BCS Rankings Week 15: 25 Things We Learned From Eighth BCS Poll
The BCS rankings for Week 15 present us with a rather bittersweet reality.
That reality, of course, is that he regular season and all the drama that goes into it is, at long last, over.
That's the bitter part. The sweet part is that we finally have a rather definitive idea of 25 best teams in the land, who have all earned their stripes in one way or another.
So in discussing the 25 things we learned from the eighth and final BCS poll, we can effectively do so with respects to the entire regular season.
So with that in mind, here's what we learned about each of the 25 teams in the eighth BCS poll.
No. 25 UCF Knights
1 of 25
What We Learned: The BCS could only ignore Conference USA for so long.
The UCF Knights earned their first ever national ranking back on November 7th at No. 25 in the AP Poll and No. 23 in the USA Today Poll. They were 7-2 at the time.
They proceeded to drop their next game, but clawed back to the tune of three straight wins to wrap up their season, including the Conference USA Championship Game against Southern Methodist.
As a result, here they are with their first ever BCS ranking, claiming the No. 25 spot that should probably belong to UConn, which will be playing in the Fiesta Bowl.
That may be a shame for the Huskies, but you still have to tip your cap to the Knights for having a great season.
No. 24 Hawaii Warriors
2 of 25
What We Learned: They're probably going to be the class of the WAC next season.
The Warriors finished with a 10-3 record, as well as a share of the WAC championship alongside Boise State and Nevada.
With Boise State leaving for the Mountain West next year, and Colin Kaepernick ending his illustrious career in Reno, it would seem that Hawaii has laid a seed for what should be a very successful season in 2011, and a second consecutive conference championship seems likely.
Junior quarterback Bryant Moniz led all of FBS in passing yards with 4,629 yards, and should be even better in 2011, presuming he will in fact still be around.
In any case, 2011 will also be Hawaii's final year in the WAC, as they will also be headed to the Mountain West in 2012.
No. 23 Florida State Seminoles
3 of 25
What We Learned: The didn't have enough this year, but it was still as good a start to the Jimbo Fisher era as anybody could have asked for.
If you thought that Florida State had any chance of beating Virginia Tech without Christian Ponder, then you are a much more optimistic man than myself. E.J. Manuel had played pretty well in place of Ponder in a spot start against Clemson in early November, but he clearly was not ready to handle the pressures of a conference championship quite yet.
But oh well. On balance, Jimbo Fisher's first year at the helm could have been much worse. If 2010 is any indication, the Seminoles may be back on their way to being a superpower once again.
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No. 22 West Virginia Mountaineers
4 of 25
What We Learned: The best team in a given conference doesn't always get their just rewards.
In case you didn't notice, the team that will be representing the Big East in the Fiesta Bowl is not even in the BCS Top 25. That would be UConn, which claimed a BCS bid by virtue of a couple of convenient tiebreakers, which apparently is enough to make up for their less-than-impressive 8-4 record.
That leaves the Mountaineers and their second-ranked defense on the outside looking in. They deserve better than the Champs Sports Bowl, and they know it.
No. 21 Mississippi State Bulldogs
5 of 25
What We Learned: It is indeed possible for an SEC team to fly under the radar.
By no real fault of their own, any SEC team that enjoys any measure of success tends to be severely overrated. This has more to do with the national media and their addiction to the SEC Kool-Aid than anything else, which makes them do foolish things like putting Florida at No. 4 in the preseason rankings.
But then you have a team like Mississippi State, which more or less came out of nowhere to finish 8-4 in the most stacked division in college football. All the props belong to Dan Mullen, who greatly improved on the 5-7 record he posted in his first season at the helm.
The team itself had to play through the tragedy of losing a teammate, as defensive end Nick Bell tragically died from cancer in early November.
No. 20 South Carolina Gamecocks
6 of 25
What We Learned: It's really just a matter of time with Steve Spurrier.
Despite the fact that Spurrier's Gamecocks have been bowl eligible in each of his six years in charge, one gets the sense that he really didn't deliver until this year.
Yes, South Carolina made it to the SEC Championship Game, which was almost a cruel fate considering what was lying in wait for them in the Auburn Tigers. But Spurrier is still the only coach in SEC history to win two SEC East titles with two different teams. And that's not bad at all.
No. 19 Utah Utes
7 of 25
What We Learned: They could be in for a rude awakening next year.
The 2004 Utah Utes are credited with being the "original" BCS-buster, as they surprised everyone by being the first non-BCS team to play in a BCS bowl game.
