A Look at the Latest BCS Rankings

In what has been a crazy college football season, this past week may have been one of the craziest weeks. First LSU lost and then Missouri beat Kansas, knocking off #1 and #2 in the rankings. Then, the Ohio State Buckeyes slid back into third by not playing and a victory over an in-state rival pushed Georgia into the fourth spot in the BCS rankings. With Hawaii being the only undefeated team in the Top 25, Warrior fans have undoubtedly got to be screaming that they should be ranked higher than 12^th, but that is where it appears the computers want to put them. A look at the current top 5 in the BCS rankings and the Big 12 Championship game. Check back next week for a look at the final top 5 in the BCS rankings and also look for Bowl Game Previews to be coming in December.

1: Missouri, 11-1, BCS Score of .978
Missouri is the latest team to assume the highest ranking in the BCS after both LSU and Kansas lost. The Tigers now control their own destiny as they finish up their season in their final game. The Tigers now face Oklahoma in what will be a crucial game for their season. A win and Missouri heads to New Orleans for the National Championship. A Tiger loss and they will wind up heading to another BCS bowl, missing out on a chance to play for the National Championship.
This past week: Missouri knocked off Kansas 36-28
This coming week: Chase Daniel and the Tigers need to make sure they get past Oklahoma and not let the excitement of being #1 get to them.

2: West Virginia, 10-1, BCS Score of .971
Pat White leads the Mountaineers into their last game of the season this week against Pittsburgh. Pitt has struggled this year in conference play in the Big East, but don't rule them out just yet. While Pitt can't even become bowl eligible with a win, expect them to bring everything they've got into Mountaineer country. West Virginia currently is sitting second in the BCS, but that ranking has been unkind to many teams that have been there before. Rich Rodriguez needs to ensure that his team stays focuses on the Pitt game and doesn't start thinking ahead to New Orleans just yet.
This past week: West Virginia beat a ranked Connecticut team 66-21.
This coming week: West Virginia finishes their regular season at home, hosting Pittsburgh.

3: Ohio State, 11-1, BCS Score of .919
Buckeye fans: Don't book your hotels in Pasadena just yet. Many felt that after the Illinois loss that Ohio State had lost their chance at the National Championship. Without even playing this past week, the Buckeyes moved up from fifth to third in the BCS because of losses to both Kansas and LSU. With the Big 12 title game still to be played, the Buckeyes still have a shot at passing on the Rose Bowl for the National Title. They will, however, need some help this week from Pitt and/or Oklahoma in order for that to happen.
Ohio State has concluded regular season play.

4: Georgia, 10-2, BCS Score of .827
The Bulldogs came off of a win this week, but it appears that it just may not be enough to get them into the BCS National Championship. Georgia was unable to win their division and in doing so, also did not get a spot in the SEC Championship game, which could have helped push Georgia up in the BCS rankings. This was still a strong finish for the Bulldogs and their offense led by Matthew Stafford at quarterback has helped put the two-loss Bulldogs into the top 5 in the BCS rankings.
This past week: Georgia beat in-state rival Georgia Tech 31-17
This coming week: Georgia has concluded regular season games.

5: Kansas, 11-1, BCS Score of .792
The then-undefeated Jayhawks went into Arrowhead Stadium this past week and came away with a loss to Missouri which had a large impact on the BCS rankings. Not only did Kansas lose the game, but they also gave up a chance to play in the Big 12 title game. While it is still unclear who will wind up in New Orleans come January, Kansas already knows that it won't be them. Kansas does have next season to look forward too, however, as it is expected that sophomore quarterback Todd Reesing will be back for another season.
This past week: The Jayhawks ended their perfect season in a 36-28 loss to Missouri
This coming week: Kansas now awaits to see where they fall in the final BCS rankings.

Week 14 Game to Watch: #9 Oklahoma at #1 Missouri, Saturday December 1^st, 8pm on ABC
With a Big 12 title on the line, expect both teams to come out in what should be a shootout. Missouri needs to make sure that they focus on winning the game, not living in the limelight of being #1 in the nation this week. Both offenses are going to try to come out and strike early in what should be an excellent matchup. While there are other conference championships on this coming weekend, this one is the one to watch as an Oklahoma win would ruin Missouri's chance at a spot in the National Championship.