BCS Standings 2013: Winners and Losers from Season's First Rankings

The first BCS rankings of the 2013 season were released on Sunday, and there's plenty of debate to be had over the initial Top 25. 

While there's not much controversy at the very top (Alabama at No. 1 was pretty much guaranteed), just about every ranking after that is disputable. 

There is still plenty of football left to be played, so it's too early for most teams to celebrate or panic. However, there are some clear winners and losers from these initial rankings. 

Winners

No. 2 Florida State Seminoles  

After delivering the most impressive win of the 2013 season, the Florida State Seminoles now have an inside track to their first national championship game since 2000. 

Famous Jameis Winston, the freshman phenom known for throwing footballs over large objects, was fantastic in the Seminoles' 51-14 annihilation of then-No. 3 Clemson on Saturday. Winston shredded the Tigers defense, completing 22 of 34 passes for 444 yards and three touchdowns. 

Just as impressive as Winston was FSU's vaunted defense.

The unit suffocated Heisman candidate Tajh Boyd, allowing him to complete just 45.9 percent of his passes for a season-low 156 yards. The Seminoles also picked off Boyd twice to punctuate their signature win. 

No. 7 Miami Hurricanes

The Hurricanes were the main benefactors of Week 8's upset frenzy. 

With Clemson, LSU, Texas A&M, Louisville and UCLA all falling over the weekend, Miami was able to jump into the No. 7 spot. If the Hurricanes can avoid a loss to Wake Forest (a definite trap game) next week, they will be 7-0 heading into a marquee matchup with FSU. 

While I wouldn't bet on Miami in that game, the Canes would put themselves in prime national title position with the win. Not bad for a team that went 7-5 last season. 

Losers

No. 3 Oregon Ducks

Despite scoring 57.6 points per game, beating their opponents by more than 40 points per contest and boasting the Heisman front-runner in Marcus Mariota, the Ducks don't necessarily control their own destiny as of now. 

The Ducks were leapfrogged after FSU's destruction of Clemson, which has to be a frustrating development for Nike University. All they have done is win big against strong competition, yet they are currently on the outside of the national championship picture. 

Luckily for the Ducks, they have three games left against BCS Top 25 teams. If they can beat No. 12 UCLA, No. 6 Stanford and No. 25 Oregon State, they may be able to sneak past Alabama or FSU to claim a spot in the title game. 

No. 25 Oregon State Beavers

The Ducks aren't the only team in the Pacific Northwest to get the shaft from the BCS.

After losing their first game of the season (a 49-46 loss to FCS school Eastern Washington), the Beavers have amassed an impressive record. 

Following close wins over Utah and San Diego State, the Beavers have crushed Colorado (44-17), Washington State (52-24) and Cal (49-17). Oregon State ranks ninth in the nation in points per game (44.1) and first in passing yards (442.1 per game). 

If the Beavers' explosive offense can lead them to victory over No. 6 Stanford next week, they will hopefully earn the respect they deserve from the BCS. 

BCS Rankings

Ranking	Team	BCS Avg.
1	Alabama	.984
2	Florida State	.935
3	Oregon	.932
4	Ohio State	.855
5	Missouri	.822
6	Stanford	.741
7	Miami (FL)	.720
8	Baylor	.712
9	Clemson	.625
10	Texas Tech	.622
11	Auburn	.506
12	UCLA	.481
13	LSU	.455
14	Virginia Tech	.441
15	Oklahoma	.420
16	Texas A&M	.367
17	Fresno State	.338
18	Northern Illinois	.303
19	Oklahoma State	.269
20	Louisville	.256
21	South Carolina	.216
22	Michigan	.164
23	UCF	.139
24	Nebraska	.135
25	Oregon State	.104

Rankings courtesy of the BCS