BYU is #7 in the USA Today Top 25 poll and #8 in the AP poll. How could they get to the BCS title game? Glad you asked............Each team that is ranked ahead of or near BYU is listed with possible loss games. Some teams may need to lose twice for BYU to pass them in the BCS standings. The first BCS rankings come out on October 19th.

1. OKLAHOMA: #5 Texas 10/11 in Dallas, #16 Kansas 10/18, @ Kansas State NR 3-1 10/25, Nebraska NR 3-1 11/1, 11/22 #7 Texas Tech, #21 @ Oklahoma State 11/29. Big 12 Championship game vs. North champion likely #3 Mizzou or #16 Kansas. OU may have to lose twice for BYU to pass the Sooners given the strength of the Big 12.
BEST FOR BYU: An upset loss by either Kansas or @ 3-1 K-State. BYU may need another loss to stay ahead of the Sooners and could get it in the title game or @ OK-State, an in state rivalry game on the road.

2. LSU: 10/11 @ #12 Florida, 10/18 @ South Carolina, 10/25 #11 Georgia, 11/8 #3 Alabama, 11/22 Ole Miss. SEC Title Game vs. #21 4-0 Vandy, Georgia or Florida.
BEST FOR BYU: An upset loss at Steve Spurrier and SC and a loss in the SEC title game. If Florida or Georgia beat LSU they could vault back ahead of the Cougars.

3. ALABAMA: 10/4 4-0 Kentucky, 10/18 Ole Miss, 10/25 @ Tennessee, 11/8 @ #2 LSU, 11/29 Auburn. SEC Title Game vs. #21 4-0 Vandy, Georgia or Florida.
BEST FOR BYU: An upset loss in the next 3 weeks to any of the unranked teams on the Tide schedule. LSU recovered from a loss at Kentucky last year to win the NCAA title, so they may need to lose another for BYU to jump Bama for good. @ LSU or the Auburn rivalry game could do the trick, although the Tigers could jump BYU with a win in that game. 

4. MISSOURI: 10/4 @ 3-1 Nebraska, 10/11 #21 Oklahoma State, 10/18 @ #5 Texas, 10/25 3-1 Colorado, 11/29 #16 Kansas. Big 12 Title Game vs. #1 Oklahoma, #21 Oklahoma State, #5 Texas or #7 Texas Tech. Could lose @ Texas, all other tough games in season are at home. Best bet is Texas loss and Big 12 title game loss.
BEST FOR BYU: An upset loss in the next 2 weeks to an unranked but 3-1 Nebraska team where Mizzou never wins or to #21 OK-State, who at #21 isn’t a threat to BYU. Mizzou is likely to lose @ Texas and 2 losses will leave them behind the Cougars for sure.

5. TEXAS: 10/4 @ 3-1 Colorado, 10/11 #1 Oklahoma in Dallas, 10/18 #4 Missouri, 10/25 #21 Oklahoma State, 11/1 @ #7 Texas Tech, 11/15 @#16 Kansas. Big 12 title game vs. Mizzou, Nebraska, Kansas or K-State.
BEST FOR BYU: Upset loss at Colorado, loss at home vs. #21 OK-State or @ #16 Kansas. All of those teams are behind BYU. tough road for Texas with OU at neutral site and road games at Colorado, tech and Kansas in addition to a possible neutral site game with Mizzou.

6. PENN STATE: 10/11 @ #18 Wisconsin, 10/18 Michigan, 10/25 @ #14 Ohio State, 11/22 4-1 Michigan State. Penn State could be a tough team to jump because they are the only team ahead of BYU not in the SEC or Big 12 where teams will beat up on each other and the Big Ten is down.
BEST FOR BYU: A loss 10/18 @ Wisconsin, an upset loss at home vs. Michigan or an upset loss at home vs. MSU. Ohio State should be good enough by 10/25 to beat Penn State at home with QB Pryor maturing and Wells at 100%, but OSU could then leap over BYU if that is their only loss. No Big Ten team will be ahead of BYU with 2 losses. Big 10 also does not have title game.

7. TEXAS TECH: 10/4 @ 3-1 Kansas State, 10/11 3-1 Nebraska, 10/25 @#16 Kansas, 11/1 #5 Texas, 11/8 #21 OK-State, 11/22 #1 Oklahoma. Big 12 title game vs. Mizzou, Nebraska or Kansas.
BEST FOR BYU: Tech will pass the Cougars if both are undefeated given this tough slate. TT gets Texas, Ok-State and OU at home. Any unranked loss would be big for BYU. If Tech wins the big road games they could play for title, but they won’t.

OTHERS WHO COULD JUMP BYU:

9. USC: The loss to an unranked Oregon State team for all to see is bad, but with Oregon, Arizona State and Cal all coming to the Coliseium, USC is unlikely to lose another game. The Trojans fate could be tied to the sucess of the Beavers the rest of the way. Utah could help BYU by blowing out OSU this Thursday night. If Oregon State wins 8 or 9 games, and USC runs the table the rest of the way, they’ll pass BYU.

11. GEORGIA, 12 FLORIDA, 13 AUBURN:  Same SEC story for Florida, Auburn and Georgia, win and these teams will pass the Cougars. Georgia is at #3 LSU and #13 Auburn, while home vs. #19 Vanderbilt, and #12 Florida. The SEC title game would follow against ‘Bama, LSU or Auburn. The Gators have road dates with Georgia and Vandy while playing at home vs. LSU. The SEC title game would be vs. ‘Bama, LSU or Auburn. Auburn’s only loss is at home to #2 LSU, so that doesn’t look too bad. They are home vs. Georgia but must go on the road vs. #19 Vandy and #3 Georgia. The SEC title tilt would be vs. Vandy, Georgia or Florida. if any of these one-loss teams get through this slate of games unscathed, they will easily jump BYU and they should. 

14 OHIO STATE: the Buckeyes lost ugly at USC, but it was early in the season and people forget. If the Trojans run the table the rest of the way and Ohio State doesn’t lose in the down Big Ten, they would likely jump BYU. They play at #18 Wisconsin and are home for #6 Penn State. The rivalry game vs. Michigan is in Columbus as well. OSU is unlikely to lose again with Beanie Wells healthy and the #1 recruit in the nation, QB Terrelle Pryor playing as well as he is starting to play. Pryor has 5 TD’s passing and 2 rushing in his last 2 games.

15. UTAH: The Utes could make this all moot by knockiing off the Cougars in Rice-Eccles on November 22nd.