ShareThisBCS standings have arrived, and without any big surprises. LSU, Alabama and Oklahoma are one, two and three.
Oklahoma State comes in at No. 4, but again, and not surprisingly, the computers have succeeded in creating some disparity by ranking the Cowboys No. 1.
There will, however, be surprises on the road ahead.
Will there be any big ones?
Big, maybe, but nothing like those monumentally shocking upsets that send the college football world into a tizzy.
Imagine Georgia Southern pulling off an Appalachian State-like upset Nov. 19 in Tuscaloosa. Another second-tier, albeit 6-0, Football Championship Subdivision team knocking off one of the most storied programs in college football history, Alabama, would be monumental, for sure.
Heck, even 2-4 Western Kentucky University of the obscure Sun Belt Conference stunning LSU Nov. 12 in Baton Rouge would approach monumental status. LSU will probably be favored by 40 or more.
Now for a reality check.
We'll likely see an eye-popping upset or two before the end of the regular season, but this season isn't built for another historical upset like those two in 2007, when Appalachian State stunned No. 5 Michigan, 34-32, and Stanford shocked No. 2 Southern Cal, 24-23.
Stanford was a 41-point underdog, making its victory in the Los Angeles Coliseum the biggest point-spread upset in college football history.
But the greatest upset ever belongs to Appy State.
Nobody in their wildest dreams could have imagined a team from the Football Championship Subdivision going into the Big House and coming away with a victory over the game's winningest program of all time.
Just as nobody - outside of some pipe-dreaming Georgia Southern players and fans - could envision the Eagles turning back the Tide.
What we still could see this season are some second-tier type shockers, extreme but not monumental:
Like No. 20 Auburn beating LSU in Death Valley Saturday or Tennessee knocking off Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
On a point-spread basis alone, either would rank as a huge upset; LSU is a three-touchdown favorite and Bama is favored by almost four.
Still, they are SEC rivalries, and we all know anything can happen on any given Saturday.
But this Saturday, they've got about as much chance of engineering shocking road wins as Texas Tech, a 25-point underdog, does in Norman, Oklahoma against the Sooners.
The Top 3 are that good. Their defenses are among the nation's stingiest and their offenses, with the exception of LSU's, are pretty outstanding, too.
And, they are all are playing at home against far inferior opponents. So you can bank on them remaining unbeaten.
After that, things could get interesting.
For Oklahoma State and No. 6 Wisconsin, road games against Missouri and No. 16 Michigan State, respectively, offer at least some semblance of a challenge, especially that Badgers-Spartans matchup in East Lansing, Mich.
Michigan State handed Wisconsin its only loss, 34-24, of the 2010 regular-season campaign, so expect the Badgers to be ramped up for redemption.
Sparty's defense leads the nation, yielding just 173 yards and 10 points a game. Wisconsin's eighth-ranked offense is racking up 523 yards a game and leads the nation in scoring with 50 points a game.
So who wins that battle?
Wisconsin, primarily because of quarterback Russell Wilson, the running back tandem of Montee Ball and James White, and the Badgers' trademark enormous offensive line.
Wilson is the nation's top-rated passer. He's thrown for 1,557 yards, 14 touchdowns and just one interception.
The Unbalanced Line's call: Wisconsin 34, Michigan State 20.
Oklahoma State also has a high-powered offense that's averaging 551 yards and 49 points a game and ranks No. 2 overall. But its trip to Missouri still poses the threat of an upset.
If you find it hard to imagine 3-3 Missouri keeping pace on the scoreboard with the 6-0 Cowboys, consider that Missouri's offense is racking up 496 yards and 35 points a game. And the Tigers do have home field advantage. A turnover or two could make all the difference.
No. 7 Clemson's offense has been rolling, too, behind sophomore quarterback Tajh Boyd, who's already thrown for 2012 yards, 19 touchdowns and just three interceptions. Freshman receiver Sammy Watkins, who set a school record with 345 all-purpose yards against Maryland last Saturday, and junior running back Andre Ellington are also key contributors to one of the most explosive offensive attacks in college football.
After last Saturday's 18-point, come-from-behind 56-45 victory over Maryland, a letdown at home against North Carolina isn't likely.
So, will we see one of those eye-popping upsets Saturday?
Maybe, if No. 8 Stanford falls to No. 25 Washington (5-1), but that would mean Heisman frontrunner Andrew Luck losing at home to lesser competition.
That would be like No. 11 Kansas State losing to 2-4 Kansas, wouldn't it be?
(Email John Tucker at jtucker(at)unionleader.com)
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