Latest BCS Rankings Released

For the first time this season, the polls are in and the BCS ranking order remains unchanged, despite Virginia Tech's attempt to shut down Boston College. A look at the Top 5:

1: Ohio State, 9-0, BCS score of .976
Ohio State remains on top of the BCS rankings for another week, this time after beating Penn State in Happy Valley, the last place Ohio State experienced a regular season loss. Many people have been critical of the Buckeyes ranking in the past few weeks, saying that they hadn't played anyone, but now that Ohio State has beaten Michigan State and Penn State, it seems safe to say that Ohio State is turning out to be the real deal. The SEC, according to many, has the best teams this year, but Ohio State will not be seeing any SEC teams in the regular season. Todd Boeckman showed the nation that Ohio State is more than just a defensive team, accumulating 253 yards on 19 completions and 3 passing touchdowns in only his fifth full game of the season, having had several games earlier in the year where he was sat for Rob Schoenhoft in the second half. Some good news for Buckeyes fans is that in the remaining three games against Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan, with Wisconsin and Illinois being home games. With no Big 10 championship game, it looks as though the annual Ohio State vs. Michigan could once again determine the conference champion.

This past week: Ohio State survived the Penn State "Whiteout", winning 37-17.
Next week: The Buckeyes host the Wisconsin Badgers.

2: Boston College, 8-0, BCS score of .956
Boston College looked as if they might lose this past week on the road against Virginia Tech. Down 10-0 in the 4^th quarter, the Eagles mounted a comeback, led by quarterback Matt Ryan, whose name is being tossed around in Heisman talks. Winning out and going undefeated is not only possible for the Eagles, but probable. With a schedule that has home games against Florida State and Miami and road games against Maryland and Clemson, a 12-0 season and a national championship berth is definitely a possibility for this team. What the Eagles may need to worry about, however, is a team such as LSU winning out and overtaking Boston College in the BCS, despite an undefeated season.

This past week: Matt Ryan's leadership helped secure a 4^th quarter comeback for the Eagles 14-10 over Virginia Tech
Next week: Florida State travels to Boston College for a matchup under the lights on Saturday at Chestnut Hill.

3: LSU, 8-1, BCS score of .888
LSU comes off of what was most likely a much-needed week off after playing a tough schedule so far this season. Having most recently beaten Auburn to take a share of first place in the SEC West, LSU now faces Alabama to determine who retains sole possession of the top spot in the SEC West. This game is crucial for LSU in many aspects. First, a win over a ranked team such as Alabama would help LSU in their attempt to jump back up in the top two in the BCS rankings. Also, if LSU can survive their trip to Alabama, they have then finished up the hardest part of their schedule, with just Louisiana Tech, Ole Miss and Arkansas remaining, none of which should pose much of a problem for LSU.

This past week: LSU had a week off after beating Auburn, 30-24
Next week: LSU travels to Alabama, which will be a crucial game for both teams. The winner will most likely end up being the SEC West champion at season's end.

4: Arizona State, 8-0, BCS score of .849
Arizona State comes off a 31-20 win against California, and with it, they remain the 4^th ranked team in the latest BCS standings. The Sun Devils now take their potent offense to Oregon to take on the Ducks in what will be a matchup of the 4^th and 5^th ranked BCS teams. Look for the Sun Devils to continue to spread the ball out, between both of their halfbacks Keegan Herring and Ryan Torain, and also look for Rudy Carpenter, the Sun Devils junior quarterback, to find all of his receivers. The Sun Devils may currently sit in 4^th place in the BCS, but performance in future games against Oregon, UCLA and USC could dictate whether or not the Sun Devils will be headed to a BCS bowl game this winter.

This past week: The California Golden Bears came to Tempe and got beat 31-20, in yet another 30+ point game for Arizona State
Next week: Arizona State faces Oregon in a big game not only for BCS rankings, but for conference standings as well.

5: Oregon, 7-1, BCS score of .839
Dennis Dixon and Jonathan Stewart lead the Ducks into a big matchup this week as the Arizona Sun Devils come to Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon for what will shake up the Top 5 in the BCS, after a calm week of no changes. A win this week is crucial for Oregon, as it could help pollsters and fans forget about the loss earlier this season to California. Dixon has done a solid job as a quarterback this season, having only thrown 3 interceptions in 8 games. Dixon should easily surpass the 2000 yard passing mark for the season Saturday night for the second time in his career, having thrown from just over 2100 yards last season. The Ducks feature back, Stewart, could also have a big game and come close to register his 1200^th yard of the season. A win this week helps keep the Ducks in BCS bowl contention, as they finish out the season with Arizona, UCLA and Oregon State.

This past week: Oregon beat USC 24-17.
Next week: Oregon hosts the Arizona Sun Devils in what should be a great game in Oregon.

Week 10 Games to Watch:
#4 Arizona State at #5 Oregon, Saturday November 3^rd, 6:45pm
#3 LSU at #17 Alabama, Saturday November 3^rd, 5:00pm

This was too tough to pick THE game to watch this week, as both games are going to be great games. If you have picture-in-picture capabilities on your television, this is one of those times it will come in handy. Arizona State and Oregon will be a great game to watch, not just to see which of the 384 uniform combinations the Ducks will wear, but it will have major rewards in the BCS for the winner and the loser may slip out of BCS bowl contention. The LSU and Alabama game will be a great game, as the winner of this game may determine who wins the SEC West. An Oregon win over Arizona State would create a tie for first in the Pac-10, with UCLA also still in the mix out west. All four teams have had high-octane offenses this year, with playmakers such as Rudy Carpenter (Arizona State), John Parker Wilson (Alabama), Jonathan Stewart (Oregon) and Matt Flynn (LSU).

In the game out west, look for the combination of Dennis Dixon and Jonathan Stewart to prove to be lethal for the Sun Devils in an Oregon win over the 4^th ranked team in the BCS, creating a tie for the lead in the Pac-10. While Arizona State will go with the two back system, expect the Oregon defense to be able to pick it up and shut it down relatively quick. Expect a high scoring game out west, but Oregon should be able to outscore the Sun Devils

Down south, expect nothing less than a great game from the LSU Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide. Just as the game out in Oregon, expect this one to be an offense-driven game, with key contributions from the defense now and then. While on paper this sounds like a great game, Alabama will not be able to come away with a victory. LSU, who many think should be ranked higher than 3^rd, is much better than the Crimson Tide and the Tigers should be able to escape Alabama with a victory, and perhaps, a chance to move up to second and pass Boston College in the BCS.