2012 BCS Rankings Update: Week 8

The first 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. I will be give my thoughts on the Top 10 teams for every week leading up to the bowl games. I will tell you about their last week performance and the games ahead of them. Also the strengths and weakness I see in each team. 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 6-0 (3-0)

Next Game: @ Tennessee.  
Last Game: @ Missouri, W 42-10.

Last Week Rank: 1st Week of BCS.

Projected BCS Bowl: BCS Title / Sugar

More Information: Just like last year Alabama's defense is great. They lead the nation at 7.5 PPG allowed on defense. AJ McCarron also has been very solid. After the game next week they have to play 3 straight games vs. currently ranked teams. There biggest game left is at #6 LSU on November 3rd. 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. Alabama became the 4th defending National Champion to be ranked first in the first BCS Rankings of the next year. My Rank: 1st

2. Florida Gators 6-0 (5-0) 

Next Game: vs. South Carolina.  
Last Game: @ Vanderbilt, W 31-17.

Last Week Rank: 1st Week of BCS.

Projected BCS Bowl: BCS Title / Sugar

More Information: Like Alabama, Florida defense is very strong. They are 6th in the nation at 12.3 PPG allowed on defense. Their QB has been spotty but they have gotten it done so far. They overcame playing then #4 ranked LSU winning by 8. Their next two games are vs. #7 South Carolina and #11 Georgia. They also end the season at #14 Florida State. If they can run the table and stay undefeated they will probably have to play Alabama for the right to go to the BCS Title game in the SEC Championship game. My Rank: 3rd

3. Oregon Ducks 6-0 (3-0)

Next Game: @ Arizona State. 

Last Game: vs. Washington, W 52-21.

Last Week Rank: 1st Week of BCS.

Projected BCS Bowl: BCS Title / Rose

More Information: Unlike the top two teams Oregon is great at offense averaging 52.3 PPG good for 2nd in the nation. Oregon's defense isn't bad either. Marcus Mariota has been a great QB for only being a freshman. De'Anthony Thomas is still great coming off a great freshman year and is in the Heisman running. They have a tough test this week but I think Oregon wins handily. The next big game Oregon has is at #10 USC on November 3rd which will be very tough. They also have to play vs. #20 Stanford and at #8 Oregon State to end the season. If they can stay undefeated and win a probable rematch with USC in the Pac-12 Title game, they should play the SEC champion in the BCS Title game. My Rank: 2nd

4. Kansas State Wildcats 6-0 (3-0)

Next Game: @ West Virginia. 

Last Game: @ Iowa State, W 27-21.

Last Week Rank: 1st Week of BCS.

Projected BCS Bowl: Fiesta

More Information: Kansas State has looked good and bad this season. They only managed to win by six at Iowa State this week. They did look very impressive going to Oklahoma and winning by 5. They have a very tough schedule the rest of the way. They have to play 4 currently ranked teams. The next game will be very tough when they go to #13West Virginia. Even tough West Virginia just came over a very bad loss to Texas Tech. Then in 2 weeks they have to play #17 Texas Tech. Collin Kelin has looked like a Heisman candidate with almost 1600 total yards and 17 total touchdowns. If they go undefeated they might be able to make the BCS Title Game if some teams lose in front of them. More likely they will win the Big 12 and get the automatic bid to the Fiesta Bowl. My Rank: 6th

5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish 6-0

Next Game: vs. BYU. 

Last Game: vs. Stanford, W 20-13, OT.

Last Week Rank: 1st Week of BCS.

Projected BCS Bowl: Any one besides the Title Game

More Information: Notre Dame's defense has looked great. They are second in the nation allowing 8.7 PPG on defense. They have been 3 ranked teams and have looked pretty good doing so. They have play #9 Oklahoma on the road in 2 weeks and end the season at #10 USC. If they can win out they might be able to make the BCS Title Game 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. Their offense has struggled at times, scoring 20 or less points 4 out of 6 times this year, but I think they are still a very solid team. My Rank: 4th

6. LSU Tigers 6-1 (2-1) 

Next Game: @ Texas A&M.  
Last Game: vs. South Carolina, W 23-21.

