Almost all was quiet on the BCS front over the weekend, but what little happened had a big effect on the standings. While none of the top three teams lost, that didn't prevent a little shuffling of the order among them.

No. 4 Michigan also saw its remote Rose Bowl hopes end in East Lansing, although their loss (as usual) is someone else's gain. One team in particular is now sneaking around the back door to Pasadena as we enter the always exciting final stretch of the college football season.

Stock up: Washington
Nobody is talking about the Huskies, and there's a good reason for it. Outside of Washington's own fans, most people are expecting the inevitable slip -- the eventual failure to win a close game. And even if they don't, a 10-1 season only earned them the No. 4 spot in the BCS last year. Why would this year be any different? Why should we take this team seriously?

The truth is that even though we recognize their potential to fall on any given week, we must also respect their amazing ability to keep finding ways to win. IF the Huskies are able to win at Oregon State and at home against Washington State, they would be 9-1 when they travel cross country for a makeup date with Miami on Nov. 24. Although the odds would be against them, a monumental upset there might just be enough to put Washington in the national title game.

If Nebraska and Washington both win out, it is tough to see anyone other than Florida having a chance to keep the Huskies out of the No. 2 spot. Sure, it may be incredibly unlikely, but it's just something to think about.

Stock down: Tennessee
An important win for the Vols at Notre Dame has them back in the BCS top five for the first time since the end of the 1999 season, but the rest of November will not be kind to the Big Orange. Their next three opponents -- Memphis, Kentucky and Vanderbilt -- are a combined 5-17 against I-A competition this season, which means Tennessee is likely to fall in the rankings over the next few weeks. Regardless of margins of victory, they will take a dive in the schedule strength column and also lose a little bit of ground with the computers that don't consider game scores. Playing a close one (as the Vols often do against Memphis) during this stretch would do some additional damage in the other computers, as well.

But don't fear, Volunteers. A win in Gainesville on Dec. 1 would certainly set everything right for you -- even if it doesn't get your team into the national title game.

Under the radar
What to do with BYU is becoming a hot topic. Even though the Cougars won't reach the top six of the BCS Standings for automatic inclusion to a major bowl, they will still be eligible to be chosen as an at-large team if they can reach the final top 12 -- and it certainly appears that an undefeated season will get them there. Realistically, however, the only game that seems likely to consider the Cougars (because of proximity) is the Fiesta Bowl. Rumor has it, though, that the Fiesta wants to match the Pac-10 champion against the Big Ten champion if at all possible. Such a matchup would certainly draw local interest and, unfortunately for BYU, would also attract bigger markets for TV ratings. It's looking a lot like a trip to Memphis for the Cougars, although things might have been different in a year when the Rose Bowl wasn't hosting the national championship.

Another question making the rounds lately is whether the Big 12 can get three teams in the Bowl Championship Series. If Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas all win out through the regular season and the Sooners beat the Huskers in the conference title game, could NU and UT get the two BCS at-large bids? The answer is no. There is a rule that prevents any conference from having more than two teams in BCS bowls during the same season, and the rule is there for a very good reason. With more than $10 million per team on the line for an at-large spot, there is already an abundance of politicking going on between the bowls and conference representatives. Giving a payout of approximately $35 million to one conference would likely create all sorts of accusations of improprieties from other conferences and, in turn, become a huge public relations nightmare for the BCS. Some things are better left alone.

If the season ended today...
It has finally sorted itself out to Nebraska and Miami at the top, and don't expect that to change unless either team loses a game. Oklahoma is still fairly close behind, but the gap between the teams will widen with the Hurricanes' home stretch against BC, Syracuse, Washington and Virginia Tech. By the end of November, Miami will be a very solid number two team.

Official BCS Standings
1. Nebraska
2. Miami
3. Oklahoma
4. Tennessee
5. Texas
6. Oregon
7. Florida
8. Washington
9. Washington St.
10. Michigan

BCS Game of the Week: Florida at South Carolina
For the Gators, this is the start of a four-game stretch that will make or break their national title hopes. Beating Carolina, Florida State, Tennessee and then winning the SEC title game would put UF in the hunt, but a loss to the Gamecocks will keep them from even winning their division of the conference.

And South Carolina has its own visions of an SEC East title. All they need is a win over Florida, and then for the Gators to beat Tennessee in Gainesville. As difficult as this might be, the Volunteers should be rooting for Steve Spurrier this weekend. A win by USC would not only kill Florida's national championship dreams but would likely take Tennessee's down with them. The Vols need significant bonus points for a win over Florida, but they will not get them if the Gators lose to either South Carolina or FSU first.

Brad Edwards is a college football researcher for ESPN. Inside the BCS appears weekly.