Here’s a quick post where I’ll try to answer some pretty common questions about the upcoming season when it comes to the BCS and the season. If you have any other questions that aren’t here ask ‘em in the comments section and I’ll update the page!

Q. When do the first BCS standings come out? What is the rest of the BCS release schedule?

A. The first BCS standings will be released on the Sunday following Week Seven action, October 17th.

The rest of the release schedule is as follows:

BCS Week Two: October 24th
BCS Week Three: October 31st
BCS Week Four: November 7th
BCS Week Five: November 14th
BCS Week Six: November 21st
BCS Week Seven: November 28th
Final BCS Standings: December 5th

The final BCS standings will be released in conjunction with the BCS bowl pairings.

Q. What are the BCS conferences?

A. There are six BCS conferences, thus named because the champions of those conferences are automatically awarded BCS bowl bids. The six conferences are the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Big Ten, Big 12, Big East, Pac-10 and Southeastern Conference (SEC).

Q. What are the non-BCS conferences?

A. There are five non-BCS conferences, named as such because their champions do not automatically qualify for BCS bowl bids. However, one champion from the non-BCS conferences will qualify for a BCS bowl bid if they are ranked in the top 12 in the final BCS standings, or if a champion from a non-BCS conference is ranked higher than any BCS conference champion ranked among the top 16.

The five non-BCS conferences are the Conference USA (C-USA), the Mountain West Conference (MWC), the Sun Belt Conference, the Mid-American Conference (MAC), and the Western Athletic Conferences (WAC).

Q. When is the 2010 Heisman Trophy presentation?

A. The Heisman Trophy Trust will host the 2010 Heisman Trophy presentation on December 11th, 2010. The presentation will be broadcast live by ESPN.

Q. When are the conference championship games?

A. Conference championship games for the Big 12, ACC, SEC, MAC and C-USA will be held on Saturday, December 4th.

Q. What is the new Rose Bowl selection process?

A. As explained HERE the new process is as follows:

The first time the Rose Bowl loses one of its traditional hosts (Big Ten or Pac-10 Champion) to the BCS National Championship Game, and a non-BCS team automatically qualifies for the BCS (as explained above), that non-BCS team will be selected by the Rose Bowl.

Q. Who is eligible for postseason play?

A. Members of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) will be eligible for postseason play if they finish the season with a winning percentage over .500. If there are not enough bowl-eligible teams, then teams which finish at .500 will be eligible as well.

For the 2010 season, the University of Southern California will not be eligible for postseason play due to sanctions handed down to the university by the NCAA because of NCAA infractions.

Q. What schools are currently under investigation by the NCAA?

A. Good news! BCS Know How is already keep track of the ever-growing list of ongoing investigations that the NCAA is performing right HERE.

We’ve been waiting the entire length of the college football season for a huge upset, but haven’t gotten one.

For all the boredom that that brings to the college football scene, the week seven BCS standings finally point to a final weekend of the season that could be supremely exciting.

Florida, Alabama and Texas occupy the top three spots as they have all season, and are set to play in season deciding games.

Florida and Alabama have known for quite some time that winning out during the regular season would allow for a national semifinal in the SEC Championship Game, and that’s exactly what we’re going to get, as a loss by either team would knock it out of the national title spots. A victory would send either team to the BCS National Championship Game in Pasadena, Calif.

Texas only needs to beat No. 22 Nebraska in order to punch their ticket to Pasadena for the title game, but after the Longhorns had some trouble with Texas A&M anything is still possible.

After that, things get a little more interesting.

Say, for instance, that Texas is shocked in the Big 12 Championship Game. Who would fill their spot?

No. 4 TCU and No. 5 Cincinnati have sat in the two spots directly behind the Longhorns for a few weeks now, but the Bearcats have slowly but surely crept closer and closer to the Horned Frogs during these weeks.

TCU has basically locked up a BCS bowl spot, but could they take the spot of the Longhorns should they falter? Or, should they beat Pitt on Saturday, will the BCS be untrusting of a non-BCS team in the national title game and jump the Bearcats over TCU and leave the state of Texas completely out of the national title game?

At No. 6 Boise State must feel left out in all of this, even as an undefeated team. There is no chance for them to make the national title game, and it still seems like a 50-50 proposition for a BCS bowl bid.

