BCS Rankings 2011: Which Underrated Teams Won't Land Spots in BCS

The first BCS rankings of the 2011 college football season will be released next Sunday at the conclusion of Week 8.

Like every year, there will be several underrated teams that won't land spots in the initial BCS poll. These teams will have chances to climb the rankings, but they will start at a disadvantage.

Let's look at four underrated teams who won't land a top 15 BCS spot next week.

1. Baylor Bears

The Baylor Bears will not get a top 15 BCS ranking next Sunday, but they still have plenty of chances to make up ground on the people ranked higher than them.

Next week, they play Texas A&M, and the week after that, the Bears play No. 6 Oklahoma State. If Baylor wins both those games, they will jump into the top 15 for sure.

Baylor is currently 4-1, with their only loss coming against an underrated Kansas State team who is 5-0.

2. Kansas State

Kansas State is 5-0 and has exceeded many people's expectations of them this season. Their best wins are against Miami (FL) and No. 15 Baylor.

The Wildcats won't have a top 15 BCS ranking next week, but they will be one of the fringe teams that will leap into the top 15 if a higher ranked team falls.

Starting on Oct. 29, the Wildcats have a brutal stretch of opponents, with consecutive games against No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 6 Oklahoma State, No. 21 Texas A&M and No. 22 Texas.

3. Illinois

Illinois will be another team on the fringe of the top BCS rankings top 15 and will surely move up when teams inevitably lose.

Head coach Ron Zook has his Illini playing very well, and they are currently 6-0 with a quality win against No. 22 Arizona State.

Illinois should be able to get to 9-0 by the time they take on No. 11 Michigan on Nov. 12. The week after that, they really have a chance to improve their BCS ranking if they can upset No. 4 Wisconsin.

4. Michigan State

Michigan State is 4-1 and likely won't be in the top 15 of the initial BCS rankings next week, but if they can win their next three games, they will be well on their way to a top 10 BCS ranking.

Next week they take on in-state rival No. 10 Michigan, with a home game against No. 4 Wisconsin after that, followed by a road trip to No. 14 Nebraska.

Michigan State has an amazing opportunity to help themselves these next three weeks, but a bad run of play in this span could ruin their season as well.