BCS Rankings 2012: 5 Teams That Got Screwed in the First Rankings

The first round of BCS rankings always brings chatter surrounding which teams were favored too much or too little. 

Nothing changed this season, as five teams were blatantly screwed in the first release of the BCS poll for 2012. The most obvious team that was kicked to the side was Oregon. The Ducks have throttled every team that they've played, but they still fell to the No. 3 spot.

Other teams include an undefeated Cincinnati squad, which has a two-loss Stanford team ranked above it, and the Texas Tech Red Raiders, who destroyed a then-No. 5 West Virginia squad and barely broke the Top 20. 

Looking at the rankings that dropped on Sunday, here are the five teams that got shafted in the latest poll release. 

No. 3 Oregon Ducks

The Oregon Ducks have fielded the most explosive offense in the country for what seems like the past decade in college football. There hasn’t been a hint of a drop-off in performance this season, but the Ducks still landed at the No. 3 position in the BCS. 

The Ducks have the No. 8 scoring offense and the No. 8 total offense in the country so far this season. They are averaging 297 yards a game on the ground. 

The Oregon defense has produced much better results than it has in the past few years, helping to add to the strength of this Ducks squad.

The Ducks took a hit after the No. 2 Florida Gators jumped them in the BCS rankings. Florida has been good defensively, but the offense has faced some issues. By the end of the season, the Gators will likely drop and the Ducks should rise. But for the first release, the Ducks got screwed by being pushed to the No. 3 position in the BCS.

No. 12 Mississippi State Bulldogs

The Bulldogs are in a great position, falling into the Top 15 with the initial release of the BCS rankings. The Bulldogs have played some tough competition and have looked very good defensively every week. 

Tyler Russell has become a big playmaker at quarterback for the Bulldogs, tossing for 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns at the midpoint of the season.

Mississippi State stays home against Middle Tennessee State this week, but a road trip to No. 1 Alabama in two weeks will really mark where this Bulldogs team is in 2012. 

Currently, the undefeated Bulldogs are ranked behind five one-loss teams, three of which come from the SEC. The SEC isn’t always picked over everyone else. This undefeated Mississippi State team is proving that with its No. 12 ranking.

The Bulldogs have earned more than a No. 12 ranking, but they got screwed in the first release of the BCS. 

No. 14 Florida State Seminoles

I know that Florida State lost to NC State in what was a terrible performance for the Seminoles, but there is still no reason for the Seminoles to be ranked below a struggling USC team or a West Virginia squad that got pummeled by Texas Tech. 

This Florida State squad is ranked in the top five in every major defensive category and in the top 25 in every major offensive category. 

This team is a legitimate winner outside of the hiccup against the Wolfpack. 

With only a season-ending contest against Florida looking to be a challenge, Florida State should continue to climb the BCS ladder. At this point, however, there is no way this team should have fallen to No. 14. 

No. 17 Texas Tech Red Raiders

Texas Tech throttled West Virginia on Saturday, leading to a jump into the Top 25 for the Tommy Tuberville-led Red Raiders. Texas Tech did lose to No. 9 Oklahoma earlier this year, but the way it beat the Mountaineers deserves more respect. 

There is a lot of football left to be played—and three ranked teams remain on the schedule—but right now, this is not the seventh-best one-loss team in the country, as the BCS poll indicates. 

The Red Raiders are easily a Top 15 team and should be ranked over a No. 13 West Virginia team that they pounded in Lubbock. 

The Red Raiders still have time to climb the polls, but this week, they got screwed. 

No. 21 Cincinnati Bearcats

The Bearcats watched the BCS rankings unfold and immediately began reciting Rodney Dangerfield stand-up. The Bearcats can’t get respect. 

Checking in as the No. 21 team in the country, this undefeated squad has played some very good football.

Cincinnati is the only Top 25 team that is undefeated and still has a two-loss team ranked ahead of it. The Bearcats should easily be inside the Top 20.

Cincinnati faces Louisville and Rutgers, and wins in those contests would push it toward the top. But to start, the Bearcats should not be this low. 

They are a No. 10 in the country in scoring defense and No. 16 in rushing defense. The Bearcats are also the No. 23 rushing offense in the country. Their time will come, but this week, they got screwed.

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