So when Jones' Hawai'i team won its first eight games this season, he told his players, "This is like the NFL playoffs." What the Warriors' ninth-year coach meant was if his team could win its last four games, it would have an excellent chance of finishing in the top 12 of the Bowl Championship Series standings and automatically qualifying for a BCS bowl.

Anything short of perfection, he knew, wouldn't be good enough.

"We've won three of them," Jones said today. "Now, we've got to get the fourth."

When the standings were revealed today, the Warriors (11-0) were — at least for this week — where they need to be. They're 12th in the BCS following Friday night's victory against Boise State, which secured the Western Athletic Conference title.

The last hurdle for Hawai'i is a non-league game Saturday against Washington (4-8), a team that also beat Boise State and has played the hardest schedule in the nation, according to Jeff Sagarin's computer ratings.

"There's no question they're a better team than their record," said Jones.

Hawai'i's position could be enhanced by a loss or two by the teams above it in the standings. If No. 11 Boston College were to lose the Atlantic Coast Conference title game to No. 6 Virginia Tech or if No. 9 Oklahoma falls to No. 1 Missouri for the Big 12 championship, it could give the Warriors a cushion in case they struggle to beat Washington.

There's a chance a victory by No. 14 Tennessee in the Southeastern Conference title game against No. 7 LSU could vault the Volunteers ahead of Hawai'i next week. But if LSU loses, would it drop behind the Warriors?

No. 13 Arizona State plays Arizona.

"We can't worry about that stuff," says Jones. "I just know it would be unconscionable if an undefeated team did what we did and did not get in. But I guess it could happen."

As one of the most unpredictable seasons in memory hits the finish line, several teams as well as members of bowl committees will be speculating and keeping their fingers crossed as they await the unveiling of the final BCS standings next Sunday.

If Big Ten champ Ohio State makes the national championship game, and unless No. 15 Illinois, whose regular season is over, moves into the top 14 of the final standings, the Rose Bowl could have to break its tradition of a Big Ten-Pacific 10 matchup because Ohio State would be the only eligible team from the Big Ten in the BCS pool.

According to BCS rules, teams need to have at least nine wins and finish in the top 14 of the standings to qualify for an at-large berth.

However, no more than two teams from any conference can secure spots among the five BCS games. If the BCS can't fill all 10 spots for its games under those rules, it will expand the at-large pool to 18 teams.

The Pac-10 side of the Rose Bowl is also up in the air. Southern California is in line to win its sixth consecutive conference title if it beats UCLA next weekend. But even the Bruins are alive.