BCS Standings (Week 11): Alabama Rises to #2; TCU Up to #4

The BCS Standings for Week 11, the fourth incarnation of the BCS Standings this season, saw the Alabama Crimson Tide rise to the #2 position after knocking off the #9 LSU Tigers. No. 2 Texas fell to No. 3 after an impressive win over Cal-Fullerton. Florida stayed on top of the BCS Standings, a position they've held for the entire four weeks of this season's rankings lists.

The BCS Standings are the ranking system that picks the teams that go to which bowls, including the bowl that confers the national championship title by pitting the #1 and #2 teams. If things remain as they are, the #1 and #2 team will play each other in the Southeast Conference championship, with the winner going on to play for the national championship, while the loser goes... somewhere else. If things remain as they are at present, with #2 Alabama playing #1 Florida at regular season's end, the winner of the SEC championship will play the #3 Texas Longhorns for the national championship (simply because Texas will then rise into the #2 position).

The Horned Frogs of TCU moved into the #4 position in Week 11 following the loss of the previously undefeated Iowa Hawkeyes. That position will be tested next week when they take on the powerful Utah Utes, who currently are the #16 team in the BCS Standings.

The undefeated Cincinnati Bearcats took up the #5 spot. They will also be tested this week when they take on the #25 West Virginia Mountaineers in a Big East Conference showdown.

Boise State held off Louisiana Tech, Terry Bradshaw's alma mater, to hold onto the #6 BCS Standings notch.

Georgia Tech moved up from No. 10 last week to No. 7. They face a tough Duke team this Saturday but, if they get past the Blue Devils, they have to face a hapless Georgia Bulldogs team two weeks later that would like nothing better than to end their season with an upset victory over their arch-rivals.

LSU's performance was so impressive, the BCS Standings saw them rise to No. 8 even after their loss to Alabama.

USC, who barely got past a tough Arizona State team Saturday, occupies the No. 9 spot. The Trojans are #11 in the AP Top 25 Poll in Week 11.

Iowa, after their loss to Northwestern, fell to No. 10. The AP Top 25 Poll wasn't as kind, dropping them a long 11 notches into the #15 spot.

Pittsburgh, who saw a jump into the AP Top 25 Poll's Top 10 for Week 11 to #8 only showed up on the BCS Standings list at #12. Perhaps after their upcoming game against Notre Dame, they might get a little more respect in the BCS Standings.

BCS Standings (Week 11)

1. Florida
2. Alabama
3. Texas
4. TCU
5. Cincinnati
6. Boise State
7. Georgia Tech
8. LSU
9. USC
10. Iowa
11. Ohio State
12. Pittsburgh
13. Oregon
14. Miami (Fla.)
15. Houston
16. Utah
17. Arizona
18. Penn State
19. Oklahoma State
20. Wisconsin
21. Virginia Tech
22. Brigham Young
23. Oregon State
24. South Florida
25. West Virginia

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Compare to AP Top 25 College Football Rankings Poll (Week 11).

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Sources:

BCS Standings (via ESPN.go.com)
Associated Press