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BCS Rankings Week 9 Projections: Big Movement In Top 10, West Virginia Falls

A projection of the movement in the BCS standings to be released Sunday night.

Several upsets of Top-10 teams this week will serve to rearrange the look of the BCS standings, just two weeks into the poll. LSU and Alabama, the current No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the poll should stay exactly where they are...for this week at least. Oklahoma, however, will drop from No. 3 in the poll and potentially out of the Top-10. Usually the fall wouldn't be as pronounced for a previously-undefeated team, but the Sooners lost to an unranked Texas Tech squad while allowing 41 points at home. That won't look too good to the computers.

Oklahoma State, by default, should rise to the No. 3 spot vacated by their in-state rivals after another dominating performance without their top WR's. Filling the No. 4 spot should undoubtedly be the Boise State Broncos, as the Wisconsin Badgers can no longer stake claim to that spot. Rounding out the Top-5 will either be Clemson or Stanford. Clemson has struggled at times in recent weeks with sub-par competition, though the final score wouldn't indicate that. It's pretty much even-footing for that spot at the moment, but expect whoever is runner-up to be No. 6 in the poll.

Oregon should jump Arkansas to take the No. 7 spot due to the Razorbacks lackluster showing against a poor Ole Miss team and the Ducks continued dominance. No. 8 is a three-team battle between Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kansas State. I project that the Top-10 will be completed in that order. Virginia Tech should check in at the No. 11 spot, up one from last week, followed by Nebraska at No. 12, also one up from last week.

Wisconsin should occupy the No. 13 spot, but could fall as far as No. 14. However, I believe that the idle South Carolina Gamecocks will stay in that spot for the time being, though they could experience stiff competition from Michigan State, who was No. 16 and knocked off the Badgers Saturday.

No. 15 West Virginia will almost certainly drop to the bottom of the poll or even out after an embarrassing loss to Syracuse on Friday night. The Mountaineers lost to an unranked Orange 49-23 at the Carrier Dome, hurting their chances to win the Big East outright.

No. 16 will most likely be occupied by Texas A&M, rising one spot from their previous rank. Likewise, Michigan, benefiting from the Spartans win, will move up one to No. 17, though Houston could jump the idle Wolverines after a 63-28 dismantling of Marshall. Penn State should show up at No. 19 with Texas rounding out the Top-20.

There are plenty candidates for the last five, but right now it's hard to tell who's deserving, as most of these teams from a week ago not only lost but were blown out. The contenders are Georgia, West Virginia, Auburn, Arizona State, TCU, Cincinnati and the University of Miami in no particular order. Illinois, Georgia Tech, Washington and perhaps Auburn should all be expected to drop out of the rankings.

Stay on SB Nation for more coverage of the release of the second week of the BCS standings Sunday night.