BCS Rankings 2011: Largest Disparity Between USA Today and AP Polls

The two different polls have been ailing college football rankings for years. The Associated Press (AP) and the USA Today Coaches' Polls can both be so different that it scares some fans. 

Since only the USA Today Coaches' Poll counts in the BCS rankings, any fan will tell you that ranking higher there is better. However, isn't it always nice to see some consistency between the press and the coaches?

This year, they've been mildly consistent, ranking LSU and Alabama both at the top and putting multiple teams within one or two spots of their counterpart in the opposite poll. However, there are always disparities, and as this week's polls come out, some are too large to be ignored. 

We take a look at the two polls and why these six teams are ranked so differently.

Arizona State

The AP poll has them at No. 23, while the coaches ranked them up at No. 20. The Sun Devils have been impressive this year so far, with their only losses coming to a formerly strong Illinois team and a powerful Oregon squad. 

Arizona State is looking to try to claim the Pac-12 South title and go to the first ever Pac-12 Championship game. With no particularly tough opponents left, don't be surprised to see this team playing Stanford or Oregon for the Pac-12 title.

As the only team in the Pac-12 South that really deserves to be ranked, the Sun Devils deserve more credit than what they are receiving from the AP poll. They command a strong offense and a dangerous defense—both of which can play with the best. 

Texas Tech

The Red Raiders pulled off the surprise win last night, beating the No. 3 Oklahoma Sooners 41-38. As a fringe unranked team, such a huge win deserves some respect.

Now, the Coaches' poll just moved them up to No. 22, while the AP generously ratcheted them all the way to No. 19.

Personally, I think both are a bit off. The AP poll was bit too nice, while the USA Today poll was too harsh. Beating a strong OU team on the road is nothing to be overlooked, but we as football fans can't ignore a loss to Texas A&M and K-State, both at home. 

QB Seth Doege and the offense played an amazing game last night, but the true test will be over the next three weeks as Tech faces off with Iowa State, Texas and top ranked Oklahoma State. 

Oklahoma

The Sooners became complacent.

They figured they could just sit back and enjoy the ride all the way to Stillwater, where their next "real" opponent was waiting. Instead, they play a bad game against a decent team and come out the losers. 

The AP poll ranked them at No.11, while the USA Today poll placed them only at No. 9. We all understand that OU is a great team and has a Heisman candidate in Landry Jones heading up the offense, but losses to unranked conference opponents are unacceptable. 

The Coaches' poll was much too generous, still ranking the Sooners above a powerful Michigan State team and an unbeaten Kansas State squad.

Just because they are the Oklahoma Sooners doesn't mean that Bob Stoops and company deserve to be coddled in the Top 10 after losing a game against Tech and breaking the fourth-longest home winning streak in college football history. 

Kansas State

The Wildcats are getting screwed.

Here they stand at 7-0, and they still can't break into the Top 10 in both polls. At least the AP poll put them at No. 10, but the coaches ranking them down at No. 12 is getting ridiculous—especially after two Top 10 teams lost. 

Kansas State may have no big wins against strong, highly ranked opponents, but they do have wins against good teams such as Missouri, Baylor, Miami and Texas Tech. Going 7-0 deserves a lot more respect than what they are getting.

I ask the pollsters this: How can an undefeated Stanford team that only has one win versus a ranked team (No. 25 Washington, mind you) be ranked so much higher than an undefeated Kansas State team that beat a Baylor team with a Heisman candidate, a Missouri team that gave OSU a challenge, a Miami squad that defeated Georgia Tech and a Texas Tech team that owned the No. 3-ranked Sooners?

I can't explain it.

Stanford

Someone please explain to me why Stanford is in the top five in either of these polls. They rank No. 3 in the Coaches' poll and No. 4 in the AP poll. They have beaten nobody good and haven't proved anything to any of us.

Stanford has one big win over the formerly No. 25 Washington Huskies. The rest of their wins are against teams like Colorado, UCLA, Washington State and San Jose State.

They are undefeated and have a good team, sure—but in no way does that mean that they deserve to be No. 3 or 4 in the nation.

Oklahoma State, Boise State and Clemson all have more wins versus ranked opponents than Stanford does, and somehow they all got shafted.

I honestly don't understand what about the Cardinal makes them so great, besides the fact that Andrew Luck, Heisman candidate extraordinaire, runs their offense. If they go and beat Oregon in a few weeks, I'll change my mind.

For now, though, there is no way this team belongs in the Top Five.  

Oklahoma State

The Cowboys are ranked No. 3 in the AP poll and No. 4 in Coaches' poll. You may be thinking to yourself, "One spot isn't all the different, is it?"

I'm here to tell you that one spot is the difference between the National Championship and the Fiesta Bowl. 

Oklahoma State somehow didn't get any respect in the USA Today poll. I don't know why the coaches would be so stingy with a team that has impressed everyone all year. They have big wins against Texas A&M, Texas and Mizzou. All of those wins are on the road. 

The way the Cowboys are playing right now, they more than deserve a shot at the national title—but they are receiving no love in the poll that counts in the BCS rankings.