After a huge upset weekend, one thing became apparently clear. Each team that hopes to contend for the crystal football this year must take care of business each week and not hope for someone else to help them.
The number of unbeaten teams keep falling with three more down this weekend and with only half the season down, it's sure that others will will join the ranks of the one loss teams. The chance that the BCS will find two worth undefeated teams is growing slimmer all the time.
Most seriously doubt that they'll be another two loss winner like last year, so teams out there left undefeated, beware the upset bug. If you're a one loss team, you will in all probability only get one mulligan, and it better be against one of the top teams.
When a number five Texas "upsets" a number one Oklahoma while both are unbeaten, is it really an upset? No. When Florida gets upset by a three loss Ole Miss, yes, that's an upset.
And it may cost Florida much consideration should they run the rest of the table and hope for a spot in the big game against other one loss teams. Every other one loss school should be praying for the team that defeated them to finish as high as possible.
Who are the undefeated teams still left standing and what are the odds?
1. Alabama - Hard to finish the SEC without a blemish
2. Texas - Took care of Oklahoma, but still has a tough schedule and a championship game.
3. Penn State - Good team in a weak conference
4. Texas Tech - The fairy tale will end soon enough
5, BYU - Soft schedule the rest of the way, must play Utah
6. Utah - Soft schedule the rest of the way except for BYU
7. Boise State - Won't survive Fresno State
8. Oklahoma State - Still has to play Texas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, bye bye
9. Ball State - Easy rest of schedule, but who will take them seriously?
So who has a shot to remain undefeated by season's end and wind up in the big game?
Penn State seems to be creme of the crop in the Big 10, and with only Ohio State and Michigan State standing in their way, they may have the best shot.
Alabama is the only undefeated team left in the SEC and of the big teams left standing has a great shot.
The winner of the BYU-Utah game has an easy road to go the rest of the schedule.
Texas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State will leave with only one having a shot at being undefeated. Texas is the best of the bunch, but has a tough schedule to finish as do the others in the Big 12.
Ball State may well finish undefeated, but elicit little more than a yawn a lower tiered bowl.
So that leaves Alabama and Penn State with the best shot from the big schools, and Utah or Brigham Young and Ball state from the non-BCS schools.
Should these teams trip up, then it could absolute chaos deciding from the group of one loss teams. Given the craziness to come under that scenario, I'm pulling for a Bama-Penn State championship.
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about 1 month ago
Rematch! This time Bear Bryant isn't there. Joe Pa and his Nittany Lions will take out there revenge on Saban and his talented Bama team. If it does end up like that, it should be a great game to watch...or go to! I'm pulling for that game!!!
Great article.
about 1 month ago
I hear ya! Few teams I have more respect for than Penn State. Take care of business and we'll see you there! (I hope)
from about 1 month ago
Alabama has a tougher road than Penn State does...PSU's last real test is Ohio State, and maybe Michigan State or Iowa could be a bump, but not a loss. Alabama has a half a season left of SEC football, plus the conference championship...jeez.
about 1 month ago
Oh god already crying about how hard the SEC is already LOL. Yes there good conference but very over rated. Big 12 and Big 10 are just as hard to play in. Ask USC how hard the pac 10 is after losing to OSU. Its conference play it hard get over it. SEC is no harder then the rest
from about 1 month ago
The Pac-10 is "ridiculously hard" according to Pete Carroll! What a joke! FF, you are usually right and have good info and opinions, but I can't agree. The SEC, Big 10, and Big 12 are the only conferences that can be taken seriously. However, the Big 10 isn't that good this year aside from PSU and possibly Sparty, but the Big 10 is usually good. Penn State is the only Big 10 team who has a winning record, and its actually a really good record, against SEC teams in bowls since the BCS system has been in place...actually I'm not 100% on that info but I'm pretty sure I'm correct.
from about 1 month ago
Don't look now but the Pac-10 is 3-1 against the Big-10 this season
about 1 month ago
Roll tide!!!
about 1 month ago
Since you can't spell "they're" and can't put an "a" in that sentence, I'll assume you're a child and won't spank you here. If you think the Big 10 is tough, then you don't understand that word either. Big 12? Maybe they are as tough as the SEC. But until the Big 10 can quit being a bowl season joke, don't make that claim...
from about 1 month ago
SEC and Big 10 are actually tied in bowl games since 2002. I do agree that the Big Ten are not as strong as they were in the previous years however it looks like Penn State is making up for that. You should take a deeper look at PSU's offensive weaponry and you will see that they have no weaknesses. None.
