College Football Nation: conference-race-update-112210
Big 12 division race update: Week 13
November, 22, 2010
11/22/10
12:16
PM ET
By
David Ubben | ESPN.com
South
1. Oklahoma State (6-1)
2. Oklahoma (5-2)
3. Texas A&M (5-2)
4. Baylor (4-4)
5. Texas Tech (3-5)
6. Texas (2-5)
1. Nebraska (5-2)
2. Missouri (5-2)
3. Kansas State (3-5)
4. Iowa State (3-5)
5. Colorado (2-5)
6. Kansas (1-6)
1. Oklahoma State (6-1)
2. Oklahoma (5-2)
3. Texas A&M (5-2)
4. Baylor (4-4)
5. Texas Tech (3-5)
6. Texas (2-5)
- The Big 12 South will almost certainly boil down to Oklahoma State versus Oklahoma in Stillwater next week, where ESPN's "College GameDay" will be on hand. Oklahoma State will win the divison outright with a win. Oklahoma will most likely win a three-team tiebreaker via the BCS standings, or would hold the two-team tiebreaker via head-to-head with Oklahoma State if Texas A&M loses to Texas next week.
- The only chance for Texas A&M to win the South is if they somehow climb within a spot of Oklahoma. Because of a new addition to Big 12 rules this season, if two teams are within a spot of each other in the BCS standings, the lower-ranked team can advance to the title game via head-to-head tiebreaker, which Texas A&M holds over Oklahoma.
1. Nebraska (5-2)
2. Missouri (5-2)
3. Kansas State (3-5)
4. Iowa State (3-5)
5. Colorado (2-5)
6. Kansas (1-6)
- Very simple scenarios for the North division, because Nebraska holds the tiebreaker as a result of their 31-17 win earlier this year:
- For Nebraska to win the North: Beat Colorado at home.
- For Missouri to win the North: Beat Kansas in Kansas City, and have Nebraska lose.
- All four other teams have obviously been eliminated.
In a nutshell: The Hokies are in, Maryland and Miami are out.
Virginia Tech clinched the Coastal Division title on Saturday with its 31-17 win over Miami, and will make its fourth appearance in the ACC championship game in six years.
The Atlantic Division race won't be solidified until this weekend. Florida State kept its hopes alive with the 30-16 win over the Terps, but the Seminoles still need NC State to lose. Maryland hosts NC State this weekend, and if NC State wins, it wins the division.
Virginia Tech clinched the Coastal Division title on Saturday with its 31-17 win over Miami, and will make its fourth appearance in the ACC championship game in six years.
The Atlantic Division race won't be solidified until this weekend. Florida State kept its hopes alive with the 30-16 win over the Terps, but the Seminoles still need NC State to lose. Maryland hosts NC State this weekend, and if NC State wins, it wins the division.
The Big Ten title race is officially down to three teams.
Ohio State's win against Iowa ensures that only the Buckeyes, Wisconsin and Michigan State can win the Big Ten championship. The interesting twist this year is that all three teams can stake their claim to the title if they win their final regular-season games this week.
The Big Ten hasn't had three teams tied atop the conference since 2000, when Purdue, Northwestern and Michigan shared the title at 6-2.
The bigger issue heading into Week 13 is figuring out which team will earn the Big Ten's automatic BCS bowl berth. Most of you can call yourselves experts on the Big Ten tiebreakers, but I'm still getting questions about how it works, so here's ... how it works.
First off, the schedule for Week 13:
If Wisconsin and Michigan State win but Ohio State loses: Michigan State would earn the automatic berth based on its Oct. 2 win against Wisconsin.
If Wisconsin and Ohio State win but Michigan State loses: Wisconsin would earn the automatic berth based on its Oct. 16 win against Ohio State.
If Ohio State and Michigan State win but Wisconsin loses: The team rated higher in the final BCS standings would earn the automatic berth because the teams don't play.
If all three teams lose: The highest-ranked team in the final BCS standings would earn the automatic berth.
That should settle it. Should be a very exciting day around the league.
Ohio State's win against Iowa ensures that only the Buckeyes, Wisconsin and Michigan State can win the Big Ten championship. The interesting twist this year is that all three teams can stake their claim to the title if they win their final regular-season games this week.
The Big Ten hasn't had three teams tied atop the conference since 2000, when Purdue, Northwestern and Michigan shared the title at 6-2.
The bigger issue heading into Week 13 is figuring out which team will earn the Big Ten's automatic BCS bowl berth. Most of you can call yourselves experts on the Big Ten tiebreakers, but I'm still getting questions about how it works, so here's ... how it works.
First off, the schedule for Week 13:
- Michigan at Ohio State (ABC, noon ET)
- Michigan State at Penn State (ESPN or ESPN2, noon ET)
- Northwestern at Wisconsin (ABC/ESPN, 3:30 p.m. ET)
If Wisconsin and Michigan State win but Ohio State loses: Michigan State would earn the automatic berth based on its Oct. 2 win against Wisconsin.
If Wisconsin and Ohio State win but Michigan State loses: Wisconsin would earn the automatic berth based on its Oct. 16 win against Ohio State.
If Ohio State and Michigan State win but Wisconsin loses: The team rated higher in the final BCS standings would earn the automatic berth because the teams don't play.
If all three teams lose: The highest-ranked team in the final BCS standings would earn the automatic berth.
