NCAA Football Rankings 2012: Hits and Misses from Week 9 Polls

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The Week 9 AP poll and USA Today coaches' poll misfired on the No. 2 team in the land.

After Florida and Kansas State demolished ranked teams, both teams have better resumes than the Oregon Ducks.

However, both the coaches and the writers saw it differently. Oregon is still ranked at No. 2 with Florida and Kansas State following respectively.

So the polls missed on the No. 2 team in the country, but what did they get correctly?

Hit: Alabama Still No. 1 in Both Polls

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To be the man, you have to beat the man.

Well, in college football's case, to attain the No. 1 spot in the nation, you have to not only earn it, but you have to wait until Alabama slips up as well.

Sure, everyone thought Alabama would retain its No. 1 spot even if Florida beat South Carolina, but after the Gators obliterated the Gamecocks, the Crimson Tide's spot on top could have been in jeopardy.

In fact, the Gators received a first-place vote in the AP poll. However, they only received one. The rest of the voters had it right when they chose Alabama as No. 1.

Miss: Oregon No. 2 in Coaches' Poll and AP Poll

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At first glance, Florida ranked as the No. 2 team in the nation seemed a bit premature.

But after you dig in and start to compare teams' schedules, it is plain to see that Florida's resume is the most impressive in the nation.

Seriously, look at what this team has done. The Gators beat LSU, Tennessee and Texas A&M and are coming off an absolute obliteration against South Carolina.

And though Oregon has been blowing teams out in the first half, they can't offer that same resume. Heck, after Kansas State's 55-14 victory against West Virginia, an argument could be made that the Ducks deserve to be ranked at No. 4.

Hit: Coaches' Poll 5-10

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Hard to argue with the bottom half of the coaches' poll this week.

With their schedule and unblemished record, Notre Dame has earned the fifth slot. LSU still poses one of the best defenses in the nation along with a powerful running game, and as we've seen over the years, those are ingredients for a championship-caliber team.

Occupying the seventh spot is Oklahoma, and the Sooners have done nothing but beat teams by double digits after their 24-19 loss to Kansas State, including a double-digit win against Texas Tech.

Occupying the eighth spot is a talented USC team, and following the Trojans is an undefeated Oregon State team. Expect to find out a little more about the Beavers when they play Washington this week.

And finally, at No. 10 is a one-loss Florida State team that is still talented enough to enter the big showdown against Florida at 10-1.

Miss: West Virginia Still Ranked in Both Polls

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Is the flash of Geno Smith and West Virginia's style really that blinding?

How can the Mountaineers be ranked with such a painfully anemic defense?

This is the same defense that's given up over 2,250 yards in the last four games. That's an approximate average of 560 yards per game, folks.

Yet, here we are with West Virginia once again ranked in the Top 25. Unjustifiable.

Hit: AP Poll Ranking Texas Tech at No. 15

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Texas Tech is a dangerous team in the Big 12.

The Red Raiders have a strong and capable defense, and when the defense is struggling, the offense is able to win shootouts.

That was the case for Texas Tech last Saturday in its 56-53 overtime victory against TCU. Now, Texas Tech is 6-1 with significant wins against West Virginia and TCU.

Ranking the Red Raiders above unproven teams such as Louisville and Rutgers is the more logical approach. The coaches saw it differently.

Miss: Dropping Ohio State in AP Poll

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Winning by large margins should be significant, but there's also something special about a rally.

A game that paints the portrait of a team's soul is truly something unique. Ohio State vs. Purdue was a game that pushed a team against the wall and nearly crippled them offensively by taking away its best player.

That didn't stop the Buckeyes. The Buckeyes tied the game with three seconds left and then pulled out the 29-22 overtime victory, all after Braxton Miller went down with an injury.

This is a statement game that speaks volumes about the character of the Buckeyes. Ohio State didn't deserve to drop two spots in the AP poll after that.

Hit: Mississippi State Continues to Move Up in Both Polls

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The Bulldogs aren't flying under any radars anymore.

In the latest polls, Mississippi State is ranked No. 12 in the coaches' poll and No. 13 in the AP poll, which sets up a huge matchup Saturday.

That's right, the SEC West is on the line. Surprisingly, Mississippi State and Alabama are the lone two undefeated teams left in the SEC West, so both teams, along with LSU, control their own destiny.

And the high rankings aren't to boost TV ratings either. Mississippi State is a great football team with one of the best secondaries in the nation.

Miss: Louisiana Tech Ranked in Top 25

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Somebody missed Louisiana Tech.

After losing to Texas A&M two weeks ago, the Bulldogs received the boot from the Top 25 rankings. After beating Idaho 70-28 last Saturday, the Bulldogs are back in it.

The AP poll has Louisiana Tech occupying the No. 24 spot, which actually doesn't make a whole lot of sense when you think about it.

Louisiana Tech played one ranked opponent and lost to them only two weeks ago. Are other teams so noticeably bad that the Bulldogs got the nod, or does the high scoring affect voters' minds?