And for a while in 2010, it looked like they were going to pull off that feat again, and leave the Mountain West for the greener pastures of the Pac-10 in style.
Instead, they stumbled badly down the stretch after seeing their perfect season come to an end against TCU, and against relatively weak competition to boot. If that's the best they can do, then the Pac-12 could end up being every cruel to them next season.
No. 18 Nebraska Cornhuskers
8 of 25
What We Learned: Brilliant in some moments, self-destructive in others, the 2010 Cornhuskers ultimately ended up being their own worst enemy.
Two things became painfully obvious during Nebraska's collapse in the final three quarters of the Big 12 Championship Game.
The first is that Taylor Martinez may have worlds of talent, but he may have peaked too early in 2010.
The second is that the Big 12 is going to sorely miss their rivalry with Oklahoma.
On another note, I had no idea that Roy Helu Jr. is a graduate of San Ramon Valley High School, my alma mater. Cheers, brother.
No. 17 Texas A&M Aggies
9 of 25
What We Learned: Mike Sherman does know what he's doing after all.
Earlier this season, I was writing articles about Mike Sherman needing a win to get off the hot seat. He must have been reading them, because his Aggies ended up winning their final six games of the season.
The streak included wins over superpower programs like Oklahoma, Nebraska and Texas.
So our hats should go off to him and junior quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who did not lose a game as a starter.
No. 16 Alabama Crimson Tide
10 of 25
What We Learned: It's hard to repeat. Especially when you have to negotiate a slate of SEC teams that would all love to unseat the defending champs.
Nick Saban and the Tide had their issues in 2010, that much is certain. And in retrospect, they never really came close to resembling the dominant force that they were in 2009. They made too many mistakes, and probably left too many points on the field, particularly in the Iron Bowl.
But in the words of a famous cyborg, they'll be back.
No. 15 Nevada Wolf Pack
11 of 25
What We Learned: Colin Kaepernick might just be the most underrated college football player in recent memory.
Indeed, Nevada might just be the surprise team of the season, which has everything to do with their dramatic win over Boise State.
But I think the best part about Nevada's success is that it allowed us to feast our eyes on Colin Kaepernick. He became the only player in NCAA history to pass for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in three straight seasons.
He's also going to break Eric Crouch's record for most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback.
In short, he's an all-time great.
No. 14 Oklahoma State Cowboys
12 of 25
What We Learned: Sometimes, the only thing you need to surprise people is an offense that cannot be stopped.
The Cowboys ended the regular season as the third-highest scoring team in the country with an average of 44.9 points per game. Behind the trio of quarterback Brandon Weeden, running back Kendall Hunter and wide receiver Justin Blackmon, there was no defense that they couldn't shred.
However, the flip side of this is that it's awfully hard to make the leap from surprise to legit contender when your defense can't stop anybody either.
No. 13 Virginia Tech Hokies
13 of 25
What We Learned: Losses to James Madison can get blown way out of proportion.
Two games into the season, Virginia Tech's season was a disaster.
But they ended up winning the ACC championship anyway, thanks in large part to an 11-game win streak to end the season. Now they have a chance to beat the No. 4 team in the country in the Orange Bowl.
If they do, don't call it a comeback.
No. 12 Missouri Tigers
14 of 25
What We Learned: A win over the No. 1 team in the BCS can do wonders for your credibility.
I'm sorry, but I'm just of the opinion that the Missouri Tigers really aren't as good as their 10-2 record would indicate.So I'm afraid I have no choice but to throw them under the proverbial bus.
They may have started undefeated, but they really weren't all that impressive in the final five games of the season. Those included losses to Nebraska and Texas Tech, and three "so what" victories over Kansas State, Iowa State and Kansas.
So in retrospect, their No. 12 ranking is more a case of them capitalizing on the losses of others than of their own big wins.
No. 11 Boise State Broncos
15 of 25
What We Learned: If you want to be taken seriously as national championship contenders, you have to finish.
Of all the storylines surrounding the 2010 college football season, Boise State's tale is easily the most tragic.
If you didn't know anything, the stats would tell you that they must be the best team in the FBS. Second in scoring offense, fourth in scoring defense, surely this must be a team destined for a BCS bowl.
And they are indeed a damned good football team. But they just weren't good enough when it counted.
No. 10 LSU Tigers
16 of 25
What We Learned: A good football team doesn't need to be dominant. Sometimes cleverness and a little bit of luck can more than do the trick.
Those who know my work invariably know that I've been pretty vicious to Les Miles and the LSU Tigers for most of this season, that I too often accused them of being lucky—and lucky to be ranked as high as they were.
