surprise, as the Buckeyes have run through the early part of the season undefeated.

No. 5 Missouri and No. 8 Baylor are some of the handful of surprises in the first set of BCS rankings, as is No. 7 Miami. All three teams were the beneficiaries of the upset-filled weekend, and Missouri carries a very strong computer ranking into the BCS part of the season.

—

We’re in the home stretch now, believe it or not. Just seven weeks left of the BCS. Be sure to stay tuned to BCS Know How and @BCSKnowHow throughout the coming weeks for all the latest analysis and news.

Here’s the first BCS rankings of 2013:

BCS Standings Week One — October 20th

Rank Team BCS Score
1 Alabama Crimson Tide .9841
2 Florida State Seminoles .9348
3 Oregon Ducks .9320
4 Ohio State Buckeyes .8553
5 Missouri Tigers .8219
6 Stanford Cardinal .7414
7 Miami Hurricanes .7200
8 Baylor Bears .7120
9 Clemson Tigers .6249
10 Texas Tech Red Raiders .6220
11 Auburn Tigers .5058
12 UCLA Bruins .4807
13 LSU Tigers .4552
14 Virginia Tech Hokies .4408
15 Oklahoma Sooners .4204
16 Texas A&M Aggies .3666

—

Some thoughts:

by

Final BCS Rankings of 2012: Notre Dame and Alabama Finish On Top But Northern Illinois Steals The Show

The drama had seemingly been sucked out of the final weekend of the college football season until we figured out that a borderline non-AQ BCS buster was still possible. Still many were wary.

Official BCS Rankings
Rank Team
1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
2 Alabama Crimson Tide
3 Florida Gators
4 Oregon Ducks
5 Kansas State Wildcats
Scroll down for more

But then things started falling Northern Illinois’s way. After the Huskies grabbed the MAC championship from Kent State’s clutches in overtime, they sat at home and watched UCLA and Texas lose. Then they saw the thing that proved most key — Nebraska get crushed by Wisconsin.

Those things, combined with the requisite boost the Huskies got for beating previously No. 17 Kent State put the Huskies at No. 15 this week. And as we learned these last few days, that was the threshold. Finishing ahead of the Big East’s BCS representative, No. 21 Louisville, Northern Illinois is Orange Bowl bound, where the Huskies will take on Florida State.

Elsewhere the tension was somewhat minimal. As expected, undefeated Notre Dame is on its way to the BCS title game, where the Fighting Irish will find SEC champion Alabama waiting.

Conference champions Wisconsin, Stanford and Kansas State found themselves in their anchor bowls, joined by at-large Florida — the beneficiary an automatic rule including the top-ranked AQ non-champion — and at-large Oregon.

All part of the BCS’s now teenage plan to combine bowl affiliations and numbers to rank and distribute games during bowl season’s final week. Worked out pretty interestingly this year. We’ve got one more of these ahead of us. It’s been fun, now let’s enjoy bowl season.

Here are the final BCS rankings of 2012:

Final BCS Standings — December 2nd

Rank Team BCS Score
1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish .9978
2 Alabama Crimson Tide .9441
3 Florida Gators .8984
4 Oregon Ducks .8621
5 Kansas State Wildcats .8226
6 Stanford Cardinal .7683
7 Georgia Bulldogs .7583
8 LSU Tigers .7511
9 Texas A&M Aggies .6756
10 South Carolina Gamecocks .6604
11 Oklahoma Sooners .6502
12 Florida State Seminoles .5047
13 Oregon State Beavers .4716
14 Clemson Tigers .4693
15 Northern Illinois Huskies .3276
16 Nebraska Cornhuskers .3264

—

Some thoughts:

  • BCS Know How’s Projected BCS vs. Actual BCS Rankings
    • The glaring oversight is of course at No. 16, where NIU lands a key one spot above where they needed to be.
    • Many shared that omission, but shout out to Yesh Ginsberg, who stood out and correctly predicted that NIU would have a simple time qualifying for the BCS, which they did.
by

BCS implications and strength of schedule worksheet for Week 14

So, what has your team accomplished in 2012?

With the season coming to a close on Saturday, now’s the time to take stock of what 2012 will be remembered for. Some teams have been short-changed, others have perhaps been given more than their fair. Most notably, at least one of the top six BCS teams this week will not make a BCS bowl, and perhaps more than one.

As the season draws down, we do have a bit of drama in the lower ranks of the BCS, with a non-AQ chase for a BCS buster bid. All that is explained further in our in-depth look at the battle, but for reference, we’ve included Kent State, Boise State and Northern Illinois in this week’s edition of the implications worksheet.

