If the USA Today’s coaches poll is any indication, there won’t be much shifting around at the top end of the BcS rankings when the final standings are released later tonight.
In the final coaches’ vote, the top 12 teams all held serve from last weekend, with the exception of Arkansas and Oklahoma now tied at No. 8. The first real change came at No. 13 as Oklahoma State moved up two spots and replaced Nebraska, which lost to the Sooners in the Big 12 title game and dropped to No. 16.
No. 2 Auburn did close the gap on No. 1 Oregon, slicing the deficit from 40 points to 13. The Ducks lost 12 first-place votes (34) and No. 3 TCU lost two (1). The Tigers, of course, picked up those 14 combined votes, going from 10 to 24.
The rest of the Top Ten has Wisconsin (No. 4), Stanford (No. 5), Ohio State (No. 6), Michigan State (No. 7) and Boise State (No. 10).
South Carolina dropped the furthest, tumbling from No. 16 to No. 20, while Florida State fell three to No. 23. West Virginia moved up three to No. 21, while Nevada and Utah jumped two spots each to No. 17 and No. 19, respectively.
Northern Illinois (then-No. 23) was the only team to drop out of the rankings, replaced by Hawaii (No. 25).
Conference-wise, the (duh) SEC led all leagues with six ranked teams, followed by the Big 12 with five, the Big Ten and the Little Sisters of the Poor WAC with three apiece, and the Pac-10, Mountain West and ACC with two each. The Big East, an automatic BcS qualifier, had one ranked team, same as non-automatic qualifier Conference USA.
