Oklahoma Closes Gap on Miami

Nebraska and Miami struggled at times Saturday, but both unbeaten teams remained on course to play for a national championship in the Rose Bowl.

The Cornhuskers held first place and the Hurricanes remained second in the bowl championship series standings released Monday, with third-place Oklahoma gaining ground on Miami.

Nebraska, 11-0 after a 31-21 victory over Kansas State, strengthened its lead atop the rankings that determine who plays in Pasadena on Jan. 3. The Huskers have 2.20 points under the BCS formula, while the Hurricanes, 8-0 after an 18-7 win over Boston College, followed with 7.31 points.

The Sooners, 9-1 after their 31-10 win over Texas A&M;, had 7.89 points, .58 behind Miami. Last week, the Hurricanes held a 1.22-point lead over Oklahoma.

The BCS standings are based on a formula that incorporates the AP media and USA Today/ESPN coaches’ polls, eight computers, strength of schedule, won-lost record and bonus points for big wins.

Miami retained its No. 1 ranking in the AP poll, while Nebraska replaced Miami atop the coaches’ poll. The Hurricanes also lost ground in the computers.

Oregon (9-1) moved up two spots to fourth. The Ducks, who beat UCLA, 21-20, have 11.97 points, just ahead of fifth-place Florida (8-1), with 11.98 points.

Texas (9-1) dropped one spot to sixth, followed by Tennessee (7-1), Washington State (9-1), Stanford (6-2) and Illinois (8-1).

BYU (10-0), the only other major college unbeaten team, remained 13th in the 15-team standings.

Nebraska’s 2.20-point breakdown: 1.5 for poll average, one for computer average, one for strength of schedule, zero for won-loss record and a 1.3-bonus point deduction for beating Oklahoma on Oct. 27.

The bonus, new this season, is awarded on a scale from 1.5 points for beating a first-place team down to .1 for a win over the 15th-place team. The bonus is awarded after the other elements are calculated.

Miami (7.31) had 1.5 points for poll average, 3.17 for computer average, 2.64 for strength of schedule, zero for won-loss record and no bonus-point deduction.

Oklahoma (7.89) had 3.5 for poll average, 3.67 for computer average, 0.72 for strength of schedule, one for won-loss record and a one-point deduction for beating Texas on Oct. 6.

Looking ahead, the schedule still favors Miami over Oklahoma. But watch out for Florida, which has a finishing kick of games against Florida State, Tennessee and a possible SEC title matchup on Dec. 8.

The Hurricanes are home to Syracuse (8-2) and Washington (7-2), and finish at Virginia Tech (7-2).

The Sooners visit Texas Tech (6-3) and Oklahoma State (2-7) before a likely rematch against Nebraska in the Big 12 title game.