No year has come where two non-BCS schools have participated in the BCS, but this could be that year.

After Oklahoma State lost on Saturday, which certainly helped the Broncos cause, but there remains the strong possibility of another BCS conference team being taken ahead of the Broncos with an at-large selection

No. 7 Oregon will face No. 16 Oregon State for the Pac-10’s Rose Bowl bid and conference championship, playing for the rights to face No. 8 Ohio State.

No. 9 Iowa and No. 11 Penn State will likely also be battling it out in the press for a BCS at-large selection, as both are attractive candidates for the bowls with large national followings.

No. 10 Georgia Tech lost on Saturday to instate rival Georiga, but still can make a BCS bowl if they can beat Clemson in the ACC Championship Game next Saturday.

Until that time it’s sure to be a hectic projection-filled week as we approach the final weekend of the college football season.

You’ll want to stay tuned.

BCS Rankings – November 29th

Atlantic Coast Conference

Conference Leaders: Clemson (Atlantic Division; 8-4, 6-2) and Georgia Tech (Coastal Division; 10-2, 7-1) have both clinched their respective divisions and will meet for the ACC Championship Game and the ACC’s BCS bowl bid.

Game of Last Week: NC State 28 vs. UNC 27. A blocked field goal secured victory for the Wolfpack and let NC State fans rejoice even though their team will not be making a bowl this season

Game of Next Week: Georgia Tech vs. Clemson. The ACC Championship Game will be between two teams coming off tough losses to rivals, and will be looking to cap off good seasons with a BCS bowl bid.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Boston College Golden Eagles, Miami Hurricanes, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Virginia Tech Hokies, North Carolina Tar Heels, Florida State Seminoles, Clemson Tigers.

Pac-10

Conference Leader: Oregon (9-2, 7-1)

Lurking: Oregon State (8-3, 6-2)

Game of Last Week: Arizona 20 vs. Arizona State 17. After painting the huge “A” on the hillside at Arizona State in Wildcat red, the Wildcats took a victory in this western rivalry game on a last second field goal.

Game of Next Week: Oregon vs. Oregon State. Another de facto conference championship game – on a Thursday – the winner likely heading to the Rose Bowl as the Pac-10′s BCS bid receiving team.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Oregon Ducks, USC Trojans, California Bears, Arizona Wildcats, Stanford Cardinal, Oregon State Beavers, UCLA Bruins.

SEC

Conference Leaders: Florida (East Division; 12-0, 8-0) and Alabama (12-0, 8-0) have both clinched their respective divisions and will face off in the SEC Championship Game for a bid in the National Title game and the SEC’s automatic BCS bowl bid.

Game of Last Week: Tennessee 30 vs. Kentucky 24. A game for possible bowl positioning, the Volunteers took a huge game from Montario Hardesty and beat Kentucky for the 25th straight time.

Game of Next Week: Alabama vs. Florida. The SEC Championship Game will be a national semifinal, and the loser will likely still get a bid to a BCS bowl game.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Florida Gators, Alabama Crimson Tide, South Carolina Gamecocks, LSU Tigers, Auburn Tigers, Ole Miss Running Rebels, Kentucky Wildcats, Georgia Bulldogs, Arkansas Razorbacks, Tennessee Volunteers.

Big 10

Conference Leader: Ohio State (10-2, 7-1) have clinched the Big 10 regular season title and will head to the Rose Bowl.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Iowa Hawkeyes, Penn State Nittany Lions, Ohio State Buckeyes. Wisconsin Badgers, Northwestern Wildcats, Michigan State Spartans, Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Big 12

Conference Leaders: Nebraska (North Division; 9-3, 6-2)  and Texas (South Division; 12-0, 8-0) have clinched their respective divisions and will face each other in the Big 12 Title Game for a chance at a BCS bowl bid.

Game of Last Week: Oklahoma 27 vs. Oklahoma State 0. Oklahoama State was looking to make it to a possible BCS bowl this season, but a down Sooner team looking at the possibility of a .500 season instead took it to the Cowboys and ended their hopes of a BCS bowl.

Game of Next Week: Nebraska vs. Texas. For the Big 12′s automatic bowl bid.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Texas Longhorns, Oklahoma State Cowboys, Texas Tech Red Raiders, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Iowa State Cyclones, Missouri Tigers, Oklahoma Sooners, Texas A&M Aggies.

