The BCS Smiles on Bruin Victory

With a wondrous 1-2 combination, UCLA tagged USC Saturday to finish unbeaten in the Pacific 10 standings, then staggered Kansas State in Monday’s bowl championship series rankings.

It was a good weekend to be a Bruin.

In the all-important BCS rankings, Tennessee remained No. 1 with a 4.39 total. No surprise there.

More important was that No. 2 UCLA, at 5.07, increased its lead over Kansas State, which remained third at 6.31.

After watching its BCS margin get trimmed to .74 last week, UCLA now leads Kansas State by 1.24 points.

The top two schools in the final BCS rankings released Dec. 6 will meet for the “national championship” in the Jan. 4 Fiesta Bowl.

If Tennessee, UCLA and Kansas State finish unbeaten, one school is going to get left out of the title game.

As of today, that school is Kansas State, despite its No. 1 ranking in the ESPN/USA Today coaches’ poll.

“It’s going to be tough for Kansas State to move past UCLA,” BCS spokesman Charles Bloom said Monday. “Not insurmountable, but UCLA has got a game to play, and so does Kansas State, both against quality teams.”

UCLA plays at Miami Dec. 5 while Kansas State and Texas A&M; meet the same day for the Big 12 championship in St. Louis.

Kansas State is getting punished in the BCS’ four-part formula for its calculated decision to schedule weak nonconference opponents, although the Wildcats hoped a season-ending stretch against ranked schools--Nebraska, Missouri and Texas A&M--would; improve their strength of schedule enough to catch the Bruins.

Yet, despite Saturday’s victory over No. 19 Missouri, Kansas State improved only six positions, from 68th to 62nd, in the BCS strength-of-schedule component. UCLA, however, moved up four spots, from 12th to eighth.

“I was surprised Missouri only gave Kansas State six spots,” Bloom said. “That’s probably the biggest surprise of the week.”

Every 25 schedule rank positions equal one BCS computer point.

“I think all of us thought Kansas State would get a bigger bump in schedule strength,” Bloom said. “We didn’t realize USC would help UCLA as much as it did.”

Kansas State maintained its 1.5 lead on UCLA in poll average, but the Bruins picked up .58 of a point on Kansas State in the computer component, boosted by UCLA’s move from No. 2 to No. 1 in the Seattle Times computer.

There are too many variables in play, however, to suggest UCLA can clinch a Fiesta Bowl spot by beating Miami.

“I wouldn’t think you could say that until the numbers came in,” Bloom said.

For instance Kansas State, which trails No. 1 Tennessee by only 30 points in this week’s Associated Press poll, would pick up half a BCS point on UCLA should the Wildcats eventually make up the points difference.

Also, both Kansas State and UCLA’s BCS strength-of-schedule standing will be affected when Dec. 5 opponents Texas A&M; and Miami, respectively, play this weekend. Texas A&M; plays at Texas while Syracuse hosts Miami.

Uncertainty in the BCS is also holding up Rose Bowl plans.

Big Ten co-champion Wisconsin has not formally received an invitation because of the remote chance Ohio State could end up in the Fiesta Bowl. If that happened, the Rose Bowl would not be obligated to select Wisconsin, although the Badgers would probably still be the choice.

Wisconsin’s opponent is also yet to be determined.

If the Rose Bowl loses UCLA to the Fiesta Bowl, Arizona will get the bid, so long as the Wildcats defeat Arizona State on Friday. If Arizona loses, the Rose Bowl will wait until Dec. 6 to select. And the selection might still be Arizona.

* RANDY HARVEY: Knowing that strength of schedule is all important, UCLA fans should cheer for past and future Bruin opponents. Page 2

* IOWA COACH DEPARTS: After 20 seasons with the Hawkeyes, Hayden Fry retires, bidding an emotional goodbye after a 3-8 season. Page 6