BCS Rankings: 5 Teams That Are Overrated in the Latest USA Today Poll

The Coaches' poll is out, and as usual, there are teams that are ranked too high.

There are several factors that go into overrating teams. One factor is when a team is ranked too high to begin with and they lose, how far should they fall?

A second factor is the soft schedule leading to the appearance of a team being better than it truly is, particularly when that team has a familiar name.

And finally, there is conference bias.

Any one or a combination of these factors leads to overrated teams.

When the Coaches' poll came out this afternoon, these five teams jumped out at me as teams that were overrated by the coaches.

No. 5 Boise State

In a few short years they have gone from the most underrated team in the country to perhaps the nation's most overrated team.

Yes they are 7-0, but who have they beaten?

Their best victory was in week one against Georgia, who is ranked No. 21 in the Coaches' poll.

Consider however, that since that game, Boise State has beaten no one of consequence and struggled this weekend with Air Force at home.

Meanwhile, they find themselves ranked ahead of teams like Arkansas, who is overrated in their own right. Despite one loss, the Razorbacks have victories at Ole Miss and against Auburn and Texas A&M.

Boise State is also ranked ahead of Oregon, whose only loss was to the nation's top team, LSU. 

No. 8 Arkansas

Arkansas has more big wins than Boise State, but they shouldn't be No. 8 in the country.

Arkansas was blown out by Alabama in their lone loss, which is obviously not an embarrassment. However, they were less than impressive this weekend, barely holding off Ole Miss, 29-24.

Their victory over Auburn is also looking less impressive by the week. Their status as a member of the SEC has them ranked this high in the poll.

No. 11 Wisconsin

When you start out at No. 4, it is hard to drop too far in the polls, but this team should have fallen further back than No. 11.

Although their loss to MSU this weekend was somewhat of a fluke, they should at the very least be flip-flopped with the undefeated Kansas State Wildcats.

KSU is undefeated, has won at Texas Tech and at Miami and was very impressive in their blowout win over Kansas on Saturday.

No. 19 Penn State

The Nittany Lions are 7-1 and played well in their one loss against Alabama, but who has this team beaten?

They barely escaped Temple with a win and barely beat Indiana 16-10.

This week they beat Northwestern, and I suppose their name and record has them in the polls.

However, PSU still has to play four teams that are or were ranked in the top 25 and have the chance to prove me wrong if they can beat two or three of those teams.

No. 16 Texas A&M

A&M deserves a top-25 ranking, but 16 seams too high for a two-loss team.

Their losses came on back-to-back weeks against Oklahoma State (by one point) and at Arkansas.

This weekend, they struggled with an average Iowa State team, winning 33-17. 

The Aggies deserve a ranking, but are they really better than undefeated Houston, one-loss Michigan, and fellow two-loss teams ASU, Georgia and Texas Tech (who just beat Oklahoma)?