Auburn takes turn atop BCS Ohio State falls to No. 11 after win
10/25/2010NEW YORK - Cam Newton and Auburn blew by Boise State into first place in the BCS standings.
The unbeaten Tigers (8-0) vaulted from fourth to the top spot Sunday, putting the Southeastern Conference in line for a fifth straight appearance in the national title game.
Oregon (7-0) remained second, which works just fine for the Ducks because if they win out they'll likely play in the BCS title game in Glendale, Ariz., in January.
Boise State (6-0) was still stuck in third place. The Broncos were off last week while Auburn beat LSU 24-17 and Oregon pounded Pac-10 rival UCLA 60-13.
Despite thumping Purdue 49-0, Ohio State fell one spot to 11th.
TCU (8-0) was fourth, Michigan State (8-0) fifth, and Missouri (7-0) sixth.
Auburn was tops in the computer rankings and third in both the USA Today coaches' and Harris polls. The polls count for two-thirds of a BCS average and a compilation of six computer ratings account for the rest.
"I can only control how we proceed in this building," coach Gene Chizik said a few hours before the standings were released. "We just had a team meeting, and we talked about being very grounded and understanding that every week is another new week and another opportunity."
An SEC team has won the last four national championships, with Florida taking two and Alabama and LSU winning one each.
Oregon's computer rating was still lagging behind most of the top teams at eighth, but the Ducks were a solid No. 1 in each of the polls.
Boise State was No. 2 in the polls, and the computers had the Broncos sixth.
Boise State from the Western Athletic Conference and TCU from the Mountain West are both trying to become the first teams from conferences without automatic bids to play in the BCS championship game. To have any chance, they'll have to go undefeated and have Auburn and Oregon lose.
Even then, the Broncos and Horned Frogs could be passed by Michigan State and Missouri if they stay unbeaten, or maybe even by Alabama, which has lost a game but stands seventh in the BCS standings.
Oregon and Auburn both play on the road this week. The Tigers play at Mississippi and Oregon is at Southern California.
Boise State plays Tuesday night at home against Louisiana Tech.
NEW YORK - Auburn jumped two spots to No. 3 behind top-ranked Oregon and Boise State in the media poll Sunday, and Missouri vaulted 11 spots to No. 7.
Oregon, which moved to
No. 1 for the first time last week and followed up with a 60-13 victory against UCLA on Thursday night, received 44 first-place votes. Boise State had 11, Auburn received three, and No. 4 TCU received two.
Auburn has its highest ranking since the Tigers were No. 2 in 2006 after beating LSU 24-17 on Saturday in a matchup of the Southeastern Conference's last unbeaten teams.
The Tigers started the season No. 22 and have been climbing steadily since.
Michigan State is fifth, and Alabama, last year's champion and the preseason No. 1, is sixth.
Ohio State climbed one spot to 10th.
The Harris and USA Today coaches' polls had the same top six as the AP.
Missouri's big move came after the Tigers beat previously undefeated Oklahoma 36-27. The Sooners dropped eight spots to No. 11. Missouri was last ranked this highly in 2007, when the Tigers reached No. 1 and finished the season No. 4.
No. 25 Baylor (6-2) is ranked for the first time since Sept. 5, 1993, when the Bears were
No. 24 for a week.
"It's certainly a step in the right direction, you know," third-year coach Art Briles said. "Important thing is to be in it when the season's over, that's the important thing, but it's definitely a positive step perception-wise, no doubt."
The Bears beat Kansas State 47-42 Saturday behind quarterback Robert Griffin III to become bowl eligible for the first time since joining the Big 12 in 1996.
The last time the Bears were ranked for more than a week was 1991, when they were still part of the Southwest Conference.
Texas fell out of the rankings for the second time this season after being upset at home 28-21 by Iowa State.