Their 24-17 win over previously unbeaten LSU in the Tiger Bowl vaulted Auburn over TCU, Boise St. and Oregon to #1 in this week's BCS rankings. This despite being ranked third, behind #1 Oregon and #2 Boise St., in both the AP and Sports Information Directors' polls.
This probably means unless someone, probably Alabama, upsets Auburn, or Oregon falls, it probably means no Rose Bowl for the Pac-10 this year. Auburn and Oregon will stay ahead of both Boise St. and TCU as long as they can keep on winning, sending them to Glendale for the National Championship Game.
That would relegate the Broncos to the Rose Bowl, probably against Michigan St., if the Spartans, number 5 in the BCS and both polls, can defeat Iowa this coming Saturday. Unless TCU also passes them, a distinct possibility (see below).
Stanford, despite defeating Washington St. 38-28, fell from #12 to #13, while Arizona used their 44-14 blowout win over Washington to climb from #18 to #15.
Despite not playing, USC, who hosts Oregon Saturday night, climbed back into the top 25, at #24.
Future Pac-12 South member Utah, who defeated Colorado St. 59-6, climbed from #9 to #8, and represents both the biggest threat, and boon, to TCU, since the Horned Frogs have a date in Salt Lake City in two weeks.
A Utah win probably won't vault the Utes past Boise St., but once they figure into TCU's RPI, if the Horned Frogs win, they might pass the Broncos, who need Nevada to be doing as well as possible when the Wolfpack, #24 in the BCS and #26 in the AP poll, host Boise St. for Thanksgiving leftovers.
Oregon St. was the only other Pac-12 team to receive votes, with 5 points in the AP poll.
Andy_Wooldridge@yahoo.com