BCS Rankings 2011: Pointing out the Fatal Flaw in Every AP Top 10 Team

The first official BCS rankings will be released on Sunday night and every college football fan around the country is eager to see how the Top 10 shakes out.

Which team will be No. 1?

Which team will be ranked too low?

Which team will surprise us?

We’ll get all the answers on Sunday night.

For now, though, it’s OK to remain sceptical of all of the top teams.

Let’s cut through the hype and take a look at each top team’s one major flaw that could keep them from making it to the big game.

1. LSU Tigers: The Competition

It’s hard to find any flaws in this LSU team.

The defense is stellar, the offensive line is solid, the running game is strong and even though the Tigers employ a two-quarterback system, Jarrett Lee and Jordan Jefferson happen to complement each other very well.

They’re going to need all of that to survive college football’s most grueling schedule.

LSU already has four wins over ranked opponents, but they still have remaining matchups with three ranked teams - Alabama, Arkansas and Auburn - and that doesn’t even include the SEC championship game.

If the Tigers can survive that schedule, they truly deserve a ticket to New Orleans.

2. Alabama Crimson Tide: A.J. McCarron

Alabama hadn’t settled on a quarterback before the start of the season, but eventually, A.J. McCarron emerged as the clear-cut choice early on.

McCarron has been solid so far, completing 65 percent of his passes, but he really hasn’t been the reason for Alabama’s success.

So far, the Tide has relied on running back Trent Richardson and a dominant defense, but that can only last so long.

Eventually, the sophomore signal-caller will be put in a pressure-packed situation where he has to make something happen in crunch time, and we haven’t seen if he can handle that type of situation yet.

3. Oklahoma Sooners: Big Game Bob

This is one of the most talented Oklahoma teams of the Bob Stoops era.

The only problem?

It’s still the Bob Stoops era.

Time and time again we’ve seen Stoops’ squads fall short of expectations.

Will this year be any different?

4. Wisconsin Badgers: Homesickness

Over the last four years, Wisconsin has a combined road record of 11-9 and that certainly doesn’t bode well for a team that has to make trips to Michigan State, Ohio State and Illinois in the second half of the season.

Wisconsin has the type of offensive talent, led by QB Russell Wilson, RB Montee Ball, WR Nick Toon and a humongous offensive line, to run the table and win the Big Ten championship, but we have to see if Bret Bielema can get his team to perform well away from home.

Remember, we haven’t even seen the Badgers play a true road game yet this season.

5. Boise State Broncos: Weak Schedule

I love what Boise State brings to the table on a weekly basis and you can’t help but respect what this team has been able to accomplish in recent years, but there’s just no getting around the fact that the whole “Let’s beat one big team early and then cruise the rest of the way” thing just isn’t going to fly this year.

There are too many contenders this season.

Boise State has a great opportunity to go undefeated this year, but beating one ranked opponent just isn’t going to cut it.

I’d be so excited to see what the Broncos could do against LSU or Oklahoma, but as it stands now, they simply haven’t earned that right.

6. Oklahoma State Cowboys: Mediocre Defense

Behind the play of QB Brandon Weeden, RB Joseph Randle and WR Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State has one of the nation’s most high-powered offensive attacks.

The Cowboys rank 1st in the country in scoring offense and 2nd in total offense, averaging 51 points and 577 yards per game, however, if this team actually wants to contend with Oklahoma and make a run to the BCS title game, they’re going to need more consistent play out of their defense.

Oklahoma State has quality individual defenders like safety Markelle Martin, cornerback Brodrick Brown and linebacker Shaun Lewis, but as a unit, there’s something lacking.

The Cowboys rank ninth in the Big 12 in total defense and that just won't cut it.

7. Stanford Cardinal: David Shaw

Stanford has been rolling early on and the Cardinal are in position to make a run at a Pac-12 title this year, but it still remains to be seen if new coach David Shaw can get the job done in tough situations.

The Cardinal’s schedule has been remarkably easy so far and we haven’t seen Shaw have to handle himself in a big showdown yet.

Let’s see how Stanford handles Oregon, USC and Notre Dame before we start saying that the Stanford doesn't miss Jim Harbaugh.

8. Clemson Tigers: They’re Clemson

This definitely isn’t the first time that Clemson has gotten our hopes up, but after so many years of seeing them fail to come through, at least now we’re a little more hesitant to put our full faith in the Tigers.

This Clemson team seems to have a different feel to it than the ones we’ve seen in the past, however, until the Tigers actually prove they can live up to the hype, it’s hard to trust them.

The Tigers are one of the fastest and most athletic teams in the country, but remember, this is Clemson.

Something is bound to go wrong.

9. Oregon Ducks: No Go-to Receiver

When your team’s leading receiver is your third string running back, let’s just say that’s not good.

I know people are freaking out over LaMichael James’ injury, but Oregon will be fine running the ball, trust me.

What I’m concerned about is the fact that the Ducks don’t have a No. 1 receiver, something they had last year with Jeff Maehl.

Pass the Lavasier?

No thanks.

10. Arkansas Razorbacks: No Legs

Losing star running back Knile Davis, the SEC’s leading returning rusher, for the season back in August was obviously a tough blow for Arkansas.

The Razorbacks haven’t found a rusher to replace Davis’ presence in the backfield.

Ronnie Wingo Jr. and Dennis Johnson have combined to rush for just 397 yards and 2 TDs.

If the Razorbacks have any hopes of competing with LSU and Alabama in the SEC West, they’re going to need either Wingo Jr. or Johnson to step it up and start producing at a higher rate.