BCS Rankings 2011: The 5 Most Underrated Teams in the Week 8 USA Today Poll

With the BCS Polls in sight, and the grind to become bowl-eligible beginning, which teams will rise to the challenge to meet and exceed their preseason objectives?

Some teams began the season unranked and have turned in great results so far to increase their exposure. Others have gone through a roller-coaster ride with identities yet to be discovered.

The Week 8 USA Today Poll is out, and some teams are getting the credit they deserve while others are merely waiting in the wings for their chance to spring up the rankings.

Here are the five most underrated teams in this week's USA Today Poll.

Michigan State

Michigan State climbed up the No. 13 in this week's USA Today Poll, jumping six spots after its rather convincing 28-14 win over No. 11 Michigan.

The Spartans will not impress offensively, as they are mediocre at best while ranked 66th in the FBS with 387 yards per game.

Defensively, however, they boast one of the stoutest units in the country.

Behind the defensive-minded Mark Dantonio, the Spartans are giving up just 186 yards per game, as they rank third against the run and first against the pass.

Now, their reputation as a stingy defense will be put to the test next weekend when they host Wisconsin, which boasts the eighth best offense in the nation.

Michigan State may not score a ton of points (just 38 in its last two games), but if its defense can keep the opposition to minimal scores, the Spartans have ample firepower and balance to overcome that margin.

Defense wins championships, and at the current rate, Michigan State could be the Legends' representative in the Big Ten Championship Game.

Washington

After scraping by California in its Pac-12 opener, the Washington Huskies have reeled off convincing wins in consecutive conference matchups against Utah and Colorado.

Though the Utes and Buffaloes are not exactly the prime competition in the Pac-12, the Huskies have impressed offensively with a 5-1 record.

U-Dub does have one of the worst passing defenses in the country, giving up 303 yards per game through the air, but Steve Sarkisian's team has done enough to get by and enough to keep out of the national spotlight.

If you had Stanford and Oregon competing for the Pac-12 North crown, one might have said ho-hum, what else is new. But to throw Washington into the picture, which poses a legitimate threat to either team, would have been head-scratching.

Behind a balanced attack, with Keith Price at quarterback and Chris Polk at tailback, the Huskies have quite a tandem on offense. They will spread the field through the air and pound it on the ground, which has been good enough to rank 22nd in the FBS in scoring offense.

Kansas State

Kansas State has employed a "bend, but don't break" attitude on defense, as its average margin of victory through the last four games has been just 4.75 points.

Nevertheless, the Wildcats keep winning as their offense scores just enough to get by.

At 6-0, Bill Snyder's team moved up two spots in the USA Today Poll this week, jumping from No. 18 to No. 16.

Though they may not look much on the outside, Kansas State is a tough and physical team that will grind out wins. They take care of the ball and score when needed.

Battle-tested is not the word to describe the Wildcats yet, but after their road trip to Lawrence to take on the Jayhawks, they will go through a gauntlet of games against Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Texas before finishing the season at home against Iowa State.

We will know by then exactly how, or if, they are underrated.

Houston

Led by senior quarterback Case Keenum, the Houston Cougars boast the FBS' top passing offense, picking up 435.5 yards per game, which translates into heavy scoring as they rank fourth in that department with 47 points per contest.

No one is talking about them because they have not played anyone special. When the nation has its doubts, that's when that chip develops on the shoulder.

Its lone standout victory might be, with emphasis on might, against UCLA in Houston's season-opening win, 38-34.

Looking ahead, Houston is in a position to run the table with its prolific passing attack. Keenum has completed at least 20 passes and 200 yards to five different receivers, and at least 28 passes for 400 yards to three different receivers. Talk about spreading the wealth.

For comparison, the second-ranked passing offense is Oklahoma State, which comes in averaging 395 yards per game.

You want an undefeated team that hardly anyone is talking about? Look no further than H-Town.

Arizona State

Dennis Erickson has to like the position his team is in even after losing 41-27 to Oregon on Saturday night.

The Sun Devils sit 5-2, but they are easily the best two-loss team in the country and could challenge many one-loss teams on any given night. They are much better than their record indicates.

In Arizona State's five wins, it has scored at least 35 points in each contest, but its 59th-ranked defense produces far less than its offense, which comes in ranked 39th.

In the team's two losses, both against currently ranked opponents, ASU's average margin of defeat is just 8.5 points.

Looking at the schedule, the Sun Devils could very well run the table to finish 10-2 and claim the Pac-12 South crown and a shot at a conference title.