BCS Rankings: First Standings Massively Overrate Big East Squads

If the Big East blackmailed the BCS rankings, it wouldn't be difficult to get a conviction.

It'd be caught red handed.

In the first standings of the season, Rutgers is ranked at No. 15, Louisville No. 16 and Cincinnati No. 21. Those three Big East teams are easily the most overrated in the first standings of the season—so much so that you'd think they blackmailed the BCS.

The Scarlet Knights, Cardinals and Bearcats have yet to compete against a ranked opponent. In fact, not one of them is even scheduled to in 2012—besides when they face each other, of course. But this trio isn’t just dodging schools that are high in the polls.

They are avoiding winning programs altogether.

The only team with a winning record the Scarlet Knights beat this year is Howard. Yes, the 4-2 Bison of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

The Cardinals only defeated one too. But at least they took out North Carolina (golf clap).

The Bearcats actually knocked off two teams with winning records—Virginia Tech (golf clap) and the mighty 4-3 Fordham Rams of the Patriot.

UNC (which lost to Wake Forest) and VT (which lost to Pittsburgh) shouldn’t be the most impressive victories on a trio of ranked teams’ resumes.

Sure, while their resumes aren’t eye-opening, if there isn’t a squad with a superior one, no harm, no foul.

Ask Texas Tech if there’s no harm, no foul.

The Red Raiders are ranked No. 17 in the nation. While they did lose to No. 9 Oklahoma, their convincing victories over West Virginia and Iowa State without a doubt give them a more impressive resume than the Scarlet Knights and Cardinals.

Texas Tech has plenty of time to leapfrog the overrated duo, but if it missed out on a BSC bowl under similar circumstances, it’d be a travesty.

Week 8 BCS Rankings

Rank	Team
1	Alabama
2	Florida
3	Oregon
4	Kansas State
5	Notre Dame
6	LSU
7	South Carolina
8	Oregon State
9	Oklahoma
10	USC
11	Georgia
12	Mississippi State
13	West Virginia
14	Florida State
15	Rutgers
16	Louisville
17	Texas Tech
18	Texas A&M
19	Clemson
20	Stanford
21	Cincinnati
22	Boise State
23	TCU
24	Iowa State
25	Texas

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

Follow @TheRealDDaniels