'Bama, Oregon among teams that control destiny at halfway point

We've hit the halfway point of the season, and it's time to talk destiny. Some teams remain the captains of their own national title chances, while others have already begun rooting for conference foes they normally hate to get them back into the race. Today, we're going to focus on the teams that still have a chance to win their way into the national title game.

ACC
Still in control: None
Florida State would have been in control had it not lost at NC State, but it would take a lot for a one-loss ACC champ to make the BCS title game.

Big 12
Still in control: Kansas State
As long as the Wildcats keep winning, no one else stands a chance. But Las Vegas says they'll lose this week in Morgantown. That would bring West Virginia, Oklahoma and the TCU-Texas Tech winner back into play. The Big 12 is the deepest league in the country, and if it comes down to arguments about which one-loss champ deserves a slot in the game, the Big 12's champ will have an excellent case.

Big East
Still in control: None
Cincinnati, Louisville and Rutgers are undefeated, but barring a dramatic shift in pollster and computer opinion, one of these teams could go 12-0 and probably still wouldn't have a chance to play for the national title. As an aside, these are not the only teams that control their destiny in the race for the Big East title. Temple is also 2-0 in league play.

Big Ten
Still in control: None
Ohio State is undefeated but ineligible to play in the postseason. Of the rest, only Northwestern has fewer than two losses.

Pac-12
Still in control: Arizona State, Oregon, Oregon State, USC
Arizona State has a loss to Missouri and USC has a loss to Stanford, but a pair of wins against Oregon -- which either would need to win the Pac-12 and remain in the national title race -- would ease voters' minds. Meanwhile, the Oregon schools are in control for as long as they keep winning, which could make for the highest stakes Civil War ever played.

SEC
Still in control: Alabama, Florida, LSU, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Texas A&M
Since four of these teams are in the SEC West, three of them are guaranteed to fall away. Meanwhile, Saturday's Florida-South Carolina game probably will eliminate another contender.

Independents and Non-AQ conferences
Still in control: Notre Dame
The Fighting Irish will make a BCS bowl if they go 4-2 the rest of the way. But if they win at Oklahoma and at USC and finish 12-0, they'll be a computer darling.

NCAA Football Power Rankings

Next five: Louisiana Tech, Texas, Boise State, Washington, Ohio

Andy Staples' Power Rankings also serve as his ballot in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.