Big East

Conference Leader: Cincinnati (11-0, 6-0)

Lurking: Pittsburgh (9-2, 5-1)

Game of Last Week: West Virginia 19 vs. Pittsburgh 16. The Mountaineers shocked the Panthers in the Backyard Brawl, payback for a couple years ago when the Panthers did just the same to a top-ranked WVU team. A field goal as time expired from Tyler Bitancurt sent the Mountaineers to victory.

Game of Next Week: Pittsburgh vs. Cincinnati. Although the Panthers lost last week, a victory over the Bearcats would still get them the Big East crown in this de facto Big East Championship Game.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Cincinnati Bearcats, West Virginia Mountaineers, Pittsburgh Panthers, South Florida Bulls, Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Connecticut Huskies.

With the well documented chalk-fest that this college football season has been, its no surprise that the sixth edition of the BCS rankings look a whole lot like the first five.

The only real changes came towards the middle of the BCS bowl eligibility line (Top 16). Oregon and Ohio State both see their rankings rise after both won important conference games, and seem destined to play one another in the Rose Bowl, with Ohio State having already booked their ticket for Roses last weekend.

Oregon can join the Buckeyes if they can beat Oregon State in their Civil War in less than two weeks. The winner of that game will represent the Pac-10 in the BCS, as it is unlikely that another Pac-10 team will be BCS bowl eligible.

Another interesting development, although not exactly important down the stretch is how close Alabama has crept towards Florida. Mostly on the strength of their computer rankings, the Crimson Tide have gained some ground in the BCS on the Gators, and now sit just .005 points behind the Gators. That distance would be equivalent to just 42 extra points in the Harris Interactive Poll, or 22 in the Coaches’ Poll.

Its likely that we will not see much change next week either, setting up a huge and very important December 5^th weekend where most of the BCS bowl bids will be decided and maybe we’ll finally get some upsets and a shakeup or two.

BCS Rankings – November 22nd

Atlantic Coast Conference

Conference Leaders: Clemson (Atlantic Division; 8-3, 6-2) and Georgia Tech (Coastal Division; 10-1, 7-1) have both clinched their respective divisions and will meet for the ACC Championship Game December 5th

Game of Last Week: Clemson 34 vs. Virginia 21. With the Atlantic Division waiting to be claimed after Boston College lost, the Tigers took full advantage, aas a full team effort allowed Clemson to claim victory on Senior Day

Game of Next Week: Virginia vs. Virginia Tech. With few inter-conference battles scheduled for next Saturday, this rivalry game is sure to be a good one.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Boston College Golden Eagles, Miami Hurricanes, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Virginia Tech Hokies, North Carolina Tar Heels, Florida State Seminoles.

Pac-10

Conference Leader: Oregon (9-2, 7-1)

Lurking: Oregon State (8-3, 6-2)

Game of Last Week: Oregon 44 vs. Arizona 41. With both teams looking for a bid to the Rose Bowl, this double overtime thriller in Arizona left just Oregon and Oregon State with a chance at making the Rose Bowl, and the two will face off on Thursday, Decemeber 3rd.

Game of Next Week: USC vs. UCLA. Both programs aren’t what they expected to be this year, so a victory here in their biggest rivalry game would be huge for either team

Bowl Eligible Teams: Oregon Ducks, USC Trojans, California Bears, Arizona Wildcats, Stanford Cardinal, Oregon State Beavers, UCLA Bruins.

SEC

Conference Leaders: Florida (11-0, 8-0) and Alabama (11-0, 7-0) have both clinched spots in the SEC Championship Game by winning their respective divisions in the SEC.

Game of Last Week: Ole Miss 25 vs. LSU 23. LSU, down all game, drove all the way down the field and had one second left to stop the clock and kick a field goal, but the clock ran out on the Tigers, and gave the Running Rebels a big upset victory at home.

Game of Next Week: Alabama vs. Auburn. There still remains the chance that a loss here could send the BCS into frenzy, and Auburn may just be the team to give the BCS a jolt by shocking the Crimson Tide.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Florida Gators, Alabama Crimson Tide, South Carolina Gamecocks, LSU Tigers, Auburn Tigers, Ole Miss Running Rebels, Kentucky Wildcats, Georgia Bulldogs, Arkansas Razorbacks, Tennessee Volunteers.

