BCS Rankings 2010: Too High, Low, Just Right? Analyzing BCS Spot By Spot
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The first BCS Rankings poll of the season has been released and there will be a lot of reaction over the next few hours.
The surprise of the night is at the top spot in college football. After Alabama and Ohio State lost in consecutive weeks, the computers decided to award the Oklahoma Sooners with the top spot in the land.
We'll go spot by spot and talk about each team, are they too high, are they too low, or are they just right. We'll also talk about those that shouldn't be anywhere near where they are.
Ready for some controversy? I thought so.
This is a team that will be debated and debated for quite some time.
Boise State's win over this Virginia Tech team was called "soft" especially after the Hokies dropped their next game at home against James Madison.
So how do you explain the Hokies being back in the rankings, at number 25, and does Boise State's win look a little better than it did at the beginning of the year?
Through the first three games of the season, the Mississippi State had dropped back-to-back games against Auburn and LSU, both of which look good especially since they only lost to Auburn by three.
But, where they're ranked now has me wondering if they're in the rankings at all because of their win over Florida, on the road, on Saturday.
I'm not bashing the Bulldogs, just a curious thought.
I'm going to give Arkansas all the credit in the world but it doesn't mean I'm going to move them any higher than the BCS poll has them.
If you look at games against Alabama and against Auburn this past weekend, they were a few plays and a few breaks here and there away from being another unbeaten team and a lot higher in the polls.
This is a good football team that suffered some tough breaks. It's the way things go some times.
I don't know if I'm the only one but I'm not sold on Kansas State just yet, even after a blowout win against a less than bad Kansas team.
With their lone loss coming against Nebraska, their wins have come against Central Florida, Iowa State, Missouri State, and UCLA
I'm waiting to see if the Wildcats can do in the backside of their schedule.
I'll give South Carolina a lot of credit for knocking off Alabama, but they did it at home.
I'm not saying they can't win games away from home but they are winless in both of the games they've played away from their own place which includes losses to Auburn and just recently Kentucky.
How are they going to do on the road against Vanderbilt and Florida when they visit those two spots? I'll give them a win over Vanderbilt since they are normally the cellar dwellars in the SEC but what about Florida?
Strength of schedule is going to be the biggest debate that is going to come out of the BCS poll and that argument can be made against West Virginia being where they are.
They are 5-1 through six games with wins over South Florida, UNLV, Maryland, Marshall, and Coastal Carolina.
So, like I said, I'm not convinced that West Virginia has done more than a few other teams behind them to be where they're at.
After getting embarrassed at home against UCLA, I didn't think we'd see Texas back in the top 25 any time soon.
Apparently it took a big win over Nebraska on the road to change all that. The Longhorns seem to be finally figuring things out, at least it looked that way on Saturday.
They are just one of five teams that are in the BCS poll with two losses.
The USA Today Poll and the BCS poll agree. How about that?
The Arizona Wildcats are ranked 18th in both polls and are sitting just in front of the Texas Longhorns who came up with a big win on Saturday against Nebraska.
Arizona has a big win against Iowa who was in the top 10 when they came to town. Their lone loss to Oregon State might not be looking so hot after the Beavers dropped a double-overtime game to Washington on Saturday.
They'll be just fine and they have a few more games to prove just how good they are.
The Florida State Seminoles come in at number 17 in the BCS poll, one spot behind Nebraska and one spot in front of Arizona.
Their loss against Oklahoma is now not looking as bad as it did to start the season, though it doesn't make it any less lopsided.
They kind of made up for it by throttling in-state rival Miami 45-17 a week ago before they had to scratch and claw for a five point win over Boston College.
To all of us who picked you to beat Texas, we thank you Nebraska. We just want to extend our hands and shake the hand of the team that completely made us look like fools by picking you to win.
You were at home, against a team that got embarrassed by UCLA, and we were sure this was a definite win. Guess not.
The Cornhuskers are apparently worse than we all thought they were. Are they really as bad as what we saw on Saturday against Texas or is there a bounce-back somewhere in their future?
Yes I know Iowa lost to Arizona, on the road, but this team isn't the same team that went to Arizona and dropped a seven point decision in the desert.
Since that loss to the Wildcats, the Hawkeyes are giving up just a little over 10 points per game which includes giving up just three points to Penn State who was ranked 22nd at the time.
A week after that win over the Nittany Lions, Iowa went to the Bighouse and took down Denard Robinson and Michigan, 38-28.
Seems like we keep going back to strength of schedule but it seems like the one argument that we'll keep going to time and time again until the BCS gets it a little bit right.
Oklahoma State is one of those teams that we can talk about. Though they did pick up a 17-point win on the road against Texas Tech, the rest of their schedule has been lackluster at best.
Not to say that they're not a good team because they do have some talented players, but I'll change my opinion if they put on a good show against Nebraska next weekend.
The Wisconsin Badgers put on a show against top ranked Ohio State. Even if it was at home, they still beat the team that was said to be the best team in the country.
I might argue that being behind the Missouri Tigers should be considered an insult. As a college football fan, as any fan would do, we can talk about strength of schedule when it comes to the Tigers.
However, with Wisconsin, you can also make the argument that while they knocked off the Buckeyes at home, they fell 34-24 to Michigan State on the road.
Sitting between the 12th and 14th spot in the both the AP and Coaches Polls, the Stanford Cardinal seem to be right where they should be.
Although sitting behind Missouri doesn't seem quite right, but then again, it's a computer ranking the teams, not a human being.
The Cardinals lone loss came to an Oregon team that was one of the top three teams in the country at the time and was also playing at home. A place where Oregon doesn't lose very much.
The Missouri Tigers aren't the only team that is unbeaten and is on the outside of the top 10 looking in. What isn't quite right is where they are in the BCS poll.
Sitting in front of teams like Wisconsin, Stanford, and Oklahoma State, isn't where they should be especially because you won't convince me that they're better than any of those three teams.
This is the same Missouri team that should have been beaten by San Diego State just a few weeks ago.


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