Nov. 21, 2005
Nov. 21 BCS Standings in PDF Format
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EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern's football team is back in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Top-25 for the second time this season. The Wildcats are No. 25 in this week's edition, which follows a 38-21 win at Illinois on Saturday. NU is one of five Big Ten teams ranked in the top-25.
NU reached as high as No. 21 in the BCS rankings back on Oct. 24.
Northwestern won five of its final seven games to finish 7-4 overall and 5-3 in the Big Ten (third-place tie with Wisconsin, Michigan and Iowa). NU also won six or more games for a third consecutive year--a program first since 1931.
Next month, the Wildcats will make their fifth bowl appearance in the last 11 years. Northwestern will learn its bowl destination and opponent no later than Sunday, Dec. 4.
Big Ten co-champion Penn State (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten) leads the way for the conference at No. 3 overall, just one spot shy of earning a top-two ranking and a berth in the Rose Bowl, the BCS national championship game. Fellow co-champion Ohio State (9-2, 7-1) also appears near the top at sixth overall, followed by No. 17 Wisconsin (8-3, 5-3) and No. 22 Michigan (7-4, 5-3).
The BCS rankings will be announced each Monday through Nov. 28 and the final BCS poll will be announced on Sunday, Dec. 4. All teams with nine regular-season wins that rank among the top 12 in the final BCS standings are eligible for the two at-large spots in BCS bowls. The teams ranked No. 1 and 2 in the final BCS standings will meet for the national championship in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 4. If a Big Ten team is not ranked No. 1 or 2 in the final BCS poll, the conference's automatic BCS qualifier will play in the Fiesta, Orange or Sugar Bowl.