BCS Bowl Projections: Teams That Will Be Exposed as Flukes

Fake teams can’t hide in bowl games.

Despite underwhelming resumes, a handful of teams have managed to deceive the polls and BCS to earn themselves bowl matchups in which they’re not deserving of. While the game’s payoff will be a positive outcome of the bid regardless, the following schools will be exposed as phonies between the lines. 

Here are three squads whose fluke regular seasons will end on a sour note.

3. Penn State

The Nittnay Lions managed to go all year long in the mighty Big Ten without beating a ranked opponent, yet they still finished No. 22 in the nation. Either the Big Ten had a down year, the top 25 had a down year or voters just weren’t paying attention. Sure, their opponent in Houston didn’t defeat a ranked team either, but led by Case Keenum, their offense had a historic 2011 campaign.

Penn State may boast the fifth-ranked defense in the nation, surrendering an average of 15.7 points per game, but when they actually played a team with respectable offensive talent in Wisconsin, they were slaughtered, 45-7. Houston averages 50.8 points a contest and will put up big numbers on the Nittnay Lions.

2. Virginia Tech

Georgia Tech, an unranked team at season’s ended, happened to be the only top 25 team that the Hokies beat this year. They even had two shots at Clemson, but were beat down each time. Virginia Tech didn’t deserve a trip to the Sugar Bowl, and Michigan will show the nation why.

Like Penn State, VT supposedly has a top-notch defense, as they’re ranked eighth in the country, but pitiful teams like Appalachian State, East Carolina, Arkansas State, Marshall and Duke make their average what it is. Clemson rushed for 336 yards in their two games against the Hokies this season.  If the Tigers can have that much success, just imagine what Denard Robinson and the Wolverines will be able to do.

1. West Virginia

If you’re capable of noticing a trend, you could predict that the Mountaineers don’t have too many wins against ranked opponents. Correct. In fact, they have zero. Tears of laughter are streaming down the faces of Syracuse fans over the fact that West Virginia is in the Orange Bowl. 

The Orange owned WVU, 49-23, in a game that ended up being Syracuse’s last win of the year.  Clemson, a legitimate talent, is going to man-handle the Mountaineers. West Virginia is so bad that they can’t even fake a good defense like Penn State and VT, as they allow an average of 26.3 points per game…and they play in the Big East.

David Daniels is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

Follow @TheRealDDaniels