The Little Blue Field Team That Could, Boise State, crept higher to a No. 1 ranking and a possible date in the BCS title game by virtue of their 52-14 blowout of Idaho on Friday night, while the other three unbeatens -- Oregon, Auburn and TCU -- were all just barely hanging on with close wins. Oregon, in fact, probably should have lost to California on Saturday evening; they won mainly because Cal kicker Giorgio Tavecchio was flagged for illegal motion on what would have been a 24-yard field goal that would have given Cal a 16-15 lead. Instead, the five-yard penalty pushed Cal back and Tavecchio missed a 29-yard attempt and Oregon hung on for a 15-13 victory.
It won't get any easier for Auburn as they play two teams ranked 17th or higher the next two weeks. If they lose to either one, Boise State could sneak its way into the top two in the BCS standings and get an invitation to the title game.
Or not. The arcane computer rankings haven't been kind to the Broncos. New BCS standings will be released this evening.
For Chicago-area college football fans, Northwestern's upset of then-No. 13 Iowa bounced the Hawkeyes down to No. 20 in the coaches poll and put the Wildcats back in the rankings at No. 25, heading into their Wrigley Field date with Illinois next Saturday. Full rankings after the jump.
AP Poll:
1. Oregon Ducks
2. Auburn Tigers
3. Boise St. Broncos
4. TCU Horned Frogs
5. LSU Tigers
6. WIsconsin Badgers
7. Stanford Cardinal
8. Ohio St. Buckeyes
9. Nebraska Cornhuskers
10. Alabama Crimson Tide
11. Michigan St. Spartans
12. Oklahoma St. Cowboys
13. Arkansas Razorbacks
14. Virginia Tech Hokies
15. Missouri Tigers
16. Oklahoma Sooners
17. South Carolina Gamecocks
18. Texas A&M Aggies
19. Nevada Wolf Pack
20. USC Trojans
21. Iowa Hawkeyes
22. Mississippi St. Bulldogs
23. Arizona Wildcats
24. Miami Hurricanes
25. Utah Utes
USA Today Coaches Poll:
1. Oregon
2. Auburn
3. Boise State
4. TCU
5. Wisconsin
6. LSU
7. Ohio State
8. Nebraska
9. Stanford
10. Oklahoma State
11. Michigan State
12. Alabama
13. Arkansas
14. Oklahoma
15. Virginia Tech
16. Missouri
17. South Carolina
18. Nevada
19. Texas A&M
20. Iowa
21. Miami
22. Mississippi State
23. Arizona
24. Utah
25. Northwestern