Big 10

Conference Leader: Ohio State (10-2, 7-1) have clinched the Big 10 regular season title and will head to the Rose Bowl.

Game of Last Week: Northwestern 33 vs. Wisconsin 31. An upset of the Badgers likely allows the Wildcats a chance at a New Year’s Day or Eve bowl.

Game of Next Week: The Big 10 regular season is completed.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Iowa Hawkeyes, Penn State Nittany Lions, Ohio State Buckeyes. Wisconsin Badgers, Northwestern Wildcats, Michigan State Spartans, Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Big 12

Conference Leaders: Nebraska (North Division; 8-3, 5-2) and Texas (South Division; 11-0, 7-0) have both clinched their respective division titles and will meet for the Big 12 Championship Game on December 5th.

Game of Last Week: Nebraska 17 vs. Kansas State 3. Jockeying for the Big 12 North title all season, these two teams met to finally decide the victor. In convincing fashion, the stingy Cornhusker defense kept the Wildcats at bay and clinched a trip to the Big 12 Title Game.

Game of Next Week: Oklahoma State vs. Oklahoma. Oklahoma would love to end its season with a big upset after a disappointing ’09 campaign. The Cowboys are looking to get a BCS at-large bid.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Texas Longhorns, Oklahoma State Cowboys, Texas Tech Red Raiders, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Iowa State Cyclones, Missouri Tigers, Oklahoma Sooners, Texas A&M Aggies.

Big East

Conference Leader: Cincinnati (10-0, 6-0)

Lurking: Pittsburgh (9-1, 5-0)

Game of Last Week: Connecticut 33 vs. Notre Dame. With limited conference action, this overtime thriller was by far the best of the weekend for the Big East, and put the Huskies closer to being bowl eligible.

Game of Next Week: Pittsburgh vs. West Virginia. The Backyard Brawl is always a good one, and a victory here for Pitt would give the Big East, which has no conference championship game, a virtual conference championship game the following week as Cincinnati and Pittsburgh would go at it for the Big East crown.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Cincinnati Bearcats, West Virginia Mountaineers, Pittsburgh Panthers, South Florida Bulls, Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Big 10

Conference Leader: Ohio State (9-2, 6-1) has clinched at least a share of the Big 10 title and has the tiebreaker, clinching the conference’s BCS bowl bid.

Game of Last Week: Ohio State 27 vs. Iowa 24. Ohio State’s backup kicker, Devon Barclay kicked a game winning field goal in overtime to give the Buckeyes a Rose Bowl bid.

Game of Next Week: Ohio State vs. Michigan. Bowl eligibility rides on this one for the Wolverines, although no reason is necessary for this game to be the game of the week in the conference.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Iowa Hawkeyes, Penn State Nittany Lions, Ohio State Buckeyes. Wisconsin Badgers, Northwestern Wildcats, Michigan State Spartans, Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Big 12

Conference Leaders: Nebraska (North Division; 7-3, 4-2); Texas (South Division; 10-0, 6-0)

Lurking: Kansas State (North Division; 6-5, 4-3)

Game of Last Week: Oklahoma State 24 vs. Texas Tech 17. Needing to win in order to keep hope alive of a Big 12 title, the Cowboys delivered, doing just enough to beat the Red Raiders.

Game of Next Week: Kansas State vs. Nebraska. For the lead in the Big 12 North.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Texas Longhorns, Oklahoma State Cowboys, Texas Tech Red Raiders, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Iowa State Cyclones, Missouri Tigers, Oklahoma Sooners.

Big East

Conference Leader: Cincinnati (10-0, 6-0)

Lurking: Pittsburgh (9-1, 5-0)

Game of Last Week: Cincinnati 24 vs. West Virginia 21. Tony Pike was the designated TD thrower, and the Bearcats kept hopes for a perfect season alive, barely escaping with the victory over the Mountaineers.

