BCS Standings Fact or Fiction: Initial Rankings Give SEC Far Too Much Credit

The first BCS Standings are out, and the top two spots are reserved for the LSU Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide, members of the Southeastern Conference.

But is the SEC really as formidable as such an accolade suggests? When looking at the viability of the conference's other BCS ranked teams, the answer becomes less clear. The SEC enjoys an abundance of media hype, but 2011 is looking to be a down year.

Let's examine whether conventional SEC wisdom is fact or fiction.

Fiction: The SEC Is Great Top to Bottom

The media would have you believe that playing in the SEC is a dogfight every week. In 2011 especially, this is not the case. In fact, half of the conference's teams should be considered poor.

First, there are the perennial cellar dwellers. Vanderbilt, Kentucky and Ole Miss have only one conference win between them, and that was Vanderbilt's win over Ole Miss.

What does this mean? All of the SEC's top teams have the opportunity to beat up on these hapless programs under the guise of it being "a good SEC win."

Fact: The SEC Has Many Disappointing Teams

Going into the college football season, Georgia, Mississippi State and Florida were ranked in the AP Poll. Thus far, they have done nothing to merit the preseason praise.

Georgia dropped its first two games against Boise State and South Carolina. The team's recent five-game win streak may seem impressive at first glance, but it came at the expense of Coastal Carolina and four of the SEC's lower echelon.

Mississippi State's anemic offense has lead them to an 0-4 conference record.

Florida has struggled mightily in Will Muschamp's first season. They've been easily defeated by three consecutive BCS ranked teams.

Add in Tennessee, who has yet to notch a conference "W" despite highly praised QB Tyler Bray, and you have another tier of teams that's easy fodder for the LSUs and Alabamas of the world.

Fiction: The Auburn Tigers Should Be Ranked in the BCS Standings

Life isn't so easy for Gene Chizik and co. without Cam Newton.

A lot of people may praise the Tigers for their ability to win close games. Don't buy it. Show me a team that wins close games, and I'll show you a team that isn't good enough to win blowouts.

Auburn is the rare BCS No. 20 team that isn't especially good at offense or defense. The defensive deficiency was on full display in losses to Clemson and Arkansas, the only good teams they've played.

Luckily, they won't be ranked after LSU knocks them into submission on Saturday.

Fiction: South Carolina Is a Top 15 Team

Obviously, the BCS standings can only reflect what has happened so far; they can't project the impact of South Carolina losing star tailback Marcus Lattimore. But the BCS ranked No. 14 team had plenty of problems before his devastating injury.

Troubled QB Stephen Garcia's dismissal from the team might be a blessing for the Gamecocks. After all, his poor play against Auburn almost single-handedly cost the team its only loss.

Replacement Connor Shaw is still somewhat of a mystery. Sure, he tossed four touchdowns against Kentucky—who apparently still has a football program—but he looked extremely shaky last week as South Carolina squeaked by Mississippi State.

Regardless, the Gamecocks seem doomed without Lattimore. They are fortunate to not have LSU or Alabama on their schedule, but they should be handled by both Arkansas and in-state foe Clemson.

Fiction: Arkansas Should Be Ahead of Kansas State

The Razorbacks have a pretty mediocre résumé considering their No. 9 BCS ranking. Their only good victory (beating Auburn doesn't constitute a good win) was a comeback against Texas A&M's nonexistent secondary. In their toughest test of the year, they were soundly beaten by Alabama.

Their body of work is remarkably similar to Oregon, the other one-loss team in the BCS Top 10. Basically, they're evenly matched with the Ducks to the point where it's acceptable for either team to be ahead of the other.

Outrage should instead by levied against the BCS for ranking Arkansas above the Kansas State Wildcats. K-State may not boast an overwhelming strength of schedule, but wins against Miami, Baylor and Missouri are nothing to scoff at.

Both teams' best wins were against two-loss clubs; the only difference is that Kansas State has a zero in the loss column. How does this compute to Arkansas being the superior team?

résumé

Fiction: Alabama Should Be Ranked Second in the BCS Standings

Here's an example of a team benefiting from the supposed SEC luster. The Crimson Tide have been impressive in the first half of the season. However, with 10 teams currently unbeaten, are the Crimson Tide really the second best team in 2011?

Better than Oklahoma, whose take down of Texas was the most impressive performance of the young season? Better than Oklahoma State, with their explosive offense? Better than Boise State, who is quietly more dominant than ever?

How about Wisconsin, whose balanced offense is matched with an outstanding defense? Or even Clemson, who defeated ACC heavyweights Florida State and Virginia Tech in consecutive weeks?

This all remains to be seen. Undeniable, however, is the fact that the letters "SEC" hold much clout in the minds of human pollsters (who make up two-thirds of the BCS). Hype has helped Alabama reach its No. 2 spot.

Fact: LSU Should Be the BCS No. 1

This piece is not biased against the SEC—it just respects results over hype, which is exactly the reason LSU should be ranked No. 1.

The Tigers made victories over very good Oregon and West Virginia squads look relatively easy. SEC foes have hitherto been weak, but they've been dispatched without incident.

The Bayou Bengals' defensive acumen has been well documented. Now that Jarrett Lee's arm and Jordan Jefferson's legs have been successfully combined, LSU is unstoppable.

The BCS will continue to be criticized, and often for good reason, but it was able to identify 2011's best team.