BCS Rankings 2011: Where USC Might Have Been Ranked in the Polls

Well, the initial BCS rankings have been released and as all Trojan fans know, their team is nowhere to be found.

Victims of the NCAA and their questionable punishment which has removed USC from postseason bowl consideration, the Trojans are kind of like that plain girl, unattached and looking wistfully at all of the happy people with their dates.

It is a sad situation for all involved with the cardinal and gold, one that will only be remedied with the passage of time.

But what if the Trojans were eligible to go bowling at the end of the year?

What if they were allowed to participate in this subjective rankings of the BCS?

Where would the men of Troy be?

Be it far from this humble writer to assume he understands all of the nuances that go into these sometimes bizarre rankings.

Very far from it.

Still, there are clues out there that can set one to offer an educated guess.

For example, the AP poll for this week, also recently released, has the Trojans ranked what would be the equivalent of 28th in the nation.

So, for the purposes of establishing a starting point, let's use that.

Of course, there are those pesky Harris, Coaches (USA Today) and computer polls that also figure into the equation and sadly, USC was not invited to those parties, either.

However, we do have other barometers by which to measure where the Trojans might be placed in the poll but, also sadly, one of the most important of these does not work in USC's favor, either.

You see, strength of schedule is also used by the polls to determine the quality of the opponents a team has played.

And in that department, the Trojans are sadly lacking.

So far in compiling their 5-1 record in 2011, the Trojans' opponents have a meager 17-20 record.

Hardly worth writing home (or to the BCS) about.

Now according to one web site, the BCS weighs the USA/Coaches Poll, the Harris Poll and the Computers at 1/3 each of the mysterious equation used to establish the rankings.

We can assume that the Harris and USA Today/Coaches poll uses some form of rational criteria to rank their teams.

I think.

But the computers? Who the hell knows?

Judging by years past, God only knows how the cyber freaks organize their teams.

And he isn't talking.

So we are left with as many questions as answers, Trojan fans.

I can say with certainty that USC would be ranked somewhere between 25 and 50.

Of that I am sure.

Maybe...or maybe not.

And you can take that to the bank.