—

As we have all season, we compiled our implications and schedule strength worksheet suing the BCS rankings and Jeff Sagarin’s computer ranking to look at what the nation’s best teams have accomplished, where they’re headed and the potential pitfalls and dangers associated with their upcoming schedule.

What will you find here? The top eight BCS teams (or smaller, if the “striking distance” shrinks), along with their record and strength of schedule, according to Sagarin.

Each team is also listed with key games already played, and key games to come. Key games are any against the BCS top 25 or the Sagarin top 60. If teams are unlisted in the BCS, they are listed with their Sagarin rank, and SOS is Sagarin-based.

Games for the upcoming weekend are bolded.

Note: All teams are included in the Sagarin data, including bowl-ineligible teams.

BCS No. 1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (12-0) SOS: 30

Important games already played:

  • BCS No. 8 Stanford Cardinal (10-2) SOS: 5 — Won 20-13
  • BCS No. 11 Oklahoma Sooners (9-2) SOS: 11 — Won 30-13
  • BCS No. 19 Michigan Wolverines (8-4) SOS: 32 — Won 13-6
  • Sagarin No. 19 USC Trojans (7-5) SOS: 6 — Won 22-13
  • Sagarin No. 36 Michigan State Spartans (6-6) SOS: 29 — Won 20-3
  • Sagarin No. 44 BYU Cougars (7-5) SOS: 57 — Won 17-14
  • Sagarin No. 51 Miami Hurricanes (7-5) SOS: 45 — Won 41-3
  • Sagarin No. 58 Purdue Boilermakers (6-6) SOS: 49 — Won 20-17

—

Important games remaining:

  • None

—

BCS No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide (11-1) SOS: 39

Important games already played:

  • BCS No. 7 LSU Tigers (10-2) SOS: 27 — Won 21-17
  • BCS No. 9 Texas A&M Aggies (10-2) SOS: 25 — Lost 29-24
  • BCS No. 19 Michigan Wolverines (8-4) SOS: 32 — Won 41-14
  • Sagarin No. 33 Ole Miss Rebels (6-6) SOS: 22 — Won 33-14
  • Sagarin No. 34 Mississippi State Bulldogs (8-4) SOS: 50 — Won 38-7
  • Sagarin No. 42 Missouri Tigers (5-7) SOS: 2 — Won 42-10
  • Sagarin No. 52 Tennessee Volunteers (5-7) SOS: 28 — Won 44-13

—

Important games remaining:

  • BCS No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs (11-1) SOS: 42 — Dec. 1

—

BCS No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs (11-1) SOS: 42

Important games already played:

  • BCS No. 4 Florida Gators (11-1) SOS: 13 — Won 17-9
  • BCS No. 10 South Carolina Gamecocks (10-2) SOS: 34 — Lost 35-7
  • Sagarin No. 23 Vanderbilt Commodores (8-4) SOS: 40 — Won 48-3
  • Sagarin No. 33 Ole Miss Rebels (6-6) SOS: 22 — Won 37-10
  • Sagarin No. 42 Missouri Tigers (5-7) SOS: 2 — Won 41-20
  • Sagarin No. 52 Tennessee Volunteers (5-7) SOS: 28 — Won 51-44

—

Important games remaining:

  • BCS No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide (11-1) SOS: 39 — Dec. 1

—

BCS No. 4 Florida Gators (11-1) SOS: 13

Important games already played:

  • BCS No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs (11-1) SOS: 42 — Lost 17-9
  • BCS No. 7 LSU Tigers (10-2) SOS: 27 — Won 14-6
  • BCS No. 9 Texas A&M Aggies (10-2) SOS: 25 — Won 20-17
  • BCS No. 10 South Carolina Gamecocks (10-2) SOS: 34 — Won 44-11
  • BCS No. 13 Florida State Seminoles (10-2) SOS: 72 — Won 37-26
  • Sagarin No. 23 Vanderbilt Commodores (8-4) SOS: 40 — Won 31-17
  • Sagarin No. 42 Missouri Tigers (5-7) SOS: 2 — Won 14-7
  • Sagarin No. 52 Tennessee Volunteers (5-7) SOS: 28 — Won 37-20

—

Important games remaining:

  • None

—

BCS No. 5 Oregon Ducks (11-1) SOS: 31

Important games already played:

  • BCS No. 8 Stanford Cardinal (10-2) SOS: 5 — Lost 17-14
  • BCS No. 15 Oregon State Beavers (8-3) SOS: 3 — Won 48-24
  • Sagarin No. 19 USC Trojans (7-5) SOS: 6 — Won 62-51
  • Sagarin No. 20 Arizona Wildcats (7-5) SOS: 8 — Won 49-0
  • BCS No. 25 Washington Huskies (7-5) SOS: 16 — Won 52-21
  • Sagarin No. 32 Arizona State Sun Devils (7-5) SOS: 35 — Won 43-21
  • Sagarin No. 45 Frenso State Bulldogs (9-3) SOS: 103 — Won 42-25

—

Important games remaining:

  • None

—

BCS No. 6 Kansas State Wildcats (10-1) SOS: 24

Important games already played:

  • BCS No. 11 Oklahoma Sooners (9-2) SOS: 11 — Won 24-19
  • Sagarin No. 21 West Virginia Mountaineers (6-5) SOS: 12 — Won 55-14
  • BCS No. 23 Oklahoma State Cowboys (7-4) SOS: 14 — Won 44-30
  • Sagarin No. 27 TCU Horned Frogs (7-4) SOS: 19 — Won 23-10
  • Sagarin No. 30 Texas Tech Red Raiders (7-5) SOS: 23 — Won 55-24
  • Sagarin No. 31 Baylor Bears (6-5) SOS: 7 — Lost 52-24
  • Sagarin No. 35 Iowa State Cyclones (6-6) SOS: 9 — Won 27-21

—

Important games remaining:

  • BCS No. 18 Texas Longhorns (8-3) SOS: 20 — Dec. 1

—

And for a bonus:

BCS No. 17 Kent State Golden Flashes (11-1) SOS: 122

Important games already played:

  • Sagarin No. 41 Rutgers Scarlet Knights (9-2) SOS: 92 — Won 35-23
  • Sagarin No. 43 Ball State Cardinals (9-3) SOS: 78 — Won 45-43

—

Important games remaining:

  • BCS No. 21 Northern Illinois Huskies (11-1) SOS: 129 — Nov. 30

—

BCS No. 20 Boise State Broncos (9-2) SOS: 113

Important games already played:

  • Sagarin No. 36 Michigan State Spartans (6-6) SOS: 29 — Lost 17-13
  • Sagarin No. 44 BYU Cougars (7-5) SOS: 57 — Won 7-6
  • Sagarin No. 45 Frenso State Bulldogs (9-3) SOS: 103 — Won 20-10
  • Sagarin No. 53 San Diego State Aztecs (9-3) SOS: 101 — Lost 21-19

—

Important games remaining:

  • None

—

BCS No. 21 Northern Illinois Huskies (11-1) SOS: 129

Important games already played:

  • Sagarin No. 43 Ball State Cardinals (9-3) SOS: 78 — Won 35-23
  • Sagarin No. 49 Toledo Rockets (9-3) SOS: 104 — Won 31-24

—

Important games remaining:

  • BCS No. 17 Kent State Golden Flashes (11-1) SOS: 122 — Nov. 30
—
by

Seventh BCS Rankings of 2012: BCS Busters Make The Story While Notre Dame Holds No. 1 Into Season’s Final Weekend

With the drama seemingly run dry in the previous two weeks, the next to last BCS rankings of the season holds few surprises — but there’s plenty to be found if you look close enough.

Official BCS Rankings
Rank Team
1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
2 Alabama Crimson Tide
3 Georgia Bulldogs
4 Florida Gators
5 Oregon Ducks
Scroll down for more

That simple equation we’ve been talking about — Notre Dame and the SEC champion for the BCS title game — is all but written in stone. With Notre Dame’s season-ending victory over USC, the Fighting Irish land at No. 1 in this week’s BCS rankings, and will land there again next weekend.

No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Georgia will play in a de facto national semifinal game in the SEC Championship. Florida lands in the No. 4 spot just behind Georgia. But fret not Bulldog and Crimson Tide faithful, win the SEC and you’re in — much like it’s been these last few years.

Further down, No. 5 Oregon and No. 6 Kansas State lead a group of small changes in the BCS’s top 10 this weekend, as what was expected after a rivalry weekend full of ranked matchups whittled the field down.

So pretty bland at the top. But little further down the intrigue for yet another non-AQ BCS buster bid is in store.

Three teams — No. 17 Kent State, No. 20 Boise State and No. 21 Northern Illinois — are all within striking distance of the top 16. A spot inside the BCS’s top 16 will mean an automatic bid to a BCS this year, as the Big East’s champion will land outside the top 16, activating a clause in the BCS to include a deserving non-AQ team in the BCS process.

