Race for BCS title game berth gets tighter
Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty celebrates a touchdown against Texas Tech. (Nov. 16, 2013) Credit: Getty Images
Slowly but surely, Baylor is creeping into the national championship race. If the Bears can win at No. 10 Oklahoma State on Saturday, things could get really tight for 3rd-ranked Ohio State, which plays lowly Indiana on Saturday. After that the Buckeyes play an unranked Michigan team. Urban Meyer’s crew will have to win impressively the next two weeks and in the Big Ten title game to keep Baylor from surpassing them. One thing Ohio State has in their favor is that the Big 12 does not have a championship game.
As for Alabama and Florida State, both are still on target to finish first and second. But there could be a hitch. If Jameis Winston’s legal situation isn’t resolved soon, he might not be available for the ACC championship game. Alabama gets an easy one against Chattanooga on Saturday, but is at Auburn the week after. The Tigers have been surging and obviously have their eyes on the Alabama game. If the Crimson Tide loses, their only hope for a championship game berth is if Baylor, Ohio State or Florida State suffers a setback.
We also can’t forget about Oregon, which now controls its own destiny in the PAC-12 title race. The Ducks moved up one spot to fifth. If the top four continue to win, Oregon has no shot at the national championship game. But if any three of the four loses, the Ducks could emerge as one of the last two standing.
Mid-major report: It’s not looking for Fresno State (9-0) or Northern Illinois (10-0), ranked 15th and 16th, respectively. Both teams dropped one spot in the latest BCS standings. If neither of the squads can make a move upward, it’s unlikely either will finish in the top 12 and secure an automatic BCS bowl berth.
1. Alabama (10-0) .9914
2. Florida State (10-0) .9661
3. Ohio State (10-0) .8869
4. Baylor (9-0) .8856
5. Oregon (9-1) .7917
6. Auburn (10-1) .7860
7. Clemson (9-1) .7681
8. Missouri (9-1) .7231
9. Stanford (8-2) .6238
10. Oklahoma State (9-1) .5890
11. South Carolina (8-2) .5883
12. Texas A&M (8-2) .5394
13. Michigan State (9-1) .4646
14. UCLA (8-2) .4615
15. Fresno State (9-0) .4134
16. Northern Illinois (10-0) .3729
17. Arizona State (8-2) .3414
18. Central Florida (8-1) .3033
19. Wisconsin (8-2) .2907
20. Oklahoma (8-2) .2760
21. Louisville (9-1) .2664
22. LSU (7-3) .2645
23. Southern California (8-3) .1070
24. Mississippi (7-3) .1048
25. Minnesota (8-2) .0604