BCS Rankings: Is Oklahoma State a Top 5 Team?

A lot is being made of the Oklahoma State Cowboys right now, and for good reason.

Oklahoma State is now 6-0, ranked No. 4 in the BCS standings and just defeated then-No. 22 Texas 38-26 on Saturday.

The Cowboys are averaging 49.2 points and 395.7 passing yards behind quarterback Brandon Weeden and receiver Justin Blackmon, and they've also shown they can run the ball with backs Joseph Randle and Jeremy Smith, averaging 4.4 yards per carry as a team.

But they aren't a Top 5 team, and it has nothing to do with their offense and everything to do with their defense.

The Wisconsin Badgers, ranked No. 6 at the moment, should be ahead of Oklahoma State in the rankings, and it's because they have a dominant defense, complete with a dominant passing game behind Heisman contender Russell Wilson and a strong running game behind backs Montee Ball and James White.

It seems trivial, but a couple spots in the BCS rankings can be the difference in claiming a bid in a more prestigious BCS bowl game.

Oklahoma State is currently giving up 27.8 points per game, a far cry from the defenses of Wisconsin, LSU, Alabama and Oklahoma.

The Cowboys' one-point win over Texas A&M on Sept. 24 was legit, but Texas has proven to be a fringe top-25 team this season, a team that can dominate weaker competition but doesn't show up against ranked opponents. Oklahoma State's victory over Texas wasn't as impressive as it may seem.

Don't get me wrong, right now I have the Cowboys as the No. 6 team in the country and in those terms you could say they are one of the elite teams in the country, but I believe they are going to get exposed when they face Oklahoma in their last game of the regular season on Dec. 3.

Oklahoma State doesn't have the defense to be called a Top 5 team.