Although none of the three are in the mix this weekend, Northern Illinois and Kent State are set to battle for the MAC title next weekend, the winner hoping to get associated BCS bump with a win over another ranked team. A Kent State win might give the Golden Flashes just enough to claim that elusive BCS bid. Northern Illinois will need some help if they are victorious.

Boise State is doomed by its poor computer showing, and will likely not be able to crack the top 16.

Next weekend could also solidify most, if not all, of the BCS spots. Here is what’s in store:

  • The ACC Championship Game will feature Florida State and Georgia Tech. The winner is headed for the Orange Bowl.
  • The Big East will be decided Thursday when Louisville and Rutgers face off. The winner is guaranteed a BCS bowl bid.
  • The Big Ten Championship Game will feature Nebraska and Wisconsin. The winner is headed for the Rose Bowl.
  • The Big 12 will come down to Kansas State and Oklahoma. A Kansas State win over Texas gives the Wildcats the conference championship and a Fiesta Bowl bid. It also likely another Oklahoma win gives the Sooners at least an at-large spot. An Oklahoma win combined with a Kansas State loss gives Oklahoma a Fiesta Bowl bid with the conference title.
  • The Pac-12 Championship Game will feature Stanford and UCLA. The winner is headed for the Rose Bowl.
  • The SEC Championship Game will feature Georgia and Alabama. The winner is likely headed for the BCS title game. If Alabama wins, Florida is all but guaranteed a Sugar Bowl bid. If Georgia wins, either Alabama or Florida is likely Sugar Bowl bound.
  • The MAC Championship game will feature Northern Illinois and Kent State. The winner could vie for a BCS bid, needing to finish in the top 16 to make a BCS bowl.
  • As it stands, explore our projected BCS bowls. 
—
It all comes down to this final weekend. Though we can be pretty sure about a lot, there’s almost nothing guaranteed other than Notre Dame’s bid in the title game. Be sure to stay tuned to BCS Know How and @BCSKnowHow throughout this final week for all the latest analysis and news.

Here’s the seventh BCS rankings of 2012:

BCS Standings Week Seven — November 25th

Rank Team BCS Score
1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish .9979
2 Alabama Crimson Tide .9236
3 Georgia Bulldogs .8911
4 Florida Gators .8882
5 Oregon Ducks .8626
6 Kansas State Wildcats .7735
7 LSU Tigers .7357
8 Stanford Cardinal .7299
9 Texas A&M Aggies .6861
10 Florida State Seminoles .6689
11 Oklahoma Sooners .6129
12 Nebraska Cornhuskers .5393
13 Florida State Seminoles .4645
14 Clemson Tigers .4570
15 Oregon State Beavers .3790
16 UCLA Bruins .3304

—

Some thoughts:

by

BCS implications and strength of schedule worksheet for Week 13

 

With a tendency to surprise in November, the BCS has certainly dealt its fair share of drama in the last few seasons. You can never really tell what a team can do week to week.

But what you can tell is what each team has accomplished to any given point in the season. With just two weekends left in this year’s chase for a chance to play for the BCS title, we probably have a good idea of what teams have achieved the most. But that certainly doesn’t exclude anything from happening the next two weeks.

So explore the top six teams — the four in easy striking distance of the title game and two in need of serious help — and see what we know about them.

—

We’ll be compiling our implications and schedule strength worksheet every week the rest of the season. We’ll use the BCS rankings and Jeff Sagarin’s computer ranking to compile a look at what the nation’s best teams have accomplished, where they’re headed and the potential pitfalls and dangers associated with their upcoming schedule.

What will you find here? The top eight BCS teams (or smaller, if the “striking distance” shrinks), along with their record and strength of schedule, according to Sagarin.

Each team is also listed with key games already played, and key games to come. Key games are any against the BCS top 25 or the Sagarin top 60. If teams are unlisted in the BCS, they are listed with their Sagarin rank, and SOS is Sagarin-based.

Games for the upcoming weekend are bolded.

Note: All teams are included in the Sagarin data, including bowl-ineligible teams.

