Do the Rankings Actually Mean Anything??

With all of the upsets that have occurred over recent years in college football, one has to begin to wonder what our intricate ranking system really means.

After all, college football's ranking system is so complex, many can't even grasp what all goes into making up the Associated Press rankings, much less the BCS rankings that will come out later in the season.

With the latest upset of No.1 USC Thursday night, the ranking system will really be shook up when the new rankings come out Monday.

Many analysts, and fans alike, were predicting USC to run the table, and I was no different. But instead, the team everyone was praising just 24 hours ago gets upset by an Oregon State team that was 1-2 going into the contest. That does not even begin to scratch the surface, however.

Just a week earlier, this same USC team manhandled a Ohio State team that many people were saying would also run the table, giving them a No.3 ranking. Not only that, but Ohio State was also tested by, wait for it,....the Ohio Bobcats! And whats their ranking again? Wait a minute, I don't think I can count that high.

We would be here all day if I covered all of the upsets from last season. But let's name the big one for starters. During the 2007 season, 47 ranked teams fell victim to unranked teams. The biggest, of course, being Appalachian State over Michigan.

Simply put, the real question is whether the ranking system really means anything. It's a hard question to answer, but with all of the upsets, you have to lean towards nothing at all.

Yes, when the season concludes, they mean a lot. If you're lucky enough to be No.1 or No.2 when the season ends, you get a shot at the National title. I'm not going to even begin to open back up the argument of whether or not the best teams actually get a shot for the national title with our ever popular BCS system.

The ranking system is really starting to become irrelevant to me. No longer can we look at a game and pick the ranked team over the unranked team automatically. The playing field in college football is starting to get more and more even, and I can't be happier to see that occurring. It brings back the excitement of college football that no other sport possesses.

So the next time you're team is ranked No.1, don't get too comfortable. Just when you get ready to mark a 'W' for your team, an 0-4 cupcake will come along and show you why college football is the best sport around.