2012 BCS Rankings Update: Week 10

The third BCS rankings came out Sunday. This ranking is important because it decides which if a school makes a BCS bowl game or not and which two schools goes to the BCS National Title Game. I don't really like the BCS because it doesn't give every team a chance to compete for a National Title. There will be a 4 team playoff in starting in the 2014 season which is a start. I would prefer a 16 team playoff, that way if you lose you can still compete for the National Title. This week many changed in the BCS rankings. 4 teams in the top 10 from last week lost. There are now only 6 teams left undefeated after 5 undefeated fell this week. Lowing the number of undefeated from 11 to 6.  The teams that beat undefeated were Georgia who beat Florida, Washington who beat Oregon State, Alabama who beat Mississippi State, Kent State who beat Rutgers and Miami (OH) who beat Ohio.   Alabama, Kansas State, Notre Dame, Oregon, Louisville and Ohio State remain undefeated. No madder how good Ohio State is this year they will not appear in the BCS rankings due to their postseason ban for this season.
 

1. Alabama Crimson Tide 8-0 (5-0)  

Next Game: @ LSU.  
Last Game: vs. Mississippi State, W 38-7.

Last Week Rank: 1st ↔

Projected BCS Bowl: BCS Title / Sugar

More Information: Just like last year Alabama's defense is great. They lead the nation at 8.1 PPG allowed on defense. Alabama offense has been very good as well. They averaging 40.6 PPG which is 11th in the nation. AJ McCarron also has been very solid. He has 1684 passing yards, 18 TDs and 0 INTs. This past week they toke care of previously undefeated Mississippi State. They have a huge game this week when they travel to #5 LSU. This week's game is very important because the winner  will lead the SEC West. The last six National Champions have been from the SEC so if they go undefeated or even maybe if they lose once they should see themselves in the BCS Title Game. My Rank: 1st

2. Kansas State Wildcats 8-0 (5-0)

Next Game: vs. Oklahoma State. 

Last Game: vs. Texas Tech, W 55-24.

Last Week Rank: 3rd ↑

Projected BCS Bowl: BCS Title / Fiesta

More Information: After beating then #13 West Virginia and then #14 Texas Tech in back to back weeks each time. Also winning by more than 30 points each time, Kansas State likely a very tough team to beat. Collin Klein continues to look like the Heisman front runner with 2264 total yards and 28 total touchdowns. There schedule gets easier starting this week but #24 Oklahoma State will still be a somewhat of a hard game. If they can win out they might have a chance to get into the BCS Title Game depending on how Oregon and Notre Dame finish and maybe even Louisville. My Rank: 2nd

3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish 8-0

Next Game: vs. Pittsburgh.

Last Game: @ Oklahoma, W 30-13.

Last Week Rank: 5th ↑

Projected BCS Bowl: BCS Title / Any one besides the Title Game

More Information: Notre Dame's defense has looked great. They are second in the nation allowing 9.9 PPG on defense. Manti Te'o has led the defense with 5 INTs and 78 tackles and is looking like a Heisman candidate.  This week they traveled to Oklahoma and won by 17. They looked very good doing so.They have a very easy schedule left except the last game at USC. Though USC has struggled a lot this season and lost this past week and will probably lose to Oregon this week it still be a tough game. If they can keep winning they might have a chance to make the BCS Title game depending on how Oregon and Kansas State finish and maybe even Louisville, but it will be hard since they aren't a member of a conference. If they end the season 11-1, I still think they can make a BCS Bowl since thanks to the "Notre Dame Rule" any independent school which finishes in the top 8 of the BCS gets an automatic spot in a BCS Bowl. They can also receive a bid if they finish in the top 12 or top 16 if they are ranked higher than a automatic qualifying conference champion. My Rank: 3rd

4. Oregon Ducks 8-0 (5-0)

Next Game: @ USC.

Last Game: vs. Colorado, W 70-14.

Last Week Rank: 4th ↔

Projected BCS Bowl: BCS Title / Rose

More Information: Oregon has a great at offense averaging 53.4 PPG which is 1st in the nation. They beat very weak Colorado this week and scored 70 points in doing so. Oregon's defense isn't bad either. Marcus Mariota has been a great QB for only being a freshman. Kenjon Barner is 12th in the nation in rushing yards with 974 yards and is 8th in the nation with 14 rushing TDs. This week they have to play at #17 USC which much easier after USC lost this week. They also have to play vs. #14 Stanford and at #11 Oregon State to end the season. Oregon has a very week schedule so far which is why they are 4th but in the end I think they will be alright. If they can stay undefeated and win a possible rematch with USC or Arizona State in the Pac-12 Title game, they should play the SEC champion in the BCS Title game depending on how Kansas State and Notre Dame finish and maybe even Louisville My Rank: 4th  

