BCS Rankings 2011: Notre Dame and 3 Teams Deserving of Respect in Standings

It seems as though college football is always embroiled in some sort of controversy, and often at the forefront of that controversy is the BCS system. The initial BCS rankings came out this weekend, and while there wasn't a ton to complain about, there were some notable omissions.

The gripes certainly increase as the season progresses, but there is no question there are a few teams that aren't particularly happy right now. Here are three teams currently on the outside looking in that deserve to be included in the BCS rankings.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Say what you will about the Big East, but it remains a BCS conference, and therefore its best teams should be rewarded. Outside of West Virginia, however, the Big East remains unrepresented in the rankings. One Big East team in particular that is being snubbed is the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

Rutgers is currently 5-1 just like West Virginia, but for whatever reason it isn't receiving the same respect. It isn't as if West Virginia has any overly impressive wins, so one has to figure its preseason billing has something to do with it.

Not much was expected of the Scarlet Knights entering the season, but it's time people begin to take notice. Rutgers' only loss was a tough 24-22 decision against North Carolina, so the Knights could easily be undefeated at this point. Rutgers also has one of the nation's best defenses and will have a chance to prove its worth next week against West Virginia.

USC Trojans

Despite a 5-1 record in a conference as competitive as the Pac-12, the USC Trojans are currently outside the BCS standings. Although a 21-point loss to Arizona State certainly hurts their credibility, the Trojans have been otherwise impressive and have one of the nation's more explosive offenses.

Quarterback Matt Barkley has certainly come into his own with nearly 1,800 passing yards and 16 touchdowns through just six games. Some might say he has feasted on inferior competition, but the Trojans haven't played a team outside a BCS conference yet.

Their fate will likely come down to the outcome of their game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish this weekend. Both teams can stake claim to a spot in the BCS rankings, but only one is likely to get one—at least for the time being.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Notre Dame's 4-2 record may not look overly impressive, but the Fighting Irish have improved markedly since dropping the first two games of the season against South Florida and Michigan. So, while Notre Dame's record may not scream BCS, its quality of play most certainly does.

The Irish have cleaned up their turnover issues, they have been incredibly efficient on offense and the defense has been very strong as well. Notre Dame has three convincing victories over the past month, including a 31-13 thrashing of Michigan State, which is currently ranked No. 16 in the initial BCS standings.

Had the Irish been conscious of ball security since the season's onset, they would almost certainly be 6-0 and likely in the Top 10 of the rankings. They are battling back from a slow start, though, and a win over USC on Saturday night will be vital in proving the the Irish are deserving of a spot in the BCS rankings.