If the match ups and results from this week’s college football games were what I would classify as somewhat lackluster (with apologies to Florida State for the beat down it applied on Miami), the upcoming week’s games and potential BSC tremors could be huge. No ranked team lost to an unranked one this weekend, so movement up or down in the rankings were minimal. Texas Tech was the biggest rankings loser dropping from No. 15 to No. 25 after their 52-34 home defeat by Oklahoma State. Texas A&M inexplicably dropped 3 spots down to No. 15 after crushing UTEP 57-7.
Florida State flipped spots with Oregon again after pasting the previously 7th ranked Hurricanes 41-14 on national TV. But with FSU having a less-than-stellar remaining schedule of Wake Forest, Syracuse, Idaho and Florida (all teams with losing records), Oregon will jump back over the Seminoles into the national championship picture if they are able to take care of business against the 5th ranked Stanford Cardinal Thursday night, then finish off their remaining opponents of Utah, Arizona and Oregon State (all teams with winning records). Ironically FSU will be cheering for their two biggest rivals (Miami and Florida) to continue to win games to increase their own strength of schedule rating.
The Ohio State Buckeyes seem to be picking up momentum on the playing field after knocking off Penn State 63-14 and Purdue 56-0 the last two weekends, but remain stuck off the field in the No. 4 spot due to the perceived lack of quality opponents in the Big 10 and an unimpressive non-conference schedule of Buffalo, San Diego State, California and Florida A&M (c’mon Buckeyes you’re better than that). The Buckeyes are looking at a very real chance of going undefeated two years in a row and not getting a chance to play for a national title (last year due to a bowl ban from NCAA sanctions).
Baylor (No. 6) takes on No. 10 Oklahoma on national TV this Thursday night in Waco and will have its first real chance to make a statement regarding their worthiness to be included in the championship game discussion. The Bears, like the Buckeyes, need to continue to impress the human element of the BCS poll (Harris Interactive and USA Today Coaches polls) which accounts for two-thirds of the rankings, since the computers will continue to punish them for the perceived lack of top competition in the Big 12 this year and a ridiculously week non conference schedule of Wofford (who?), Buffalo and Louisiana-Monroe.
Nice piece Tom. If 3 or 4 teams end up undefeated this year, who do you see on the outside looking in (and wishing the new BCS format came a year earlier)? Could you imagine an undefeated team from the Big 10 or Big 12 not going to the championship game? Baylor still has a tough road ahead, Ohio State should win out. If Oregon wins out, they deserve it leaving FSU on the outside. Of course if ‘Bama doesn’t stumble, we will see them in Pasadena.
Big – I think its starting to look pretty clear now – I think the Buckeyes and Baylor will be reemed by the current system. Too bad its not a year later – how great would a 4 team playoff be with Bama, FSU, OSU and the Bears?