NEW YORK — Florida, Alabama and Texas hold the top three spots in the first BCS standings and control their fates in the national championship race.
The Gators (.989) are in first, just ahead of the Crimson Tide (.953). The Longhorns (.891) are third.
Boise State (.809) is fourth, but the Broncos seem a longshot to play in the title game.
Florida is No. 1 in the two polls used by the Bowl Championship Series — the USA Today coaches’ poll and Harris poll — and rated highest by the computers. The polls make up two-thirds of a BCS grade, and a compilation of six computer ratings accounts for the other third.
With the strength of their remaining schedules, the Gators, Tide and Longhorns just need to win out to reach the BCS title game Jan. 7 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., according to BCS analyst Jerry Palm.
Alabama and Florida would play each other in the Southeastern Conference championship game if each remains undefeated.
Boise State, from the Western Athletic Conference, does not have another ranked team on its schedule. The Broncos are trying to reach the BCS from a league without an automatic bid for the second time. To earn an automatic bid, teams from the WAC, Mountain West Conference, Sun Belt, Mid-American Conference and Conference USA need to finish in the top 12 of the final BCS standings. But only one team from those leagues can bust the BCS.
“The only team that matters to Boise is TCU,” Palm said.
Undefeated TCU is in eighth place. If the Horned Frogs run the table in the Mountain West, Palm said they have a good chance to pass Boise State.