5. LSU Tigers 7-1 (3-1) 
Next Game: vs. Alabama.  
Last Game: @ Texas A&M, W 24-19.

Last Week Rank: 6th ↑

Projected BCS Bowl: Any one besides the Title Game

More Information: Like most SEC teams, LSU has a defense which is very strong. They are 9th in the nation at 14.6 PPG allowed on defense. Their QB, Zach Mettenberger, has struggled at times. LSU has struggled a lot during their 4 SEC games. They have won by 2 points, 2 points and 5 points. They also lost to Florida by 8 points. To make things worse their hardest game is this week when they host #1 Alabama. This game is important for them to win if they want to win the SEC West. They did have 2 weeks to prepare since last week was a bye for them. Then in 2 weeks they also host #15 Mississippi which looks hard as well. If they can win out and defeat the SEC East Champion to win the SEC they will likely have a good chance to make the BCS Title Game. If they end the season 10-2 only losing to Alabama the rest of the year they will have a good chance to make a BCS Bowl it will just depend on how the other teams finish. My Rank: 5th 

6. Georgia Bulldogs 7-1 (5-1)

Next Game: vs. Mississippi. 

Last Game: vs. Florida, W 17-9.

Last Week Rank: 10th ↑

Projected BCS Bowl: Sugar / Any one besides the Title Game

More Information: Georgia has struggled quite a bit this season. They looked somewhat good upset then #2 Florida this week even though it was a very messy game. They did get destroyed by South Carolina by 28 points but since they beat Florida and now own the tiebreaker they lead the SEC East.  They have a very easy last 4 games and if they win out they will probably have to play #1 Alabama in the SEC Title game. If they pull the upset they could get into the BCS Title game. If they win out and lose to Alabama in the SEC Title game at 11-2 they will have a chance to make a BCS Bowl it will depend on how the other teams finish. My Rank: 6th

7. Florida Gators 7-1 (6-1)   

Next Game: vs. Missouri.  
Last Game: vs. Georgia, L 9-17.

Last Week Rank: 2nd ↓

Projected BCS Bowl: Any one besides the Title Game

More Information: Like Alabama, Florida defense is very strong. They are 4th in the nation at 12.8 PPG allowed on defense. They were upset by Georgia this week which hurt their chance for the BCS Title and SEC Title a lot. If they want to win the SEC East they will have to hope Georgia loses to a SEC team. Besides this week they have looked very strong. They have a easy schedule the rest of the season besides the last game of the year when they travel to #9 Florida State. If they can run the table and have Georgia lose they will probably have to play Alabama in the SEC Championship game. If they can upset Alabama they might have a chance at 12-1 to make the BCS Title game. If they go 11-1 they might a make a BCS Bowl it will depend on how the other teams finish. My Rank: 7th

8. South Carolina Gamecocks 7-2 (5-2) 

Next Game: vs. Arkansas.  
Last Game: vs. Tennessee, W 38-35.

Last Week Rank: 13th ↑

Projected BCS Bowl: Unlikely to make one

More Information: After Marcus Lattimore was hurt a lot last season, they lose him again maybe for the rest of this season and maybe even until 2014 some reports have said. He had 642 yards and 11 TDs. They have looked very week at times. They lost to LSU by 2 and Florida by 33. They did beat Georgia by 28. They are in 3rd place in the SEC East and would need a miracle to win the SEC East. Thanks to the 2 team per conference limit in the BCS Bowls and 4 SEC teams are ranked higher then them it will also take a miracle to make a BCS Bowl. They have a bye week before playing Arkansas in 2 weeks. Their last game is at #13 Clemson. Most likely they will finish 10-2 and miss a BCS Bowl game. My Rank: 10th

9. Florida State Seminoles 8-1 (5-1)   

Next Game: @ Virginia Tech.  
Last Game: vs. Duke, W 48-7.

Last Week Rank: 12th ↑

Projected BCS Bowl: Orange

More Information: Florida State has looked strong but they had a very week schedule. They do have a strong offense and defense. They are averaging 44.8 PPG which is 4th in the nation and are only allowing 12.0 PPG on defense which is 3rd in the nation. They have only played one ranked team. They beat then #10 Clemson by 12. They did fall to NC State by 1 point or else they would have a good chance to make the BCS Title game. This week is a bye week for them while they prepare to travel to Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech is a very tough place to play but they probably will win easy. They remaining hard game will is at home vs. #7 Florida on November 24th. They will have to beat the ACC Coastal Division Champion in the ACC Title game. If they can win out there is a outside chance for them to make the BCS Title game. If not they should easily win the ACC and play in the Orange Bowl. My Rank: 8th

10. Louisville Cardinals  8-0 (3-0)     

Next Game: vs. Temple.  
Last Game: vs. Cincinnati, W 34-31, OT. 

Last Week Rank: 16th ↑

Projected BCS Bowl: Any one besides the Title Game 

More Information: Louisville is one of the 5 undefeated bowl eligible teams but since they play in the Big East they are at a huge disadvantage to make the BCS Title game. They have won all their game but they haven't played one ranked team. Also 5 of the 8 games they have won were by single digits. They also barely beat Cincinnati by 3 in OT this week. I think Louisville is a good team but not anywhere near as good as the other 4 bowl eligible undefeated teams. Since the Big East Champion gets an automatic spot in a BCS Bowl they will make a BCS Bowl. Teddy Bridgewater, their QB, has looked pretty good this year throwing for over 2100 yards. My Rank: 9th