I felt a lot has changed since even just last week, with all of the crazy upsets and the releasing of the BCS (and their subsequent computer) rankings. Thus, here's an update of the...
BCS Championship Game Contender Resumes
*Teams with the inside track to Glendale...*
#1 Ohio State (7-0)
Key Wins: at #2 Texas 24-7, #24 Penn State 28-6, at #13 Iowa 38-17
Key Games Left: #2 michigan (11/18)
Upset Alert: Indiana (10/21) -- Hoosiers riding an amazing 2-game Big Ten win streak into Ohio Stadium. Will the Bucks play them tough, or will Hardy make it hard to get the W at home?
#2 michigan (7-0)
Key Wins: at #2 Notre Dame 47-21, Wisconsin 27-13, at Penn State 17-10
Key Games Left: Iowa (10/21), at #1 Ohio State (11/18)
Upset Alert: at Indiana (11/11) -- Seriously, that's the closest team to upset them outside of their key games left.
#3 USC (6-0)
Key Wins: at Arkansas 50-14, #19 Nebraska 28-10
Key Games Left: #16 Oregon (11/11), #11 California (11/18), #10 Notre Dame (11/25)
Upset Alert: at UCLA (12/02) -- Men of Troy might be drained after 3 straight Top 15 games going into the rivalry game.
*Teams that need a little help... (through upsets and computer rankings*
#4 West Virginia (6-0)
Key Wins: ::crickets chirping:: ...Maryland 45-24?
Key Games Left: at #6 Louisville (11/02), at Pittsburgh (11/16), #19 Rutgers (12/02)
Upset Alert: Cincinnati (11/11) -- The Bearcats played Louisville awful tough last weekend. With this game inbetween games at Louisville and Pittsburgh, WV could be in for a heck of a sandwhich game if they're not prepared for it or come into the game soft.
#5 Texas (6-1)
Key Wins: at #14 Oklahoma 28-14
Loss: #1 Ohio State 7-24
Key Games Left: at #17 Nebraska (10/21), #23 Texas A&M (11/24), Big 12 Championship Game (12/02)
Upset Alert: at Texas Tech (10/28) -- Beat A&M at College Station. Closest thing to a knock-off outside of the three games listed above, and Texas's DBs will be ready.
#6 Louisville (6-0)
Key Wins: #17 Miami 31-7
Key Games Left: #4 West Virginia (11/02), at #19 Rutgers (11/09), at Pittsburgh (11/25)
Upset Alert: at Syracuse (10/21) -- Iowa proved it's hard to play in The Dome.
#7 Tennessee (5-1)
Key Wins: #9 California 35-18, at #10 Georgia 51-33
Loss: #7 Florida 20-21
Key Games Left: at South Carolina (10/28), #14 LSU (11/04), at #15 Arkansas (11/11), SEC Championship Game (if Florida losses one more SEC game and UT beats SC-- possible - 12/02)
Upset Alert: Alabama (10/21) -- The Tide roll in after a bye week for the Vols. Us Buckeyes know what can happen after bye weeks...
#8 Auburn (5-1)
Key Wins:#6 LSU 7-3, at South Carolina 24-17, #2 Florida 27-17
Loss: Arkansas 10-27
Key Games Left: Georgia (11/11), SEC Championship Game (if Arkansas losses 2 SEC games -- possible - 12/02)
Upset Alert: at Alabama (11/18) -- Traveling to 'Bama for the Iron Bowl and the teams shouldn't disappoint.
#9 Florida (6-1)
Key Wins: at #13 Tennessee 21-20, Alabama 28-13, #9 LSU 23-10
Loss: At #11 Auburn 27-17
Key Games Left: Georgia (10/28), at Florida State (11/25), SEC Championship Game (12/2)
Upset Alert: South Carolina (11/11) -- Steve Spurrier vs Florida. Should be a good one.
#10 Notre Dame (5-1)
Key Wins: at Georgia Tech 14-10, #19 Penn State 41-17
Loss: #11 michigan 21-47
Key Games Left: UCLA (10/21), at #3 USC (11/25
Upset Alert: at Navy (10/28) -- ND's defense doesn't like QB's that run. Meet Navy, who found Nebraska's old option playbook in the trash one day. If the Domers come in to Annapolis with heads as big as their coach...
#11 California (6-1)
Key Wins: #22 Arizona State 49-21, #11 Oregon 45-24
Loss: at #23 Tennessee 18-35
Key Games Left: UCLA (11/04), at #3 USC (11/18)
Upset Alert: Washington (10/21) -- The Fightin' Willinghams already have wins over Fresno State and UCLA, and gave USC a run for their money.
#12 Clemson (5-1)
Key Wins: at #9 Florida State 27-20, at Wake Forest 27-17
Loss: at Boston College 33-34
Key Games Left: #13 Georgia Tech (10/21), at Virginia Tech (10/26), South Carolina (11/25), ACC Championship Game (if BC loses one more ACC game -- possible - 12/02)
Upset Alert: NC State (11/25) -- May LOOK like a cupcake game the way NCST started the season, but NCST has consecutive wins over #20 Boston College and #17 Florida State on its resume.
Waiting List With Arguments: #13 Georgia Tech (W at VT), #15 Arkansas (W at AUB), #16 Oregon (W vs Okla), #22 Boston College (W's vs Vt and Clem)
Waiting List Without An Argument (yet): #17 Nebraska, #18 Boise State, #19 Rutgers, #21 Wisconsin, #25 Wake Forest
Dropped From Last Week's Waiting List: Iowa, Georgia, #24 Missouri, Virginia Tech
Note: All games played were with AP rankings AT THE TIME OF THE GAME and all games to be played are with current AP rankings (as of October 16th)
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OSU, scUM, and USC control their own destinies at this point. USC will have to lose for the winner of WV/LOU to jump into that top three. Last week, I'd have said Tennessee looked like the best of the one-loss teams. Right now, I'd say that Florida and Auburn have the best resumes and Texas and Cal look SO much better than they did at the beginning of the season.
It will be very interesting to see which teams make BCS bowls as at-large teams and which ones just miss out. The pool would include the 2nd place teams from the Big Ten (scUM/OSU), Pac10 (USC/Cal), SEC (Fla/Aub/Ark), ACC (Clem/GT), Big East (WV/Lou), plus Notre Dame and Boise State. That's a pretty amazing pool, if you ask me. Might be a year that a few deserving 2-loss teams don't make the cut, but at least there won't be any 4-loss conference championship winners this year (like FSU a couple years back).
