The rematch is on.

With the release of the final BCS standings, the Bowl Championship Series has spoken, and we’re headed for the first-ever rematch of a regular season game in the BCS title game.

LSU and Alabama did enough in the eyes of the voters and the computers to do just that, and come Jan. 9, the entire country will be tuned in to see whether LSU’s defense can once again stifle Alabama or if the Crimson Tide can turn the tide on the Tigers.

Oklahoma State lands on the outside looking in, instead headed off to the Fiesta Bowl to take on a very game Stanford team, who finishes in the No. 3 slot.

No. 5 Oregon, boosted on the power of huge leaps in human poll support, is on its way to the Rose Bowl to take on No. 10 Wisconsin, whose Big Ten title game victory over Michigan State brought the Badgers back into the top 10 and ensured one of the best looking matchups among the BCS bowls, at least on paper.

The four teams that follow Oregon were all left out of the BCS picture, as Arkansas, Boise State, Kansas State and South Carolina will have to settle for non-BCS bowls after commendable seasons in three tough conferences.

A surprise berth for No. 11 Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl certainly ruffled some feathers, but the Hokies had an impressive season, and will face off against No. 13 Michigan in New Orleans on Jan. 2.

All in all, the BCS standings once again brought about debate, consternation and excitement until the end. Whether you agree with the decisions the system made, it’s what we’ve got, and we’re not headed for a slate of 35 bowl games — some duds and some spectacular matchups — that will certainly provide for entertainment value throughout December and January. Enjoy.

Here’s the final BCS rankings of 2011:

BCS Standings Week Eight — December 4

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Some thoughts:

• BCS Know How’s Projected BCSvs. Actual BCS Rankings
  • Well, I think you know.

A weekend that seemed like snooze turned in a BCS standings riddled with wrinkles, all of which will need to be ironed out next weekend — the last of the 2011 college football season.

LSU, Alabama and Oklahoma State find themselves in relatively familiar positions, the top three, which all three have occupied for many weeks this season (although Oklahoma State’s loss to Iowa State last weekend momentarily kicked them out of there).

Stanford, who finished last season at No. 4, sits there once again, with a very good shot of reaping the benefits of the position once again. If the third place team in the final BCS standings does not win its own AQ conference, it automatically receives a bid to a BCS bowl. The same goes for the fourth-place team if the third-place team is in fact an AQ conference champion. Stanford achieved that qualification last season, and if Oklahoma State beats Oklahoma next weekend, the Cardinal will once again be on its way to a BCS bowl.

No. 5 Virginia Tech has its own easy path to a BCS bowl, win the ACC championship game next weekend.

Houston can clinch its spot in a BCS bowl game with a victory in the C-USA championship game, which would assure the Cougars of being the highest-ranking non-AQ conference champion and a top-14 finish, enough to get the Cougars an automatic bid to a BCS bowl as well.

Some of those on the outside looking in, at least at this point, include No. 16 Michigan. The Wolverines, although a plenty attractive at-large team for any BCS bowl, need to enter the top 14 on the last weekend of the season to be eligible.

Just one week remains. Check out the projections from last night to see a complete list of the important games next weekend, and be sure to stay tuned to BCS Know How and @BCSKnowHow for all the latest.

Here’s the seventh BCS rankings of 2011:

BCS Standings Week Seven — November 27

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Some thoughts:

• BCS Know How’s Projected BCSvs. Actual BCS Rankings
  • Another odd week. Thought Arkansas would drop far less than they did.

Here’s the sixth BCS rankings of 2011. Analysis shortly:

BCS Standings Week Six — November 20

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Some thoughts:

• BCS Know How’s Projected BCSvs. Actual BCS Rankings
  • Odd week. Got the tumble at the top, botched the tumble at the bottom.

Just when we thought we might have it figured out, more wrenches were thrown into the BCS mix in week 11, allowing for more upheaval and change in the most recent BCS standings.

