NEW YORK — Louisville is looking good.

The Cardinals (8-0) surged into third place in the Bowl Championship Series standings Sunday, putting some distance between themselves and the other title contenders.

Louisville has four games left, three against teams with winning records, and it looks as if the Cardinals are a good bet to earn a spot in the national championship game if they stay unbeaten — though not quite a lock.

Ohio State (10-0) and Michigan (10-0) remained at the top of the BCS standings, despite ugly wins on Saturday, and on course to meet Nov. 18 in Columbus with a bid to the Jan. 8 title game in Glendale, Ariz., on the line.

But the Cardinals were the big winners this week. Their 44-34 victory over West Virginia, last week's third-place team, gave them the necessary boost to jump over fourth-place Florida. And with another big game Thursday night at undefeated Rutgers, the Cardinals are in position to get another bump up with a victory.

Louisville was third in the latest Harris poll, fourth in the coaches' poll and third in the computer rankings for a BCS average of .8907. Each of those components account for one-third of a BCS average.

"I wouldn't go so far as to say (the Cardinals) control their own destiny because you never know what the voters do," BCS analyst Jerry Palm said.

Ohio State is an overwhelming No. 1 in the polls and second in the computers. Michigan is second in the polls but first in the computers.

Once-beaten Florida stayed in fourth with an average of .8017, and Texas (.7998) made a big jump from seventh to fifth, just a shade behind the Gators.

Auburn (.7814) is not far behind in sixth, followed by USC, California, Notre Dame and West Virginia.