Game of Next Week: Louisville vs. South Florida. The Big East schedule is rather sparse next week, but Louisville can still become bowl eligible with victories in the next two weeks. They’ll need to beat South Florida to keep that hope alive.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Cincinnati Bearcats, West Virginia Mountaineers, Pittsburgh Panthers, Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

Atlantic Coast Conference

Conference Leaders: Clemson (Atlantic Division; 7-3, 5-2), Georgia Tech (Clinched Coastal Division; 10-1, 7-1)

Lurking: Boston College (Atlantic Division; 7-3, 4-2)

Game of Last Week: North Carolina 33 vs. Miami (FL) 24. Miami continues to slip with Jacory Harris at the helm, as the QB throws three picks and the Tar Heels pull the upset

Game of Next Week: North Carolina vs. Boston College. If BC wants to keep its BCS hopes alive, it must win this matchup against a revitalized UNC team.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Boston College Golden Eagles, Miami Hurricanes, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Virginia Tech Hokies, North Carolina Tar Heels.

Pac-10

Conference Leader: Oregon (8-2, 6-1)

Lurking: Stanford (7-3, 6-2)

Game of Last Week: Stanford 55 vs. USC 21. The worst loss in Pete Carroll’s era comes at the hands of the suddenly very relevant Cardinal team.

Game of Next Week: Oregon vs. Arizona. This would have been integral in the Pac-10 title chase, but Arizona’s loss makes it a little less intense, but still very important in the grand scheme of the Pac-10 this year.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Oregon Ducks, USC Trojans, California Bears, Arizona Wildcats, Stanford Cardinal, Oregon State Beavers.

SEC

Conference Leaders: Florida (10-0, 8-0) and Alabama (10-, 7-0) have both clinched spots in the SEC Championship Game by winning their respective divisions in the SEC.

Game of Last Week: Georgia 31 vs. Auburn 24. The Bulldogs become bowl eligible by defeating the Tigers by a slim margin, using a fourth quarter comeback to secure the victory.

Game of Next Week: LSU vs. Ole Miss. A big game for bowl selection from the SEC. The winner here might get a New Year’s Day Capital One Bowl bid.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Florida Gators, Alabama Crimson Tide, South Carolina Gamecocks, LSU Tigers, Auburn Tigers, Ole Miss Running Rebels, Kentucky Wildcats, Georgia Bulldogs, Arkansas Razorbacks.

Atlantic Coast Conference

Conference Leaders: Clemson (Atlantic Division; 6-3, 4-2), Georgia Tech (Coastal Division 9-1, 6-1)

Lurking: Boston College (Atlantic Division; 6-3, 3-2)

Game of Last Week: Georgia Tech 30 vs. Wake Forest 27. Josh Nesbitt’s rushing TD in overtime helped keep Georgia Tech among the best in the country, outlasting a tough Demon Deacon team.

Game of Next Week: Georgia Tech vs. Duke. The surprising Blue Devils at 3-2 in conference face off against the equally surprising and class of the ACC Yellow Jackets

Bowl Eligible Teams: Boston College Golden Eagles, Miami Hurricanes, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Virginia Tech Hokies.

Pac-10

Conference Leader: Oregon (7-2, 5-1)

Lurking: Arizona (6-2, 4-1)

Game of Last Week: Stanford 51 vs. Oregon 42. Coming off a huge, program-changing victory over USC, the Ducks failed to follow it up, falling to the unranked Cardinal in Palo Alto and seeing their seemingly easy track to the Rose Bowl made a whole lot tougher.

Game of Next Week: Stanford vs. USC. The Cardinal will next get a shot at the Trojans, who now trail the Cardinal in the Pac-10 standings, but the meeting will be in LA.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Oregon Ducks, USC Trojans, California Bears, Arizona Wildcats, Stanford Cardinal, Oregon State Beavers.

SEC

Conference Leaders: Florida (East Division; 9-0, 7-0), Alabama (West Division; 9-0, 6-0)

Lurking: Both Florida and Alabama have clinched their divisions, and will face off in the SEC Championship Game.

Game of Last Week: Alabama 24 vs. LSU 15. LSU was looking to make a run at the West Division title, but the Tide put the Tigers away late, mostly on the legs of Mark Ingram, and clinched the West title.

Game of Next Week: Tennessee vs. Ole Miss. Both teams are looking to get to .500 in conference, although Ole Miss looks on its way down as the Volunteers look to be on their way up the SEC rankings.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Florida Gators, Alabama Crimson Tide, South Carolina Gamecocks, LSU Tigers, Auburn Tigers, Ole Miss Running Rebels.