Losses by formerly undefeated Stanford and Boise State sent both teams tumbling into the lower half of the top 10 this week, while Oregon’s victory over the Cardinal boosted the Ducks to a No. 4 spot. All but disregarded in the computers until last weekend, Oregon now sits pretty in both the human and computer elements, bowing at fourth in all three components.

Re-entry into the BCS title conversation was on tap for Oklahoma, Oregon and Arkansas this weekend as a result of the newest set of rankings, as the three make up the pack chasing LSU, Oklahoma State and Alabama, stagnant from a week ago.

Oklahoma stays ahead of Arkansas on the strength of consistent support from both the computers and human elements, which both favor the Sooners’ track record over that of the Razorbacks. Fair or not, both will have the chance to prove their worth in the coming weeks against the top two teams in the nation.

The ACC duo of Clemson and Virginia Tech land behind the title conversation group, followed by Stanford — punished severely for a disappointing loss to the Ducks at home.

Boise State rounds out the top 10, out of the title picture, and perhaps out of the BCS bowl picture, with Houston having the much easier road to its own conference championship, and in turn, an automatic bid at a BCS bowl as part of the stipulations for non-AQ conferences.

Here’s the fifth BCS rankings of 2011. Analysis shortly:

BCS Standings Week Five — November 13

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Some thoughts:

• BCS Know How’s Projected BCSvs. Actual BCS Rankings
  • Not a bad week, switched Virginia Tech and Clemson. I think I might have some sort of latent bias for Virginia Tech… keep giving them more than I should. But otherwise, not too bad. Also should have seen Boise State staying ahead of Houston. Not the best call.

The “Game of the Century” came and went, leaving LSU to reign at the top of the BCS standings for a fourth-straight week, expect this time in much more convincing fashion.

LSU collected unanimous support from the Coaches’ Poll as well as near-unanimous support from the Harris, combined with another strong computer showing give the Tigers a big lead on the pack at the halfway mark of the eight-week BCS season.

Chasing the Tigers’ tail is Oklahoma State, No. 2 this week after beating Kansas State in thrilling fashion. The Cowboys are well in control of their own destiny. But there’s plenty of stumbling blocks ahead.

Then things get interesting. Alabama bows at No. 3, even after losing at home to LSU. Are we setting up for a rematch? The Tide didn’t see too much support go by the wayside, and will stay in the thick of the conversation for at least as long as they keep winning. Alabama’s computer support was especially strong despite the loss, which is to be expected as LSU and Oklahoma State now share the top computer score among BCS teams.

Stanford and Boise State are a stagnant 4-5 this week, which is sure to raise some tempers around the country. Stanford continues to suffer from relatively weaker computer support, as its .770 computer aggregate is only good for seventh best among BCS squads.

One-loss strongholds Oklahoma, Oregon and Arkansas round out the top eight, followed by ACC contenders Virginia Tech and Clemson. All five are jumbled by disagreements between the human polls and the computers regarding each teams’ relative strength.

Houston, on the strength of strong support across the human polls, appears in the BCS top-12 for the first time in school history at No. 11, and could very easily have a shot at an undefeated season, yet another wrench that could be thrown into the BCS mix.

But enough talk, here’s the fourth BCS rankings of 2011.

BCS Standings Week Four — November 6

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Some thoughts:

• BCS Know How’s Projected BCSvs. Actual BCS Rankings
  • Meh, again not the best. Called the easy to call, missed the more difficult stuff.

Stanford jumps to No. 4 on the strength of its victory over USC combined with losses by Clemson and Kansas State, but of course, the conversation turns almost immediately to the top two slots, where LSU and Alabama sit once again with just one week until their showdown in Tuscaloosa.

The Tigers and Crimson Tide remain situated at the top of this week’s standings, now waiting out the days until they get a chance to help clear up the BCS picture, although the chance of a muddled picture at the top at the end of the season grows with every undefeated who falls. Again the question arises — could we see a rematch of the SEC powerhouses in the BCS national title game?

