Who Else Lost?

Looking at any chance USC has to make it to the
BCS CG, the key obstacle could prove to be Texas.
They just got by Nebraska and TTech and don't see much resistance down the stretch.
Maybe beating Cal and ND will help the Trojans.

The OSU loss hurts but this game of Bowling is fun too.

Would just love to play Texas one more time

Good!

Texas again? Any day of the week and twice on Sunday ... without Vice Young, anyway.

If USC wins out, which might seem unlikely but is not completely unrealistic since its toughest games are all at home, it would have a chance to climb back to No. 2 with some help. At least a few of the teams ahead of USC will lose, since they play each other. In order:

1) Ohio State: plays #2 Michigan
2) Michigan: plays #1 Ohio State
3) West Virginia: plays #5 Louisville, #12 Rutgers
4) Florida: could play #6 Auburn/#13 Ark. in SEC title game
5) Louisville: plays #3 WVU, #12 Rutgers
6) Auburn: could play #4 Florida in SEC title game
7) Texas: plays #21 Texas A&M, could play Mizzou/Neb. in Big XII title game
8) USC: has to win out

Note that USC will probably drop behind #9 Notre Dame and #10 California (and maybe even #11 Tennessee) after the Stanford game, even if USC wins by 100, because Stanford's 0-8 record will really hurt the Trojans' strength of schedule. (USC is only .0001 ahead of ND and .0019 ahead of Cal.) However, since USC plays Notre Dame and Cal, it won't matter. After taking the Stanford hit, USC's SOS will climb with 6-2 Oregon, 7-1 Cal and 7-1 ND.

Note that although it is a long way to Rutgers at #12, the Scarlet Knights could jump us with wins over WVU and Louisville. Rutgers is already 8th in the computers even without the boost they will get from those games, and the human voters would likely jump Rutgers as high as #3 if it sweeps the other Big East undefeateds.

On another note, the computer rankings are very interesting and belie the conventional wisdom about who has played the strongest schedule. Did anyone notice that Cal is #3 in the computers and ND is #5? (USC is #6.) Most interestingly, Rutgers lags behind its Big East brethren in the human polls, but is the highest-rated team in the computers at #8 (Louisville is #9, WVU is #13).

Regarding

1) Ohio State: plays #2 Michigan
2) Michigan: plays #1 Ohio State
3) West Virginia: plays #5 Louisville, #12 Rutgers
4) Florida: could play #6 Auburn/#13 Ark. in SEC title game
5) Louisville: plays #3 WVU, #12 Rutgers
6) Auburn: could play #4 Florida in SEC title game
7) Texas: plays #21 Texas A&M, could play Mizzou/Neb. in Big XII title game
8) USC: has to win out

Realistically though

#8 is a must otherwise who cares really

#3 & #5 means you hope the big east pulls an SEC and knocks each other off with the home team winning each since they all go to each others places.. does this happen, I don't think Rutgers has the nads to win vs. WVU or Louisville

#4 is the problem here, they most likely will only play #13 Arky and then UF would cinch the 2 seed

#6 could be a problem too, as if AU wins out and the hogs only lose one max, then AU doesn't have to play in the SEC championship game which in essence saves them a loss. Only a Hog collapse will put AU in the drivers seat for the SEC West. AU would most definitely stay ahead of SC if they don't have to go to the SEC championship game

#7 horns should win both but they are closer to SC than anything, getting by on close ones so its not out of this world to think that they lose one of those two

Notre Dame was out of the equation as soon as Michigan cleared the Iowa hurdle.

If Ohio State and Michigan meet undefeated, then who in their right mind would rank Notre Dame ahead of the winner? Especially if Michigan loses to Ohio State. Michigan will drop to #5 or #6 and ND will be right there with them. That loss to Michigan is one of the most damaging losses I've ever seen to a NC campaign...besides Cal's to UT this year, perhaps.