Just when it looked like the SEC reign of terror in the BCS might be over and Oregon and Boise State would be ranked No. 1 and No. 2., the computers rushed to the rescue. Auburn (8-0) may have been ranked third by the Coaches and Harris Interactive polls, but the Tigers, who defeated LSU, 24-17, at home Saturday to remain the only undefeated team in the SEC, benefited greatly from the six computers involved in the three-part formula, which ranked them No. 1 overall.
The Tigers finished with a .9371 score. Oregon (7-0), which was ranked No. 1 by both human polls, was second at .9065, but the Ducks were burned by the computers, which only had them eighth. Boise State (6-0), a consensus No. 2 in the human polls, was third with a .8846, but the Broncos were in danger of being surpassed by TCU (8-0), which had an .8843 score.
The rest of the Top 10: Michigan State, Missouri, one-loss Alabama, Utah, one-loss Oklahoma and one-loss Wisconsin.
When the season began, Alabama figured to be the top team in the state. But after South Carolina stunned the Tide, 35-21, in Columbia three weeks ago, and Ohio State and Oklahoma both lost on consecutive weekends, the Tigers became a major player because of their strength of schedule.
Auburn's remaining schedule includes winnable games at Ole Miss and against Chattanooga, all leading up to the showdown against Alabama on Nov. 26 in Tuscaloosa.
If Auburn is sitting at 11-0 and Alabama is 11-1, the game could not only decide who wins the SEC West, but also who stays in the hunt for a possible spot in the BCS title game in Glendale, Ariz.
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