For now, the two lead a pack of impressive BCS teams who made plenty of moves in this week’s standings.

Stanford lands past Boise State on a far better computer average than the Cardinal had been enjoying until this point, mostly from their first quality win of the season over USC. Oklahoma State improves its lead on the teams that come after it, although not by much, and still trail the SEC duo.

Oklahoma rejoins the conversation at No. 6 after topping Kansas State, followed by one-loss squads Arkansas and Oregon. The Razorbacks sneak by Oregon on the strength of their computer support, far better than that of the Ducks.

South Carolina and Nebraska also make impressive jumps into the top 10, as both have bounced back from earlier losses.

Clemson and Kansas State take tumbles after their hopes at undefeated seasons came to an end Saturday, with both dropping six slots.

But enough talk, here’s the third BCS rankings of 2011.

BCS Standings Week Three — October 30

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Some thoughts:

• BCS Know How’s Projected BCSvs. Actual BCS Rankings
  • Not the worst, not the best. Got 1-6, switched around a few after that. Wasn’t expecting Arkansas’s precipitous rise, was expecting that from Virginia Tech instead…

Upsets and shakeups gave us our first intrigue of the season when the BCS standings were released Sunday night, but much of the conversation remains the same at the top — the SEC’s dominance.

LSU and Alabama continue to lead the way in the BCS standings, making their forthcoming Nov. 5 showdown one of the most important regular season matchups in recent memory. A victory in the now primetime meeting will certainly be on the fast track to a title game bid.

But who would face that team? Could the loser make their way back to the top two spots before all is said and done in the 2011 season? Or will another conference champion make it to New Orleans.

That conversation starts with Oklahoma State, who moves into the No. 3 spot this week after Oklahoma found trouble against Texas Tech and Wisconsin couldn’t handle Michigan State on the road. The Cowboys are a comfortable third team, waiting to scoot by the loser of the SEC battle. Of course, the question remains whether they would stay ahead of that team.

Boise State, Clemson and Stanford round out the rest of the teams in the immediate conversation to make a title game run, as the three finish in spots four through six. Stanford took full advantage of the spots vacated by the Badgers and Sooners to pick up a huge boost in the BCS this week, especially in the human element polls.

The top one-loss teams takes the next spot, as Oregon hopes to make its way back into the title conversation. Arkansas, at No. 10 also looks to reenter the picture.

But enough talk, here’s the second version of the BCS rankings.

BCS Standings Week Two — October 23rd

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Some thoughts:

• BCS Know How’s Projected BCSvs. Actual BCS Rankings
  • Not pretty today. Did get 1-3, but jumbled 4 and 6. Plenty of misses down the rankings as well. Not the best showing ever.

Our very first BCS rankings of the season anoint LSU as the top team in the country, but with LSU and Oklahoma right on the Tigers’ tale, the order of the top three matters little.

On the strength of computer support and Harris’s No. 1, the Tigers jump past the Sooners and Crimson Tide to claim the first BCS No. 1 of the season.

Oklahoma State grabs an impressive No. 4 spot in the first edition of the BCS, while Boise State, Wisconsin, Clemson and Stanford round out the top eight.

The Cowboys are the recipients of the strongest computer support in the country, offsetting their relatively weak performance in the human elements. Oklahoma State’s .970 computer share was by far the best in the country, giving them an easy No. 4 spot.

Stanford and Wisconsin’s relatively strong support in the human elements are offset by their poor performances across the BCS computers, leaving the Cardinal and Badgers with some work to do if they’re interested in making a run at the national championship game.

Boise State will also be hard pressed to make a run at the title game without a loss from one of the favorites above the Broncos in these first set of rankings.

With national consensus that a Nov. 5 meeting between LSU and Alabama will decide one of the national title teams, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State also have what could be a de facto national semifinal on their schedules already, a December 3rd meeting.