That should settle it. Should be a very exciting day around the league.
The race for the SEC divisional crowns was decided on Nov. 13 with Auburn clinching the West and South Carolina clinching the East.
Both Auburn and South Carolina have tough, emotional games against bitter rivals this week before meeting in Atlanta on Dec. 4 in the SEC championship game. The Tigers, who also have their eyes on a national championship, travel to Alabama. The Gamecocks travel to Clemson.
The Auburn-South Carolina matchup will be their second of the season. The Tigers rallied to win 35-27 over Gamecocks at Jordan-Hare Stadium back on Sept. 25.
This will be Auburn's first trip to the SEC championship game since 2004. South Carolina will be going for the first time in school history.
Both Auburn and South Carolina have tough, emotional games against bitter rivals this week before meeting in Atlanta on Dec. 4 in the SEC championship game. The Tigers, who also have their eyes on a national championship, travel to Alabama. The Gamecocks travel to Clemson.
The Auburn-South Carolina matchup will be their second of the season. The Tigers rallied to win 35-27 over Gamecocks at Jordan-Hare Stadium back on Sept. 25.
This will be Auburn's first trip to the SEC championship game since 2004. South Carolina will be going for the first time in school history.
The race for the Pac-10 crown is simple: The only way Oregon doesn't win it is if it drops its final two games -- Arizona on Friday and at Oregon State on Dec. 4.
Time for our quick Monday review of the conference race. You can view the Pac-10 standings here.
So a win over the Wildcats means the Ducks lock up at least a second consecutive Rose Bowl berth. Ho hum.
If the Ducks do lose one of their final two games, they almost certainly won't play for the national title. They would be considered "co-champions" with Stanford -- if the Cardinal win their finale at home against Oregon State on Saturday -- but would advance to the Rose Bowl due to the head-to-head victory, which is the first Pac-10 tiebreaker.
Stanford is guaranteed at worst second place even if it loses to the Beavers because it only has one conference loss and every other conference team has at least three.
Time for our quick Monday review of the conference race. You can view the Pac-10 standings here.
So a win over the Wildcats means the Ducks lock up at least a second consecutive Rose Bowl berth. Ho hum.
If the Ducks do lose one of their final two games, they almost certainly won't play for the national title. They would be considered "co-champions" with Stanford -- if the Cardinal win their finale at home against Oregon State on Saturday -- but would advance to the Rose Bowl due to the head-to-head victory, which is the first Pac-10 tiebreaker.
Stanford is guaranteed at worst second place even if it loses to the Beavers because it only has one conference loss and every other conference team has at least three.
We're down to three contenders for the Big East title. Most likely.
If Connecticut and Pitt each loses its last two games, and if West Virginia beats Pitt but loses to Rutgers in the finale, then all of a sudden there's a logjam again among three-loss teams. But even in a season as unpredictable as this one, that seems far-fetched.
So let's instead focus on the three top teams and look at the scenarios each need to claim the league's BCS bid:
Pittsburgh (4-1)
Remaining games: vs. West Virginia (Friday); at Cincinnati (Dec. 4)
If Pitt beats West Virginia and Cincinnati, nothing else matters. The Panthers would have their first-ever outright Big East title. If they beat West Virginia this week and Connecticut loses to either Cincinnati or South Florida, then Pitt's regular-season finale at Cincinnati becomes meaningless.
Connecticut (3-2)
Remaining games: vs. Cincinnati (Saturday); at South Florida (Dec. 4)
The Huskies need Pitt to lose a game to have a chance. If that happens, all they need to do is beat Cincinnati and South Florida and they will be the Big East champs. That's because they have beaten West Virginia and Pitt and can't lose any tiebreakers.
West Virginia (3-2)
Remaining games: at Pitt (Friday); vs. Rutgers (Dec. 4)
The Mountaineers must beat Pitt this week and Rutgers in the finale. Then they need Connecticut to lose one of their final two. Then they'd win the title by virtue of the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Panthers, or they'd win it outright if Pitt also lost the finale to Cincinnati.
If Connecticut and Pitt each loses its last two games, and if West Virginia beats Pitt but loses to Rutgers in the finale, then all of a sudden there's a logjam again among three-loss teams. But even in a season as unpredictable as this one, that seems far-fetched.
So let's instead focus on the three top teams and look at the scenarios each need to claim the league's BCS bid:
Pittsburgh (4-1)
Remaining games: vs. West Virginia (Friday); at Cincinnati (Dec. 4)
If Pitt beats West Virginia and Cincinnati, nothing else matters. The Panthers would have their first-ever outright Big East title. If they beat West Virginia this week and Connecticut loses to either Cincinnati or South Florida, then Pitt's regular-season finale at Cincinnati becomes meaningless.
Connecticut (3-2)
Remaining games: vs. Cincinnati (Saturday); at South Florida (Dec. 4)
The Huskies need Pitt to lose a game to have a chance. If that happens, all they need to do is beat Cincinnati and South Florida and they will be the Big East champs. That's because they have beaten West Virginia and Pitt and can't lose any tiebreakers.
West Virginia (3-2)
Remaining games: at Pitt (Friday); vs. Rutgers (Dec. 4)
The Mountaineers must beat Pitt this week and Rutgers in the finale. Then they need Connecticut to lose one of their final two. Then they'd win the title by virtue of the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Panthers, or they'd win it outright if Pitt also lost the finale to Cincinnati.
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