BCS Rankings 2011: Why Computers Are Wrong About Oklahoma State Cowboys

Every time a new set of BCS rankings is released, there are bound to be oddities. That's just what happens when you combine human logic with computer logic.

Concerning the first BCS rankings of the 2011 season, one of the more notable oddities is what the computers think of the Oklahoma State Cowboys. The Pokes are No. 4 overall in the BCS rankings, but the computers value them a little more highly than that.

If you are unaware of this particular oddity, all you need to know is that the computers, on average, think the Pokes are No. 1.

Yup, No. 1, as in better than LSU, Alabama and Oklahoma. Pretty odd when you consider the fact the human polls each have Oklahoma State at No. 6.

It's actually pretty easy to decipher the computers' logic. They value strength of schedule and location of games. They therefore see a Pokes team that has won two games on the road against ranked teams and has played a moderately tough schedule wrapped around those two games.

Despite this, it is very much debatable whether or not Oklahoma State has traveled a tougher road than LSU, Alabama and Oklahoma. It's also clear the computers don't see what we see when we look at Oklahoma State.

When we (i.e. non-biased fans) look at Oklahoma State, what we see is a very, very good team, but we also see a team not without its flaws.

Nobody argues against the Pokes having a very good offense. Their defense is another issue, as it is currently giving up more than 27 points per game. Because Arizona, Texas A&M and Texas were kind enough to show us that Oklahoma State's offense is not invincible, it is entirely conceivable that some team out there will be able to outscore the Pokes.

Yes, the Pokes do deserve credit for pulling out tough road wins against the Aggies and Longhorns, but it is worth noting the Pokes truly had to pull these wins off. It took a big comeback for them to beat the Aggies, and the Pokes had a surprisingly difficult time keeping the Longhorns at bay.

LSU, Alabama and Oklahoma really haven't had any such struggles. The same is true of Boise State and Wisconsin. It is generally agreed upon among the human voters that all five of these teams are better than Oklahoma State. As per usual, it is easy to agree with our fellow humans.

If I were a Pokes fan, I would quickly point out that none of this matters. The computers may be guilty of overrating Oklahoma State, but the fact of the matter is that the Pokes control their own destiny.

And this is true. If Oklahoma State wins out, it will be in the BCS national title game. Other teams will be in the mix, but a Big 12 title and a win over Oklahoma are things that will separate Oklahoma State from the pack.

If these things actually come to pass, there will be no arguing Oklahoma State is totally deserving of the BCS computers' admiration.

Until then, feel free to go to town on the BCS computers. The way I see it, the more we complain, the closer we get to being gifted with a playoff.

Rank	Team	BCS Average
1	LSU	.9522
2	Alabama	.9519
3	Oklahoma	.930
4	Oklahoma State	.857
5	Boise State	.803
6	Wisconsin	.771
7	Clemson	.758
8	Stanford	.748
9	Arkansas	.626
10	Oregon	.619
11	Kansas State	.569
12	Virginia Tech	.505
13	Nebraska	.497
14	South Carolina	.491
15	West Virginia	.373
16	Michigan State	.329
17	Texas A&M	.308
18	Michigan	.300
19	Houston	.286
20	Auburn	.265
21	Penn State	.231
22	Georgia Tech	.197
23	Illinois	.152
24	Texas	.135
25	Washington	.087