BCS Rankings 2011: 3 Teams That Will Make Up Ground in the Coming Weeks

The first official BCS rankings will be released tomorrow, and as it’s shaping right now, there probably aren’t going to be too many surprises.

We know who the top eight teams will be. LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Clemson, Wisconsin, Boise State and Stanford will all be ranked very highly; we just don’t know what order they’ll be placed in.

LSU is likely going to take the No. 1 spot, Alabama and Oklahoma will duke it out for No. 2 and after that, it’s anyone’s guess.

Still, since it’s only Week 7, a lot is going to change in the second half of the season, and Sunday’s rankings are really only a jumping-off point for the BCS title hunt.

As the season wears on and more top teams fall, it will open the door for lower-ranked teams to jump up.

Here’s a look at three teams that could make up ground in the coming weeks and contend for a chance to earn an invitation to a BCS bowl game.

Texas A&M Aggies

Texas A&M has been one of the most disappointing teams of the first half of the season.

After starting off the year ranked in the Top 10 with sky-high expectations, the Aggies inexplicably dropped two straight games where they were leading at the half to Oklahoma State and Arkansas.

Now, Mike Sherman’s squad has fallen all the way down to No. 21 in the polls, but they possess the type of talent to slowly work their way back up.

The Aggies have four remaining games against ranked opponents: Baylor, Kansas State, Oklahoma and Texas.

They will have plenty of opportunities to prove that they’re legitimate.

Virginia Tech Hokies

It was surprising to see Virginia Tech come out so flat against Clemson in Week 5. The 23-3 defeat they experienced at home isn’t truly indicative of what the Hokies are capable of this season.

Yes, you had to expect that talented, young quarterback Logan Thomas was going to endure some growing pains this season, but you also had to be encouraged with what Thomas showed last week in a comeback victory over Miami.

It remains to be seen whether or not this is truly a vintage Virgina Tech team or not, but it’s obvious that this team has the talent to make another run at an ACC championship.

Running Back David Wilson is blossoming into a star, and there’s enough talent on defense to win every game left on the schedule.

As long as Thomas keeps improving, this team will continue to work its way back up the rankings.

Michigan State Spartans

All the talk surrounding the Big Ten seems to be revolving around Wisconsin, but one team that you better not overlook and count out of the conference race is Michigan State.

Yes, the Spartans were humbled by Notre Dame in Week 3, but they’ve since managed to bounce back and get things rolling again.

For all the talk about Alabama’s defense and LSU’s defense, few people are mentioning that Michigan State currently has the top-ranked defense in the country.

Sure, the competition they faced hasn’t been stellar so far, but you have to give credit where it’s due.

With quarterback Kirk Cousins, running backs Edwin Baker and Le’Veon Bell and receiver B.J. Cunningham leading the way on offense, and guys like defensive tackle Jerel Worthy, linebacker Chris Norman and cornerback Johnny Adams holding down things on defense, this team has what it takes to give the Badgers a run for their money in the Big Ten this season.