The week ten USA Today/Coaches poll is out and the top five remained steady while the rest of the poll saw some shake-up with the various upsets of the day. Clemson, Michigan State and Kansas State both lost, which allowed several other teams ot make a modest climb. Oregon, Oklahoma and Arkansas all moved up one spot, while Nebraska was the big gainer on the day, moving from No. 13 to No. 9.
At this point, Stanford has little room for movement in the human polls. They remain third in the coaches poll and likely will be fourth again in the Harris Poll. Their best bet for upward movement in the BCS comes from boosting their computer ratings. They did so with a thrilling 56-48 win over USC Saturday evening, and will have a second chance to do so against the Oregon Ducks in two weeks.
We get a chance for some real shakeup next week as No. 1 LSU battles No. 2 Alabama. What will be most interesting to see is how a close loss affects the loser of that game. Is it enough to get Stanford up into the number two spot if they beat Oregon State? Stanford fans should be rooting for a one-sided affair. If either team is a big loser, it is much easier to justify dropping them a couple spots.
Additionally, No. 4 Oklahoma State (third in the BCS) hosts Kansas State. The Wildcats were knocked from their undefeated perch by Oklahoma, but they remain dangerous.
Here are your top ten from the USA Today/Coaches Poll:
1. LSU
2. Alabama
3. Stanford
4. Oklahoma State
5. Boise State
6. Oregon
7. Oklahoma
8. Arkansas
9. Nebraska
10. South Carolina