Last Week Rank: 1st Week of BCS.

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 8th in the nation at 14.0 PPG allowed on defense. Their QB, Zach Mettenberger, has struggled at times. They slipped up at now #2 ranked Florida 2 weeks ago losing by 8. They bounced back this week beating then ranked #3 South Carolina by 2. Besides the last 2 weeks they have had a quite easy schedule. They have the next 3 weeks vs. ranked teams. Their hardest game left vs. #1 Alabama at home on November 3rd. If they can win out and defeat the SEC East Champion to win the SEC they will likely have a great 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 SEC teams finish. My Rank: 5th

7. South Carolina Gamecocks 6-1 (4-1) 

Next Game: @ Florida.  
Last Game: @ LSU, L 21-23.

Last Week Rank: 1st Week of BCS.

Projected BCS Bowl: Any one besides the Title Game

More Information: Like most SEC teams, South Carolina has a defense which is very strong. They are 5th in the nation at 12.3 PPG allowed on defense. Marcus Lattimore has bounced back very strong after the injury last season. He has almost 600 yards and 10 TDs. They slipped up at now #6 ranked LSU last week losing by 2. They bounced back this week beating then ranked #3 South Carolina by 2. This week they have to play at #2 Florida. This game will be very hard. South Carolina has had a really easy schedule only playing 2 ranked teams so far. Besides the next week's game they only have to play at #19 Clemson to end the season. If they can win out and defeat the SEC West Champion to win the SEC they will likely have a great chance to make the BCS Title Game. If they end the season 10-2 only losing to Florida the rest of the year they will have a okay chance to make a BCS Bowl it will just depend on how the other SEC teams finish. My Rank: 7th

8. Oregon State Beavers 5-0 (3-0)

Next Game: vs. Utah. 

Last Game: @ BYU, W 42-24.

Last Week Rank: 1st Week of BCS.

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

More Information: Unlike the most of the other top 10 teams they aren't great at offense or defense. They have been the most lucky and unexpected team in the nation this season. They did beat then #13 Wisconsin and at then #19 UCLA which are quality wins. They have to go to #20 Stanford and on November 10th and play #3 Oregon on November 24th. If they were to keep this great luck going they wouldn't make up their 1st game of the year vs. Nicholls State scheduled now for the same week as the Pac-12 Title game. If they lose to Oregon going 11-1 is still great and I wouldn't be surprised to see them get invited to a BCS Bowl. My Rank: 8th

9. Oregon State Beavers 4-1 (2-1)

Next Game: vs. Kansas. 

Last Game: vs. Texas, W 63-21.

Last Week Rank: 1st Week of BCS.

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

More Information: Oklahoma's offense has been very good averaging 43.2 PPG which is 9th in the nation. They have had 2 straight good wins vs. now #17 Texas Tech and then #15 Texas. They did lose to Kansas State 3 weeks ago which hurts their chance to win the Big 12. Right now Kansas State leads the Big 12 at 3-0 and the next 5 teams are all tied with 1 loss each. They have a very tough schedule left playing @ #24 Iowa State, #13 West Virginia and #23 TCU. Also in 2 weeks at home vs. #5 Notre Dame. If they can get help and have Kansas State lose twice and win all their game they might have a outside chance of playing in the BCS Title game. More likely if they win the Big 12 they will play in the Fiesta Bowl. My Rank: 9th

10. USC 5-1 (3-1)

Next Game: vs. Colorado. 

Last Game: @ Washington, W 24-14.

Last Week Rank: 1st Week of BCS.

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

More Information: USC has struggled a lot at times. They also have only played one ranked team which was then #21 Stanford on the road which is their only loss. They have to play #3 Oregon at home on November 3rd and end the season at home vs. #5 Notre Dame. Also if they want to play for the National Championship or even just the Rose Bowl they will have to beat Oregon twice most likely and go undefeated the rest of the way. More likely the end up missing a BCS Bowl with a 10-2 or 9-3 record in my opinion. Matt Barkley has looked very good but not up to the Heisman winner predictions at the beginning of the season. He has almost 1500 passing yards and 16 TDs. USC is a good team just not as good as the other top 10 teams. My Rank: 11th