The Stanford Cardinal have climbed up to the No. 4 position in the week ten BCS rankings and they cannot help but salivate at the possibilities in front of them when it comes to possible January bowl plans. If the season ended today, Stanford would project into the Rose Bowl where they would face the winner of the Big Ten. Right now that would be one of Penn State, Michigan and Nebraska.
The more enticing option for Stanford is a shot at the BCS National Championship Game on January 9 in New Orleans. The Cardinal currently sit fourth in the BCS, which means they have to leap two more teams to get that coveted number two spot in the rankings. LSU is first, Alabama is second and Oklahoma State is third. The Tigers and Crimson Tide square off next Saturday in Tuscaloosa, in a game that will solidify the chances of one of the two SEC teams. Meanwhile, Oklahoma State will host Kansas State looking to continue the best run in Cowboys history.
All of this could be for naught if Stanford does not handle their business in the coming weeks. Most notably they face the Oregon Ducks in two weeks, but they have plenty of other matchups to deal with along the way. If Stanford were to lose to Oregon, they would still have a shot at the Rose Bowl if the committee wants to maintain the traditional Pac-12-Big Ten matchup.
Head over to SBNation.com to view the 2011 College Football Bowl Schedule.