BCS Rankings Predictions: 5 Teams That Will Be Ranked Too High

The 2011 BCS Rankings are a week away from their release, but already we are beginning to feel who will claim top spots, and who will have to claw their way into the BCS picture.

LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma and Wisconsin undoubtedly will claim the top four positions, as all of those programs are performing in an entirely different class than the rest.

While there are teams who have identifiable resumés that will pin them stably in the rankings, there are those who may have been given more than they deserve.

Here are five teams that will be ranked too high come next week's debut of the BCS rankings.

Illinois

Forget for a moment that Indiana is by far the worst team in the Big Ten.

Before their matchup with the Hoosiers, the Illini had won their previous three games, all at home, by a combined nine points over Arizona State, Western Michigan and Northwestern, not exactly the prime rib of competition.

Ron Zook has his team playing its best football in his five-year tenure, so give credit where it is due.

But everything has to be kept in perspective.

The Illini will finish their 2011 campaign home against Ohio State, at Purdue, at Penn State, home against Michigan, home against Wisconsin and at Minnesota.

It is not out of the realm of possibility for Illinois to go 2-4 over that stretch, thereby making its 6-0 start somewhat obsolete.

As long as the Illini keep winning, the pollsters have to reward them with positive movement in the rankings, and marginal wins are still wins.

Texas

The Texas Longhorns were humbled in the biggest way on Saturday at the Cotton Bowl, getting the bad end of a 55-17 decision against Oklahoma.

Ranked 11th going into Saturday's contest, the Longhorns coughed up the ball five times, leading to 31 points for the Sooners.

While they were 4-0 going into the game, the Horns were not exactly battle-tested against top competition, and Oklahoma put them into a completely different class of football team.

Texas will drop in the rankings this week, but perhaps it may get a little too much benefit of the doubt next week in the BCS polls.

Michigan

There is always something suspect about the Michigan Wolverines.

While their 6-0 mark is a very bright spot for a program that has gone to the dumps in recent years, one might get the feeling that it is too good to be true.

For starters, the Maize and Blue play just four out of their 12 matches away from Ann Arbor. Secondly, Michigan will not play a ranked opponent until Nov. 12 when it travels to Illinois.

The Wolverines nearly had a let-up against Northwestern on Saturday, but fueled by a 28-point second-half rally, Michigan overcame a 24-14 halftime deficit, rolling on to a 42-24 win.

Props to Michigan for battling back, but it has not exactly played against the best competition so far.

Auburn

Auburn is getting a little too much respect coming off of its BCS National Championship run last year.

The Tigers have very marginal wins against Utah State and Florida Atlantic. They gave up nearly 450 yards of offense to the Aggies, and were matched on production against the Owls. If that does not scream mediocrity, then the polls have lost some credibility.

Auburn easily could have lost to Mississippi State, although much credit is deserving for its grinding 16-13 win over South Carolina.

Nevertheless, Gene Chizik's once-mighty defense has gone flat, as his team ranks 69th in scoring defense.

Credit is given where it is due, but there is definitely some uncertainty surrounding the Tigers. 

Oklahoma State

Although it may not be by much, Oklahoma State is getting a little bit more credit than it deserves.

Yes, the Cowboys boast the FBS' second-ranked passing offense, racking up nearly 420 yards per game through the air, and the sixth-ranked scoring offense, putting up almost 47 points per game, but the Pokes simply cannot defend.

OSU is 103rd in total defense, allowing 438 yards per game to opposing offenses. It has reached a 5-0 mark impressively, but one would wonder how the Cowboys would fare against a top defensive unit.

Make no mistake, the Pokes are BCS-worthy, but there are teams that are equally worthy that might deserve a better ranking.