Bovada’s updated BCS futures (Week 8)

Published on Monday, 10/14/13, at 4:35 p.m .Eastern.

By Brian Edwards

Alabama +170 (risk $100 to win $170)
Oregon +210
Ohio St. 6/1
Baylor 12/1
Clemson 12/1
FSU 12/1
LSU 14/1
Louisville 25/1
Miami 25/1
Texas A&M 25/1
UCLA 40/1
Missouri 100/1
South Carolina 100/1
Stanford 100/1

Best Value: Stanford & South Carolina.

The only blemish on South Carolina’s resume is a loss at Georgia in a close game when the Bulldogs were at full strength. The Gamecocks have three remaining games that can serve as huge resume boosters — at Missouri without QB James Franklin, vs. Florida (which has five key players out for the season w/ injuries) and vs. Clemson.

Stanford is off a tough loss at Utah but if it can win out, the Cardinal will probably own the best resume of one-loss teams. David Shaw’s team can bolster its profile in games vs. UCLA, at Oregon St., vs. Oregon, at USC and vs. Notre Dame. Obviously, winning all of those will be an immense challenge, but crazier things have certainly happened.

What about Oregon and Alabama, you ask? Well, if South Carolina wins the SEC East, it would get a shot at Alabama in Atlanta (of course, LSU & Texas A&M could get there, too). And Stanford gets Oregon at home as previously mentioned. I’m not saying it will happen but I think a one-loss Stanford or South Carolina would be more deserving of a bid to the BCS Championship Game even if Ohio St. goes unbeaten. In fact, that’s a complete no-brainer. Let’s just hope the Buckeyes go down at Michigan or in the Big Ten title game. Obviously, South Carolina wants Clemson to beat FSU this weekend and be unbeaten when it comes to Columbia. The Gamecocks have beaten Clemson by double-digit margins in each of the last four head-to-head meetings.