Virginia Tech Football: Initial BCS Rankings and What It Means for the Hokies

Earlier tonight the first installment of the rankings for the Bowl Championship Series was released.

Oklahoma State made some noise by earning the best computer average despite being ranked sixth in the two major polls. However, the Hokies of Virginia Tech made perhaps the biggest splash in the standings earning the twelfth spot and the third among one-loss schools.

Frank Beamer's squad is ranked sixteenth in the AP Poll and fourteenth in the Coaches' Poll but to the surprise of many, did very well in the computer portion of the BCS and checked in at No. 12 in the initial rankings. While the twelfth spot is better than expected, the most important thing to take away from these rankings is the fact that Tech trails only Arkansas and Oregon among one-loss teams.

Nebraska, West Virginia, South Carolina and Michigan State all rank ahead of Virginia Tech in both the AP and Coaches' Polls yet rank below the Hokies in the BCS. This seems trivial considering all teams still have at least five games left in the regular season but could prove significant should any of the teams each have two losses at the end of the year.

For Virginia Tech, if they want their BCS ranking to mean anything at all, they absolutely must win their next five games, no small task considering three of them come on the road.

It is apparent that no ACC team will get an at-large BCS bid with more than two losses and the winner of the Coastal Division will earn the right to play for a BCS berth outright so the only scenario in which Tech's ranking will matter is if the Hokies win their next five games and then lose to their Atlantic Division opponent (likely Clemson) in the ACC Championship Game.

Should this scenario play out as described, the ACC could possibly earn two BCS berths for the first time in conference history. LSU and Alabama seem destined to lock up both of the SEC's permissible berths, denying South Carolina and Arkansas a BCS bid. Fortunately for Tech, the Big 12 is also very top heavy and could also see schools get denied by the two-team limit.

Virginia Tech still has to travel to Georgia Tech and Virginia as well as host a dangerous North Carolina team. If the Hokies can overcome their injuries and make the ACC Championship Game, we could see a matchup where even the loser will make a BCS bowl.