BCS Rankings Week 12: Who Got Screwed In The Fifth BCS Poll?
The BCS rankings for Week 12 are just a few hours old now, but we're going to get on our soapbox and talk about who got screwed in the fifth BCS poll, anyway.
There wasn't much shuffling at the top of the rankings this week, which I suppose is largely due to the fact that nobody in the top 12 went down this weekend.
In fact, this is the first time in five years that the top 10 has gone unchanged from one week to the next.
Yes, it's a little bit more difficult to determine who got the shaft treatment in these latest rankings, but we're going to proceed anyway.
Here are the top 10 teams who got screwed in the fifth BCS poll.
10. North Carolina State
1 of 10
The Wolfpack cracked the BCS top 25 on the strength of a huge win against Florida State, fell out due to a loss at Clemson, and are now out in the cold once again after dismantling Wake Forest.
Instead, Florida State got the nod to rejoin the top 25 after pulling out a last-second win against Clemson.
Because Florida State didn't crack either of the human polls, I'm guess I'm just left wondering why they're more deserving of a BCS spot than the team that beat them head-to-head.
Then again, I will also admit that I think this is a pretty minor outrage, hence the reason it's No. 10 on this list.
9. Syracuse
2 of 10
There's really nobody in the Big East that deserves a spot in the BCS top 25. But considering that the Big East champion automatically qualifies for a BCS bowl, that's a little troubling.
I got out the loudspeaker on Pittsburgh's behalf last week, as they were still the only team in the Big East with an unblemished conference mark. Well, they screwed that up with a loss to Connecticut on Thursday night, and dropped their overall record to 5-4.
So let's go with Syracuse this week, as the Orange are now 7-3 and bowl eligible following their 13-10 win over Rutgers.
8. Northwestern
3 of 10
Florida State was able to crack the top 25 by improving their record to 7-3 with a 16-13 win over Clemson.
Meanwhile, Northwestern failed to crack any of the polls after they rode a great second-half performance to dispatch BCS No. 13 Iowa.
The Wildcats are now also 7-3, and I, for one, think that a big win over the Hawkeyes makes them more a more deserving fit for the lower five than Florida State.
They did, after all, crack the USA Today poll at No. 25, and are just outside the top 25 in the AP poll.
By the way, I think we should all send our get-well wishes to Dan Persa, who is out for the rest of the season with a freak ankle injury.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
7. Nevada
4 of 10
The 18th-ranked Wolf Pack cracked my list of teams that I though were too low, so I really have no choice but to include them on this list as well.
Luckily, I actually do believe that they got unfairly screwed, as they have been for the last several weeks.
They may have had a weak slate of teams to negotiate, but the fact that they are the lowest-ranked one-loss team in the poll should make them feel a little ripped off. In fact, there are six teams with multiple losses ahead of them.
Remember, this is a team that tore apart a Cal Bears team that nearly dethroned Oregon on Saturday. Give that a thought when you get the chance.
6. Virginia Tech
5 of 10
The 16th-ranked Hokies are another team that made my list of teams that were too low in these new rankings, so I am obliged to stand by them as well.
The Hokies actually benefited from their rather unimpressive win over North Carolina in Chapel Hill, as they moved up four spots from No. 20.
But that loss to James Madison is still following them around like a series of plagues. If you look away from that and take a look at what they've been doing lately, you'll see that they're the hottest team outside the remaining undefeateds
Yet there they sit at No. 16, behind four other two-loss teams.
Is there no justice on this earth?!
(Slams down fist dramatically)
5. Michigan State
6 of 10
Michigan State (No. 12) was already at the back of the bus containing all the one-loss teams, and these new rankings now have them looking up at a two-loss Alabama squad.
Now, while I do happen to agree with that, I do think there's reason for people in and around the program to feel miffed.
Of the three Big Ten teams in the upper crust of the top 25, Michigan State had the highest computer percentage at .670. Ohio State's average was .470 and Wisconsin's was .620.
So take comfort, Spartan fans. At least the machines love you.
4. Ohio State
7 of 10
The Buckeyes (No. 9) have been ranked ahead of Nebraska in the human polls for a couple weeks now, and I suspect I was one of many who thought their convincing win over Penn State was going to give them the nod to move up to No. 8. Especially since Nebraska had a mediocre game for the second week in a row.
Instead, it would appear that there's something weird going on here, perhaps some kind of ominous cloak-and-dagger curse that has been placed on the Buckeyes for bungling their No. 1 ranking earlier this season.
Besides, I'm still waiting for somebody to tell me why a team whose only loss is to Texas deserves to be higher than a team whose only loss was on the road to No. 7 Wisconsin.
3. Wisconsin
8 of 10
As much as I've been guilty of championing the Stanford Cardinal as the best one-loss team in the country over the past couple weeks, I am also well aware that Wisconsin (No. 7) is ahead of them in both human polls at the moment.
And after Wisconsin's 83-20 stomping of Indiana on Saturday, they're probably wondering what they have to do exactly to leapfrog the Cardinal in the BCS standings.
I suppose that it ultimately has something to do with Iowa's loss to Northwestern, as the Hawkeyes were previously one of the Badgers' most shiny trophy victories.
2. Boise State
9 of 10
After TCU struggled mightily at home against San Diego State, barely coming away with a win and making their victory over Utah look pretty moot in the process, both the writers and the coaches saw fit to have TCU and Boise swap places.
These BCS rankings did not, placing Boise State at No. 4.
Here's the rub: If you disregard TCU's win over Utah, then they really do not have a legit trophy victory. Meanwhile, Boise's win over Virginia Tech is looking better every week.
Don't be surprised if Boise does indeed reclaim the No. 3 spot if they can take care of a Fresno State team that gave No. 18 Nevada fits.
1. Auburn
10 of 10
Auburn has been No. 2 in the nation ever since the computers deemed that Oregon's win on the road against USC was far more impressive than Auburn's 51-31 win at Mississippi.
While I still think Oregon is the better team, I also thought that their slip-up in Berkeley on Saturday night could be reason enough to allow Auburn to reclaim their No. 1 standing.
Instead, not only did Oregon hold on to the top spot, but the gap between the two teams actually increased.
This after Auburn dispatched a Georgia team that had won four of their last five, and saw their number of first-place votes in the AP poll take a dramatic hike from two to 12.
In short, very puzzling.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