Well, it's time to dish out some credit. Any team that is able to compile a 10-2 record in college football's toughest conference using nothing more than a strong defense, some nifty tricks, and a few timely plays definitely deserves its due.
...But I still don't know how one can defend that win over Tennessee.
No. 9 Michigan State Spartans
17 of 25
What We Learned: Mark Dantonio deserves some kind of award.
Let's see, not only did he lead the Spartans to their first Big Ten championship since 1990, but he also did so in a season where he had the balls to use just about every trick play under the sun.
He also had a heart attack in early September, and bounced back from that without any real trouble.
In other words, somebody get the guy a trophy. Or at the very least, a beer.
No. 8 Arkansas Razorbacks
18 of 25
What We Learned: Ryan Mallett is going to be a very good NFL quarterback.
Of all the quarterbacks who have hogged (no pun intended) the headlines throughout the course of the season, I really don't think Ryan Mallett has gotten the credit he deserves.
Yes, Cam Newton is a great player, but Mallett is a better pure quarterback. He finished the regular season third in passer rating (170.5), fifth in yards (3,592), and seventh in touchdowns (30). And he did it all in the SEC West.
'Nuff said.
No. 7 Oklahoma Sooners
19 of 25
What We Learned: It is categorically impossible for a Bob Stoops team to underachieve.
It is, in retrospect, hard to believe that there was a time this season when the Oklahoma Sooners were not a lock for the Big 12 Championship Game. That must have been after they lost to Texas A&M, or maybe it was when they still had to beat Oklahoma State in Stillwater before they could punch their ticket to Dallas.
I honestly don't remember. All I know is that it just seemed right to watch them win the Big 12 championship. And that, I think, is a testament to Mr. Stoops.
No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes
20 of 25
What We Learned: Until Jim Tressel goes away, they're never going to win fewer than 10 games.
To be sure, this is something we've known for a decade now, one in which the Buckeyes have played in a BCS bowl in every year except two.
Okay, so maybe it's not every year. But you get my point. Tressel is awesome. And so are the Buckeyes. And I can't wait to watch Terrelle Pryor and Ryan Mallett match wits in the Sugar Bowl.
No. 5 Wisconsin Badgers
21 of 25
What We Learned: Running the ball can get you places.
To be sure, there are a lot of teams in the FBS who built their success off the run. But nobody has done it better than Wisconsin.
In addition to to racking up close to 250 rushing yards per game, they've also scored 46 rushing touchdowns, which is second only to Nevada.
But Nevada doesn't have three running backs that have all rushed for more than 800 yards.
Good luck, TCU.
No. 4 Stanford Cardinal
22 of 25
What We Learned: With the right quarterback and the right coach, a team can go anywhere.
If you take Andrew Luck off the Cardinal, they're probably not very good. If you leave him and take Jim Harbough off the sideline, they're probably not very good.
This is probably true of most teams, to be sure, but it does indeed seem to be most true of Stanford.
And as we speak, some executive in the Carolina Panthers front office is probably thinking the exact same thing.
No. 3 TCU Horned Frogs
23 of 25
What We Learned: If ever there was a model for how a non-AQ team can prove itself, take a look at the 2010 TCU Horned Frogs.
Let's see, I have a copy of the preseason AP Poll in front of me, and it shows TCU at No. 6, behind the likes of Alabama, Ohio State, Boise State, Florida and Texas.
Of those six teams, only TCU finished undefeated. In fact, they are the only team in the preseason top 10 to finished undefeated.
And yet they're not playing for a BCS national championship. No wonder they were so desperate to get out of the Mountain West.
No. 2 Oregon Ducks
24 of 25
What We Learned: We may be watching one of the most downright entertaining teams in college football history.
I'm no Oregon fan. In fact, they're a team in the Pac-10 that isn't Cal, so I guess I hate them.
Sour grapes aside, I'll be damned if their offense isn't fun to watch. They're first in the country in points scored, second in the county in yards gained (by a mere 0.1 yards), and they're run by an offensive genius who has some of the fastest players in the country at his command.
Yes, that damn duck and his pushups are annoying, but this team is custom built for prime time.
No. 1 Auburn Tigers
25 of 25
What We Learned: Having the best player in the country can lead to some pretty good success.
I talked about what the Cardinal would be like if you took Andrew Luck off the team. Just imagine how mediocre, and perhaps downright bad, the Auburn Tigers would be if Cam Newton wasn't on the team.
Well, I daresay they wouldn't be the No. 1 team in the country that is already favored to win the BCS National Championship Game. He's just that good.
It's going to be a hell of a game.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
