The fog that rolled into Resar Stadium in Corvallis, Ore., during the USC-Oregon State game on Saturday night was a fitting metaphor for the Bowl Championship Series picture. Saturday’s events served only to muddle the BCS outlook a week after several upsets had helped to clarify it.

Four of the six remaining undefeated teams won on Saturday (BCS no. 3 Auburn and no. 12 Boise State were idle), but the teams atop the BCS standings, no. 1 USC and no. 2 Oklahoma, raised more questions than answers Saturday.

Conventional wisdom suggested that USC and Oklahoma simply had to win their remaining games to reach the BCS title game, to be played this year in the Orange Bowl. Coaches know better, however.

The human pollsters who vote in the AP writers’ poll and the ESPN/USA Today coaches’ poll account for two-thirds of the BCS formula, and humans are impressed by “style points”- factors such as margin of victory over an inferior opponent – which are wholly excluded by the computer polls that make up the final third of the BCS formula.

Those voters noticed USC’s performance in Corvallis, where the Trojans played in a fog, both literally and figuratively, for much of their close win over 17 1 /2-point underdog Oregon State. As a thick blanket of haze covered the stadium, Oregon State grabbed an early 13-0 lead before USC marched back for a 28-20 win – but lost first-place votes in both polls.

Oklahoma, facing a tougher test on the road at Texas A&M, might have become the first team in history to surrender touchdowns on both a fake punt and a fake field goal and still win. The Sooners were able to prevail because of opportune turnovers – A &M committed three early in the third quarter, including two deep in its own territory – and a brilliant, 80-yard drive for the winning touchdown directed by Heisman winner Jason White.

Still, Oklahoma remained no. 2 in both polls. The Sooners did pick up additional first-place votes in each, but voters no doubt took note of an Oklahoma defense that has given up 70 combined points over the last two weeks. They also noticed that Oklahoma beat Texas A &M 77-0 last year, and that BCS no. 6 Utah had a much easier time in a 41-21 win over the Aggies in September.

The biggest beneficiaries of the struggles of USC and Oklahoma were Auburn and BCS no.5Wisconsin,which scored on its first five possessions in a 38-14 rout of Minnesota.

Wisconsin has consistently been the lowest-ranked undefeated team from the BCS conferences, largely because its limited offense has not generated attention-grabbing scoreboard fireworks. But that may be changing. Quarterback John Stocco threw for 297 yards Saturday and accounted for three touchdowns (two rushing) to lead an attack that gained 525 yards against the Gophers.

The remaining schedule is a huge factor in determining which two teams will play in the Orange Bowl. Oklahoma will not have another chance to impress the voters against a quality opponent, with remaining games against Nebraska (5-4), Baylor (3-6), and either Nebraska again or Iowa State (5-4) in the Big 12 championship game. Its strength of schedule, which is no longer a stand-alone component of the BCS standings but is still a factor in the computer polls, has peaked for the year.

Auburn used its bye week to rest up for a date with 8-1 Georgia next Saturday. An impressive win over the Bulldogs could propel the Tigers to an Orange Bowl berth. Assuming it remains unbeaten, Auburn will have another chance to impress voters in the SEC Championship game, likely against Tennessee or Georgia. The Tigers also benefit from the depth of the SEC, which, unlike the Big 12, has solid teams in both divisions.

Wisconsin’s remaining games are against Michigan State and Iowa, good but not great teams, so the Badgers must continue to win by large margins to move up in the rankings. Two wins probably means a berth in the Rose, not the Orange Bowl for the Badgers.

California, which entered the weekend ranked one spot ahead of Wisconsin in the BCS at no. 4, struggled to a one-point win over Oregon on Saturday. Cal’s remaining schedule – games against lightly regarded Pac-10 foes Washington and Stanford, as well as a makeup of a hurricane-delayed game against Southern Miss – won’t help it with the computers. The Bears have probably missed out on their chance for a national championship, but are still a likely choice for the Rose Bowl if USC qualifies for the Orange.

The wildcard in the BCS standings is no.6 Utah. The Utes continue to destroy opponents on a weekly basis, the latest blowout coming by a 63-21 count against Colorado State. Utah, a member of the Mountain West Conference, stands to become the first team from a non-BCS conference to qualify for a BCS berth. To do so, it will likely have to hold the sixth spot in the standings, the lowest position that still guarantees an invite. Working against the Utes is their strength of schedule, which will suffer in games against Wyoming and BYU.

Should strength of schedule push Utah out of the top six spots in the BCS, next in line to grab an at-large invite would probably be Texas – which scored the last 49 points in a bizarre 56-35 win over Oklahoma State Saturday – or Michigan, which was idle. Both could finish 10-1 and are the type of schools that travel well: They have huge alumni and fan bases that will show up at the bowl site and watch on TV. Even in this age of complex BCS formulas, the simple economics of ticket sales and television ratings still factor into who plays where.

Mr. Levine writes for FootballOutsiders.com