College Football Rankings 2013: Underrated Teams Who Remain Too Low in AP Poll

While there were few surprises in the Week 6 AP Poll, there are still a number of teams ranked too low, relative to their talent.

There are limited opportunities for teams to showcase their ability over the course of the college football season. With the amount of quality squads at the top, there might not be many chances for middling schools to move up in the rankings.

As a result, voters need to look closer at certain teams to truly see how good they can be. These squads have played well to start the year, but are not yet getting the respect they deserve.

No. 7 Louisville 

While the Cardinals did not technically fall in the rankings during a bye week, one-loss Georgia passed them.

This sent a clear message to the AAC team that voters will respect a one-loss SEC squad as a national championship contender over undefeated teams from other conferences. Not to take anything away from the Bulldogs' start to the year, but this sets a precedent for the rest of the season.

Louisville is an extremely talented squad with future NFL players on both sides of the ball. Teddy Bridgewater has put up incredible numbers so far and should remain a Heisman Trophy contender throughout the season.

Unfortunately, the Cardinals will be judged by their schedule, which is not good. That makes it tough for Louisville to remain in the title discussion even with an undefeated record.

No. 16 Washington

In four games, Washington has played about as well as any team in the nation. The win over Illinois is better than people think, and the Huskies were dominant in the other three contests.

On Saturday, Bishop Sankey carried the team with 161 rushing yards on 40 attempts in a 31-13 win over previously unbeaten Arizona. 

With a few teams winning in unimpressive fashion, the Huskies should have moved further up the rankings toward the Top 10.

Still, this team will have plenty of chances to make moves in the next couple of weeks with back-to-back games against Stanford and Oregon. Even going 1-1 in those two contests will prove that the Huskies are for real.

No. 25 Maryland

It is tough to move into the rankings after an off week, but Maryland deserves the jump to at least No. 25.

The Terrapins dominated West Virginia their last time out, defeating the border rival 37-0. The Mountaineers then turned around and defeated No. 11 Oklahoma State on Saturday, proving that this is still a Terrapins team with a lot of talent.

Led by quarterback C.J. Brown and exciting receiver Stefon Diggs, the offense is averaging about 40 points per game and will be tough for anyone to stop. That includes Florida State, who struggled defensively this weekend against Boston College.

With a week to prepare for the high-profile battle, Maryland has a serious chance to pull off the road upset.

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