10 Currently Ranked Teams Who Will Never See Top 10 in 2012 BCS Standings

College football is built on the BCS. For the next two seasons the college game is guaranteed to bring BCS magic to the masses, but there are 10 teams that won’t have a chance to dance with the Top 10 or the major bowls this year.

Some surprise teams have crashed into the Top 10—most notably No. 2 Florida—and others have fallen hard with losses that were unexpected. 

With half the season left to play, there is a lot of shifting that remains. Unfortunately for these 10 teams there won’t be a lot of shifting up that will occur.

These are the BCS teams that will never see the Top 10 this season.

No. 23 TCU Horned Frogs

What a difference a year makes in the game of college football. TCU was expected to join the Big 12 and fight for a title right away. After a tumultuous summer that witnessed a litany of suspensions, star quarterback Casey Pachall was dismissed from the team indefinitely just weeks ago. The Horned Frogs are done. 

Games against Texas Tech, West Virginia, Kansas State, Texas and Oklahoma remain. Talk about a gauntlet to finish the season. 

Without star quarterback Pachall calling the shots, this team doesn’t stand a chance. TCU will be lucky to finish the season in the Top 25, much less the Top 10.

No. 22 Boise State Broncos

Boise State is used to being in the BCS buster conversation, but this season they are absent from the discussion. The Broncos are 5-1 with a very winnable schedule remaining, but there are a number of quality teams that are ranked ahead of the boys from Idaho.

The Broncos have not had their signature show-stopping offense, or the shutdown defense that has been present in recent years. 

Joe Southwick has done a good job guiding the offense and the team to wins, but he doesn’t carry the clout that followed Kellen Moore for what seemed like an eternity. 

Unless there is a massive breakdown at the top of the BCS, Boise will be looking into the Top 10 from the outside for the rest of the year. 

No. 21 Cincinnati Bearcats

Cincinnati has been a big surprise so far this season, riding an undefeated record to a Top 25 ranking. 

The Bearcats are among the three teams battling for the Big East title and BCS bid for the year, but they will fall short of the goal as the season progresses. Munchie Legaux has been a baller, but he can’t carry this team over Louisville or Rutgers. 

Games against Rutgers and Louisville will end the hopes for this Cincinnati team. Louisville hosts the Bearcats in two weeks on Friday night. That will end the climb for Cincinnati and the hope that remains for a Top 10 ranking. 

No. 20 Stanford Cardinal

Stanford has been impressive against the run this season, coming in as the No. 7 rushing defense in the country. It has been against the pass where they have been hurting. The Cardinal are the No. 106 pass defense in the country. It hasn’t been the best year for the Stanford secondary. 

A tough loss to Notre Dame last weekend settled Stanford on the edge of the Top 20, but the future schedule will keep Stanford there. The Cardinal still has Oregon State and Oregon remaining on the schedule and finishes the year against UCLA. 

This has been a great transition from the Andrew Luck years so far, but this isn’t a Top 10 team for 2012. Beating Oregon would be the only shot the Cardinal have at the Top 10. That won’t happen.

No. 19 Clemson Tigers

The Clemson Tigers were expected to be a contender for the ACC and possibly a national title this year. An early season loss to Florida State dropped Clemson from the discussion quickly. 

This is a 5-1 team that faces a very winnable schedule, but there is not much room for improvement in ranking. Virginia Tech is not a big winner this fall, hurting the quality of Clemson’s schedule. The only team that remains that could help the Tigers climb is a season ending contest against South Carolina.

Clemson can finish this season with two losses and will not make it into the Top 10. It has been a bad year for the ACC.

No. 18 Texas A&M Aggies

The Aggies have been impressive in their inaugural season in the SEC. They landed in the difficult SEC West, but have been able to navigate to a 5-1 record.

This team has only lost to Florida, and has scored a number of impressive wins including a 58-10 victory over Arkansas. 

The real test starts this week when the Aggies host the LSU Tigers. LSU has one of the toughest defenses in the country and should spell problems for the young freshman Johnny Manziel at quarterback for Texas A&M.

The Aggies then face three road games to Auburn, Mississippi State and Alabama. Kevin Sumlin is building a great foundation for a strong future, but this will not be a Top 10 team in 2012. 

No. 17 Texas Tech Red Raiders

Texas Tech has been a huge surprise in the Big 12 this season. The Red Raiders are currently 5-1 and ranked No. 17 in the first BCS rankings. 

The Red Raiders have been very good through the air with Seth Doege leading the No. 4 passing offense in the country. 

The bigger story has been the defense. Texas Tech is ranked No. 4 in total defense, No. 4 in pass defense and No. 12 in run defense. Any team in the Big 12 with that strong of a pass defense can survive. 

There is a three week stretch of football ahead that will really test this defense and team. Road games to TCU and Kansas State will likely add a loss to the record, with a home game against Texas now looking like a tossup. 

Texas Tech is having a great year, but this isn’t the time for this team. They won’t hit the Top 10 this season. 

No. 16 Louisville Cardinals

The Cardinals were expected to be the leader in the Big East when the season started, but this undefeated Louisville team finds itself playing behind a tough defensive minded Rutgers team. 

Louisville has been very mediocre so far this year, looking very unimpressive in wins against FIU and Southern Miss. The Cardinals won those games by a combined 10 points. The combined record of FIU and Southern Miss is 1-12. 

Far from impressive wins for the Cardinals. 

With Cincinnati and Rutgers still remaining on schedule, this Louisville team faces two possible losses. Add in this week’s contest against an underperforming but talented South Florida team and the Cardinals won’t touch the Top 10 in 2012. 

No. 12 Mississippi State Bulldogs

Mississippi State has been the surprise of the SEC this year. There was talk at the start of this season that the Bulldogs could climb to a 7-0 record before they go on the road to face Alabama, but few believed it could happen outside of Starkville.

The Bulldogs have built success around star quarterback Tyler Russell and an impressive defense. This team is just gritty enough to keep winning. They could possibly upset Alabama. 

Even though they could, the Bulldogs likely won’t knock-off Alabama and will drop down in the BCS. The Bulldogs also face a tough Texas A&M at home, and then travel to LSU and Death Valley. 

Losses may not be abundant this year for State, but they will come, keeping this team from the Top 10.

No. 11 Georgia Bulldogs

The Georgia Bulldogs were a dark-horse candidate for the national title when the year began. The Bulldogs were expected to field one of the best defenses in the country. 

The Bulldogs are No. 50 in total defense, No. 39 in pass defense and No. 67 against the run. This is not a team that will dance with a Top 10 ranking much longer. Aaron Murray and his tandem of backs are good, but they can’t carry this team back to the top alone.

The Bulldogs take their ineffective defense to Kentucky this weekend, but on October 27 they face No. 2 Florida in Jacksonville, Fla. The Bulldogs will beat Kentucky without concern, but Florida will hand Georgia its second loss. 

A two loss Georgia team will not be able to stick around the Top 10. 

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