But of course, all must need to keep undefeated to remain in position to challenge for a title shot.

But enough talk, here’s the first version of the BCS rankings.

BCS Standings Week One — October 16th

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Some thoughts:

• BCS Know How’s Projected BCSvs. Actual BCS Rankings
  • Switched No. 1 and No. 2, although the difference is, once again, negligible.
  • 3-8 is all good, while I switched a few things up later on, projecting Oregon a little too high and Arkansas a little low.
  • Odd how Virginia Tech shot up to No. 12 after not even ranking among the top 16 in last week’s simulation. However, it is more than explainable after losses from Michigan, Georgia Tech and Illinois cleared space for the Hokies’ jump.
  • Big East ‘power’ West Virginia sits at No. 15, hanging on dearly to that No. 16 line.

Alabama remains atop this week’s simulated BCS rankings, while Oklahoma and LSU take the No. 2 and No. 3 spots, respectively.

The Crimson Tide used first-place votes from three of the five BCS computers (Sagarin, Massey, Colley) to remain ahead of the Sooners and Tigers in this week’s projections. LSU (Billingsley) and Oklahoma (Anderson and Hester) each picked up one first-place computer vote

Now you may be wondering why this simulation differs slightly from the one announced by ESPN themselves. The simulation procedure is slightly different, as explained below, but the important thing is that the difference between the Tigers and Sooners is negligible. The race for No. 2 is a virtual dead heat after six weeks of play, and that’s where we stand as of right now.

Oklahoma State pushes past Boise State for No. 4, giving the Big 12 and SEC two teams each in the top four of the simulation.

Other surprises further down the rankings show Michigan in a surprisingly strong spot, while Oregon gets some tough love from some of the computers.

As a point of reference, the methodology of the BCS Know How simulated rankings is slightly different than normal BCS procedure — mainly because of a lack of full-scale components.

We have the two human elements covered, as both the USA Today Coaches’ Poll and the Harris Interactive College Football poll are available. We do not, however, have all six computer rankings. Peter Wolfe’s rankings will not be released until next week, when the actual BCS rankings are finally made available.

Because of the lack of full-scale computer components, we will not take out the high and low computer rankings, as the BCS normally does. That would only cloud the rankings this early in the season. For now, with a 94.4 percent confidence, if the BCS rankings were released today, this is what they would look like:

Simulated BCS Rankings — October 10th

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Some thoughts:

• Oregon continues to slide although it keeps winning, finding itself all the way at No. 12 this week.
• Clemson and Wisconsin swap places even though the Badgers were idle. No much to the switch, though, as the two are separated by less than .0200.

On the strength of an impressive victory over Florida, Alabama sees a huge growth in support across the BCS components, and claims the top spot in this week’s simulated BCS rankings.

Boise State creeps past Oklahoma State this week, bowing at No. 4, while the Cowboys slip a spot to No. 5.

Clemson’s consecutive victories over undefeated, highly ranked ACC foes, also allows the Tigers to take a huge leap to No. 6 this week, giving Clemson a surprisingly strong position.

As a point of reference, the methodology of the BCS Know How simulated rankings is slightly different than normal BCS procedure — mainly because of a lack of full-scale components.

For starters, there is no Harris Interactive Poll quite yet, and two of the six computer ranking systems, the Anderson and Hester system and the Peter Wolfe rankings are non-operational. For the time being, we’ve substituted the AP poll for the Harris, and will include the four available computers — Sagarin, Massey, Colley and Billingsley — in the simulation. This early in the season, there’s little need to zero out a computer, it would only cloud the picture of this process.

Simulated BCS Rankings — October 3rd

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Some thoughts:

• It’s not really until we get past Stanford at No. 8 that things get a little interesting, new faces in the rankings Michigan, Texas and Georgia Tech are slowly creeping into the top slots, providing a few interesting scenarios in the coming weeks.
• Illinois also makes an interesting appearance at No. 14, with Auburn reappearing at No. 16.