Sooners, Ducks top first BCS standings

The first BCS standings are out and Boise State is already chasing a couple of teams from the power conferences.

Oklahoma was first and Oregon was second Sunday, with Boise State in third place and in need of plenty of help to become the first team from a conference without an automatic Bowl Championship Series bid to play for the BCS title.

Jerry Palm, who analyzes the BCS standings at collegebcs.com, said despite a better early season showing in the polls than ever before, Boise State is a long shot to play for the national title.

“They just need too much to happen to get excited about their chances,” Palm said.

With 10 undefeated teams in major college football, there’s serious potential for BCS controversy this season, even beyond whether Boise State from the Western Athletic Conference or maybe a Mountain West Conference team such as TCU or Utah gets a chance to play in the biggest BCS game.

The Sooners from the Big 12 and Ducks from the Pac-10 begin this race from the front row, but only once in 12 seasons of the BCS have the teams that were at the top of the first standings played in the final game.

The Sooners took first place by grading out No. 1 in the computer ratings. Oklahoma, coming off a 52-0 win over Iowa State, is No. 3 in the USA Today coaches’ poll and No. 4 in the Harris poll.

Oregon is No. 1 in all the polls, including the AP Top 25 that is nt used in BCS calculations, but is eighth in the computer rankings.

Boise State is No. 2 in all the polls and seventh according to the computers.

“The computers do not like this team,” Palm said.

The poll voters like Boise State better than they ever have, but still not enough.

The problem, as always for Boise State, is the strength of schedule. Early nonconference victories against Virginia Tech and Oregon State help the Broncos. The WAC schedule mostly drags them down.

On Saturday, Boise State beat San Jose State 48-0 and Palm said it actually pulled the Broncos’ computer rating down.

Because Boise State will almost always rate behind the other undefeated teams in the computers, the Broncos would need to be an overwhelming No. 1 in both polls to have a shot at the national title game when the final BCS standings come out Dec. 5, Palm said.

“I look at it as Boise has to be almost the only choice,” he said.