NCAA Football Rankings 2012: Hits and Misses from Week 13 Polls

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The USA Today coaches' poll and AP poll were more wrong than right in the Week 13 polls.

For instance, both polls nailed the Top Three perfectly, but the teams that followed behind are all out of sorts. There's no reason the coaches' poll should have Oregon at No. 4 following its loss and then have Kansas State at No. 8.

And as for both polls, how could you leave Stanford out of the Top 10 following its huge upset victory Saturday night?

Here are the biggest hits and misses in both of the latest polls.

Hit: Top 3 for Both Polls

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Though it's a gimme, both polls correctly placed the Top Three teams.

Hey, with some of these voters, you never know how they'll vote. So let's give credit to 'em when they make the right picks.

Notre Dame should undoubtedly be No. 1; the Irish are the only qualifying team with an undefeated record. They've earned the claim as the best in the country for the time being.

As for Alabama and Georgia following, it's a no-brainer. Alabama is still thought to be the best one-loss team in the country, and Georgia's reeled off five straight victories since its only loss. The polls should reflect relevance, and currently, these are the top teams.

Miss: Florida State in Top 5 in Coaches' Poll

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No one respects the ACC.

Can we just get that out of the way right now? Can we just all agree that the ACC has two good teams in Florida State and Clemson, and the rest of the conference is horrid?

Both Florida State and Clemson are 10-1, and the next best in the conference is a 7-4 North Carolina followed by a few 6-5 teams.

With Florida State's only loss coming against a team with a 6-5 record, how can anyone say the Seminoles are worthy of a Top Five ranking? Seriously, is something missing here?

Hit: Dropping Louisiana Tech, USC and Texas Tech out of Both Polls

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First of all, both polls were right to drop Louisiana Tech, USC and Texas Tech.

Good job on that aspect.

For Louisiana Tech and Texas Tech, it's not necessarily that big of a deal; both schools had great seasons and achieved a lot.

But as for USC, this is an absolute nightmare because of the expectations. Allow this slide to serve as a soapbox for a moment.

Let's recap this season, shall we? The mighty Trojans, who came into this season ranked No. 1 in the country, are no longer ranked. USC has four losses this season, including a loss to rival UCLA.

This is just another reason why the preseason polls should carry absolutely no merit.

Miss: Stanford Outside Top 10 in Both Polls

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Both polls really dropped the ball on this one.

Stanford beats Oregon, and you don't credit the Cardinal with a Top 10 ranking? Come on. They beat Oregon in Eugene for heaven's sake.

Statistically, Stanford had the No. 1 rush defense in the country heading into the game against Oregon. And after allowing 198 rushing yards and just 14 points to the high-flying Ducks, it's easy to see that this team belongs in the Top 10.

Much like it did in South Bend earlier this year, Stanford once again gets shafted.

Hit: UCLA at No. 15 in AP

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UCLA has a strong enough resume to move up in the polls, and the AP poll obliged.

Moving ahead of Oregon State and Nebraska, UCLA moved to the No. 15 slot after its big win against the USC Trojans Saturday night.

The win was significant not just because of all of the city of Los Angeles drama. Oh no, this had much bigger ramifications involved.

With the win, UCLA will now play in the Pac-12 championship. After beating ranked teams in USC, Arizona and Nebraska this season, the Bruins were certainly worthy of moving up in the polls.

Miss: Utah State Being Ranked in Top 25 of AP Poll

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Some people have been drinking the Kool-Aid, haven't they?

Utah State upsets Louisiana Tech, and all of a sudden its a Top 25 team? What if the Aggies upsetting the Bulldogs meant that Louisiana Tech wasn't a Top 25 team instead?

Give Utah State a lot of credit. This is a team that's 9-2 and first in the WAC, but come on, it's not a Top 25 team.

That was proven when the team lost to Wisconsin and BYU earlier this season.

Are the Aggies good? Sure. But can they beat automatic qualifiers? Well, that's a different story.

Hit: Boise State Left out of AP Poll

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Even though the coaches might not get it, the writers certainly do.

Look, Boise State does not deserve to be in the Top 25 with two losses on its immensely weak schedule.

Boise State has a loss to an underachieving Michigan State team and a San Diego State team that's third in the MWC.

But just because this is Boise State, it gets a pass because of prior successful seasons. That's the only reason available for the Broncos' ranking at No. 22 in the coaches' poll. It's a good thing the writers don't see it in the same light.