BCS No. 1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (11-0) SOS: 33

Important games already played:

  • BCS No. 8 Stanford Cardinal  (9-2) SOS: 7 — Won 20-13
  • BCS No. 13 Oklahoma Sooners (8-2) SOS: 14 — Won 30-13
  • BCS No. 19 Michigan Wolverines (8-3) SOS: 21 — Won 13-6
  • Sagarin No. 37 Michigan State Spartans (5-5) SOS: 27 — Won 20-3
  • Sagarin No. 47 BYU Cougars (6-5) SOS: 47 — Won 17-14

—

Important games remaining:

  • Sagarin No. 20 USC Trojans (7-4) SOS: 13 — Nov. 24

—

BCS No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide (10-1) SOS: 30

Important games already played:

  • BCS No. 7 LSU Tigers (9-2) SOS: 22 — Won 21-17
  • BCS No. 9 Texas A&M Aggies (9-2) SOS: 25 — Lost 29-24
  • BCS No. 19 Michigan Wolverines (8-3) SOS: 21 — Won 41-14
  • Sagarin No. 25 Mississippi State Bulldogs (8-3) SOS: 55 — Won 38-7
  • Sagarin No. 36 Ole Miss Rebels (5-6) SOS: 18 — Won 33-14
  • Sagarin No. 43 Missouri Tigers (5-6) SOS: 9 — Won 42-10
  • Sagarin No. 54 Tennessee Volunteers (4-7) SOS: 17 — Won 44-13
  • Sagarin No. 57 Arkansas Razorbacks (4-7) SOS: 23 — Won 52-0

—

Important games remaining:

  • SEC Championship Game — Potential

—

BCS No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs (10-1) SOS: 46

Important games already played:

  • BCS No. 4 Florida Gators (10-1) SOS: 19 — Won 17-9
  • BCS No. 12 South Carolina Gamecocks (9-2) SOS: 39 — Lost 35-7
  • Sagarin No. 27 Vanderbilt Commodores (7-4) SOS: 32 — Won 48-3
  • Sagarin No. 36 Ole Miss Rebels (5-6) SOS: 18 — Won 37-10
  • Sagarin No. 43 Missouri Tigers (5-6) SOS: 9 — Won 41-20
  • Sagarin No. 54 Tennessee Volunteers (4-7) SOS: 17 — Won 51-44

—

Important games remaining:

  • SEC Championship Game

—

BCS No. 4 Florida Gators (10-1) SOS: 19

Important games already played:

  • BCS No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs (10-1) SOS: 46 — Lost 17-9
  • BCS No. 7 LSU Tigers (9-2) SOS: 22 — Won 14-6
  • BCS No. 9 Texas A&M Aggies (9-2) SOS: 25 — Won 20-17
  • BCS No. 12 South Carolina Gamecocks (9-2) SOS: 39 — Won 44-11
  • Sagarin No. 27 Vanderbilt Commodores (7-4) SOS: 32 — Won 31-17
  • Sagarin No. 43 Missouri Tigers (5-6) SOS: 9 — Won 14-7
  • Sagarin No. 54 Tennessee Volunteers (4-7) SOS: 17 — Won 37-20

—

Important games remaining:

  • BCS No. 10 Florida State Seminoles (9-1) SOS: 90 — Nov. 24

—

BCS No. 5 Oregon Ducks (10-1) SOS: 36

Important games already played:

  • BCS No. 8 Stanford Cardinal  (9-2) SOS: 7 — Lost 17-14
  • Sagarin No. 20 USC Trojans (7-4) SOS: 13 — Won 62-51
  • BCS No. 24 Arizona Wildcats (7-4) SOS: 3 — Won 49-0
  • BCS No. 25 Washington Huskies (7-4) SOS: 5 — Won 52-21
  • Sagarin No. 42 Arizona State Sun Devils (6-5) SOS: 42 — Won 43-21

—

Important games remaining:

  • BCS No. 15 Oregon State Beavers (8-2) SOS: 4 — Nov. 24
  • Pac-12 Championship Game — Potential

—

BCS No. 6 Kansas State Wildcats (10-1) SOS: 27

Important games already played:

  • BCS No. 13 Oklahoma Sooners (8-2) SOS: 14 — Won 24-19
  • BCS No. 21 Oklahoma State Cowboys (7-3) SOS: 21 — Won 44-30
  • Sagarin No. 22 Texas Tech Red Raiders (7-4) SOS: 28 — Won 55-24
  • Sagarin No. 29 West Virginia Mountaineers (5-5) SOS: 12 — Won 55-14
  • Sagarin No. 31 Iowa State Cyclones (6-5) SOS: 6 — Won 27-21
  • Sagarin No. 35 TCU Horned Frogs (6-4) SOS: 29 — Won 23-10
  • Sagarin No. 39 Baylor Bears (5-5) SOS: 11 — Lost 52-24

—

Important games remaining:

  • BCS No. 15 Texas Longhorns (8-2) SOS: 23 — Dec. 1

—