College Football Report – Is this the year it finally happens?

It’s early November, which means the college football season is officially in serious-mode.  Every game from this point forward is immensely important, especially with teams that have BCS aspirations.  Over the last few years, non-BCS schools (i.e. Boise State, Utah, TCU) have gotten oh so close to making it to the BCS Championship Game, but each time they inevitably fell short.  There was always a marquee name in their way, whether that be Florida, Alabama, Ohio State, LSU, Oklahoma, or Texas, that just pushed those non-AQ schools to the side. But something is different this year.

This year, the mighty may have not completely fallen, but they’ve bled.  Texas has been out of the conversation for a month.  USC, who was already disqualified from a bowl this year, is 5-3.  Alabama lost to South Carolina.  Florida is a shell of its recent self.  Oklahoma lost to Missouri.

As of right now, the BCS Top 5 includes Oregon, Auburn, TCU, Boise State, and Utah.  Not exactly the typical Top 5, eh?  TCU travels to Utah this weekend in a battle to remain in the conversation, as both are undefeated and one loss to either school will end any hope’s of crashing the Championship Game party.

Oregon and Auburn have electric offenses, but they give up their share of points on defense.  And no one will be surprised if one of those teams falters down the stretch and loses a game.  If that happens, is this the year the impossible becomes possible and a non-BCS school makes the BCS Championship Game??

With the amount of marquee schools already losing 1-to-2 games, it might be.  But don’t be shocked if a 1-loss BCS team leapfrogs an undefeated Boise State/TCU/Utah, as it has been done before in the past.  There are plenty one-loss teams from BCS conferences that would have a legitimate case due to their demanding strength of schedule.

But if there’s going to be a year when a non-AQ team finds itself playing for the championship, it might just be this season.  And just as Butler showed the nation in April, a good team, no matter what conference they belong to, can play with anyone.