BCS Rankings 2011: Boise State and Top 10 Teams That Didn't Help Themselves

Winning isn't everything in college football, especially when there are so many undefeated teams still vying for the BCS National Championship. With the field as crowded with competitors as it is, the onus is on those with lower rankings and weaker schedules to not just win, but do so with style (i.e. blow the stuffing out of their opponents).

That being the case, these three teams may well take a step or two back in the latest BCS rankings when they're released on Sunday.

Boise State

The fifth-ranked Broncos need all the help they can get to become the first team from a non-AQ conference to play in the BCS National Championship Game. Air Force didn't exactly oblige in that endeavor, hanging tough with Boise State on its home (Smurf) turf in a 37-26 decision.

The win was Kellen Moore's 45th, tying him with Texas' Colt McCoy as the winningest quarterback in college football history. Unfortunately for Moore and company, the victory isn't likely to be thought of all that well by the BCS, seeing as how the Broncos were decidedly less than dominant against a middling Mountain West Conference foe.

As a result, they'll have to put the screws to a hapless UNLV team next week to get back in the good graces of the almighty BCS.

Clemson

For the second week in a row and the third time this season, No. 7 Clemson won despite giving up 30 or more points. This time, the Tigers allowed North Carolina, a team that came into the weekend averaging just under 28 points per game, to post 38 on the scoreboard, albeit in a 21-point win to move to 8-0.

As fantastic a quarterback as Tajh Boyd is and has been all season, he'll need his defense to step up in a big way from here on out if Clemson is to win more than just the ACC, especially against a fading Georgia Tech team next weekend.

Arkansas

No. 9 Arkansas, with its one loss to Alabama, isn't likely to contend for the BCS title; though there's no telling what might happen to the eight teams currently ranked ahead of the Razorbacks.

That number figures to swell to nine or 10 after the decisive ways in which No. 10 Oregon and No. 11 Kansas State claimed victory this weekend, along with Arkansas' underwhelming win at Ole Miss. The Hogs managed just 29 points—their second-lowest total of the campaign—against one of the worst defenses in all of college football.

Should Tyler Wilson and his talented teammates fail to dazzle at Vanderbilt next Saturday, they may find themselves on the outside of the BCS bowl picture entirely.