Just saying larry, you might be eating your own shoe for overlooking the Big 10.
about 1 month ago
I'm surprised so many people voted for Penn State, even though they probably have the best shot at going undefeated.
about 1 month ago
i really want to call u gay for saying that Texas Tech wont be there but i cant because i know they wont but good article
about 1 month ago
Larry BIG 10 vs SEC is 11 and 11 tie since 02 in bowls. The SEC is just so good from top to bottem there bowls wins are tie with big 10. Instead of drinking up all the over rated hype about the SEC watch some football. (YES I KNOW OSU LOST ITS BOWL GAMES FOR NC)
Yes I know i can't spell went to school in the south
about 1 month ago
Larry im stationed at tyndall. No Im not a child. Yes I understand what tough is. No I don't drink in all the cool aid about conferences because they are all very different play.
about 1 month ago
i think the sec fans are crazy to think their conference is soooo much better than others!! all the major conferences have their ups and downs. pac 10 is 3-1 vs big 10 why are they so horible! it s a very competitive conference. lets not tals about basketball! UCLA was the best for 2 decades! USC might very well be right there again when the dust settles. i m looking at Florida playing Oklahoma posibly! Oklahoma might have a score to settle in the championship game in the big 12 and Texas could very well lose this week.I think P enn State has an easier time than most but they could lose to OSU. Alabama will lose 2 games i am pretty sure, Who does that leave? Florida does not lose any more games and neither does Oklahoma. thomas
about 1 month ago
God, would I love to see a Penn State-BYU national championship.
Penn State's only tough opponents left are Ohio State and Michigan State, and they can beat both of them. BYU's only tough games left are against TCU and the big showdown against Utah on Nov. 22.
about 1 month ago
"The winner of the BYU-Utah game has an easy road to go the rest of the schedule."
Right, because it's the last game of the season.
Both have to play TCU whose only loss has come to Oklahoma, not that easy.
about 1 month ago
dang what a great matchup boise and byu would be!!!!!..........
NOT! haha a flawed bcs system once again will congratulate a team for playing a weak schedule.
Here's a rule I would implement:
Any non bcs team ranked in the top 12 and undefeated wishing to make it into a bcs game must have atleast 3 wins against bcs conference opponents or other final top 25 teams.
from about 1 month ago
The current system is ok. Sometimes the matchups get screwed up. Since only 2 teams from any conference can play a BCS game each year, it makes sense to include non-BCS schools. What doesn't make sense is putting a team like Hawaii against Georgia. A non-BCS team should be playing against the ACC or Big East or whoever happens to be lower in the BCS rankings.
from about 1 month ago
Good idea, it would require BCS schools to schedule non-BCS teams occassionally. BTW Utah and BYU have defeated the two BCS teams each have played this season.
from about 1 month ago
yeah, it's kind of unfair the way the way they throw them in against the big 12 and sec schools while the lowly acc and big east are protecting each other in the orange bowl.
It does work out that way this year for Utah and BYU probably because they both beat two bcs schools and both will probably end up ranked giving the winner of the game the three wins. I would just do it to protect the bcs from schedules like Ball State's.
about 1 month ago
Pretty sure Tulsa (C-USA) is still undefeated. And I don't think they'll drop any games. Toughest one will probably be Arkansas.
about 1 month ago
My answer to the title of this article is no one. The non-BCS schools will not get enough votes and the BCS schools will all have at least 1 loss. Penn State and Alabama do have the best shot at this, but I'm not convinced either of them is good enough to run the table.
about 1 month ago
I'm hoping that Bama stays undefeated, but it's going to be tough. I EXPECT Penn State to be undefeated and in the National Championship Game. There might be one "other" school, but even if the BCS game winner has one loss, they will be the champion, not an undefeated "other"...
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