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Baylor closed in on third-place Ohio State in the latest BCS standings.

The Bears and Buckeyes have little hope of catching first-place Alabama or second-place Florida State in the race to the BCS championship game without a loss from one of the top two. Ohio State and Baylor are fighting for the right to be next in line if the Tide or 'Noles slip up.

The Buckeyes are ahead of the Bears in both the Harris and USA Today coaches' polls, but behind Baylor in the computer rankings. The combined average of the six computer rankings has the Bears third, with Alabama and Florida State tied for first. Ohio State is fifth in the computers.

Ohio State has a BCS average of .8869. Baylor's is .8856.

The Bears look primed to pass the Buckeyes next week if they can beat Oklahoma State on Saturday. The Cowboys are 10th in the BCS standings and a game behind the Bears in the Big 12 standings. The Bears play at TCU on Thanksgiving weekend and then close with Texas at home.

Ohio State plays Indiana next week, then goes to Michigan. The Buckeyes can clinch a spot in the Big Ten championship game by beating the Hoosiers. —

BCS Standings

Avg Pv

1. Alabama .9914 1

2. Florida St. .9661 2

3. Ohio St. .8869 3

4. Baylor .8856 5

5. Oregon .7917 6

6. Auburn .7860 7

7. Clemson .7681 8

8. Missouri .7231 9

9. Stanford .6238 4

10. Oklahoma St. .5890 12

11. South Carolina .5883 10

12. Texas A&M .5394 11

13. Michigan St. .4646 16

14. UCLA .4615 13

15. Fresno St. .4134 14

16. N. Illinois .3729 15

17. Arizona St. .3414 19

18. UCF .3033 17

19. Wisconsin .2907 22

20. Oklahoma .2760 18

21. Louisville .2664 20

22. LSU .2645 21

23. Southern Cal .1070 NR

24. Mississippi .1048 NR

25. Minnesota .0604 NR

AP Top 25 poll

Record Pts Pv

1. Alabama (55) 10-0 1,495 1

2. Florida St. (5) 10-0 1,445 2

3. Baylor 9-0 1,351 4

4. Ohio St. 10-0 1,343 3

5. Oregon 9-1 1,210 6

6. Auburn 10-1 1,205 7

7. Clemson 9-1 1,115 8

8. Missouri 9-1 1,067 9

9. Texas A&M 8-2 956 10

10. Stanford 8-2 899 5

11. Oklahoma St. 9-1 889 12

12. South Carolina 8-2 870 11

13. Michigan St. 9-1 749 14

14. UCLA 8-2 710 13

15. Fresno St. 9-0 572 16

16. Wisconsin 8-2 559 17

17. UCF 8-1 535 15

18. LSU 7-3 439 18

19. Arizona St. 8-2 430 21

20. N. Illinois 10-0 426 20

21. Louisville 9-1 412 19

22. Oklahoma 8-2 318 22

23. Southern Cal 8-3 187 NR

24. Mississippi 7-3 119 NR

25. Duke 8-2 94 NR

Others receiving votes • Minnesota 77, Notre Dame 11, Texas 10, Georgia 5, Cincinnati 1, Nebraska 1.