There are plenty of people saying that there is no way, no how that Pete Carroll's USC Trojans can recover enough from last night's stunning upset loss at Corvallis to get to the BCS title game. That epitaph is very premature.
Let's be clear. USC cannot, under any condition, lose another game. They have 9 opponents left with a combined 16-16 record. If they finish with 1 loss, it would definitely help the Trojans if Ohio St. were to win the Big 10 and Oregon St. gets to 8 wins and cracks the Top 25. But USC needs to win out to have any chance at playing in the Orange Bowl in the first week of January. Frankly, with no Top 25 teams left on the schedule it would be embarassing for the men of Troy to lose again.
I've been stuydying the schedules of college football's undefeated teams, and I think it is very unlikely that there will be 2 undefeated teams in 2008. Here's an idea about how tough everybody else's road to Miami will be.
#2 Oklahoma Sooners
This Saturday - home to #24 TCU
10/4 - home to #7 Texas
10/18 - home to #18 Kansas
10/25 - @ 2-1 Kansas St.
11/1 - home to 3-0 Nebraska
11/22 - home #10 Texas Tech
11/29 - @ 3-0 Oklahoma St.
9 opponents left with a combined 25-6 record
Plus - Possible Big 12 championship game
#3 Georgia Bulldogs
This Saturday - home to #8 Alabama
10/18 - #21 Vandy
10/25 - @ #5 LSU
11/1 - home to #4 Florida
11/15 - @ #15 Auburn
8 opponents left with a combined 24-4 record
Plus - Possible SEC championship game
#4 Florida Gators
10/11 - home to #5 LSU
11/1 - @ #3 Georgia
11/8 - @ #21 Vandy
9 opponents left with a combined 24-7 record
Plus - Possible SEC championship game
#5 Missouri Tigers
(next 4 games against teams that are currently undefeated)
10/4 - @ 3-0 Nebraska
10/18 - @ #7 Texas
11/29 - home to #18 Kansas
8 opponents left with a combined 21-6 record
Plus - Possible Big 12 championship game
#6 - LSU Tigers
10/11 - @ #4 Florida
10/25 - home to #3 Georgia
11/8 - home to #8 Alabama
9 opponents left with a combined 22-12 record
Plus - Possible SEC championship game
#7 - Texas Longhorns
10/4 - @ 3-0 Colorado
10/11 - @ #2 Oklahoma
10/18 - home to #6 Missouri
11/1 - @ #10 TexasTech
11/15 - @ #18 Kansas
9 opponents left with a combined 24-4 record
Plus - Possible Big 12 championship game
#8 Wisconsin Badgers
10/4 - home to #14 Ohio St.
10/11 - home to #12 Penn St.
10/25 - home to #22 Illinois
9 opponents left with a combined 24-8 record
#9 Texas Tech Red Raiders
10/25 - @ #18 Kansas
11/1 - home to #7 Texas
11/22 - @ #2 Oklahoma
8 opponents left with a combined 20-6 record
Plus - Possible Big 12 championship game
#10 Alabama Crimson Tide
9/27 - @ #3 Georgia
11/8 - @ #5 LSU
11/29 - home to #15 Auburn
8 opponents left with a combined 20-9 record
Plus - Possible SEC championship game
#11 BYU Cougars
10/16 - @ #24 TCU
11/22 - @ #17 Utah
8 opponents left with a combined 18-12 record
#12 Penn St. Nittany Lions
9/27 - home to #22 Illinois
10/11 - @ #9 Wisconsin
10/25 - @ #14 Ohio St.
8 opponents left with a combined 19-8 record
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