BCS Projections: Syracuse Orange and 2 Other Teams Destined for Top 25 Rank

With the plethora of upsets and big wins for teams outside the Top 25, there are certainly those teams (the Syracuse Orange, for one) who made the case that they deserve a rank as well.

The Orange come off of a victory over the No. 15 West Virginia Mountaineers, where Syracuse sent the Mountaineers packing with a jaw-dropping 49-23 victory.

These are the Syracuse Orange, and the three teams destined for a Top 25 rank in Week 9.

No. 3: Syracuse Orange (5-2, 1-1 Big East)

Although West Virginia is their first quality victory of the season, it is also the first quality Top 25-ranked team the Orange have faced all season.

This team rose to the occasion when it mattered most.

The win was not just any sort of win—it was a 26-point win that featured three quarters where the Orange put up 14 points in each. The Mountaineers didn't stand a chance at making a comeback the entire game.

If that doesn't warrant a Top 25 rank, what does?

No. 2: Texas Tech Red Raiders (5-2, 2-2 Big 12)

In what was arguably the week's biggest upset, the Texas Tech Red Raiders edged out the Oklahoma Sooners 41-38, as the Sooners' 21-point fourth quarter turned to be too little, too late.

The win itself warrants a Top 25 ranking. Mix that in with the fact that the Raiders played two Top 25 teams in Kansas State and Texas A&M in two hard-fought losses, and Texas Tech are inevitably a team that deserves a number by their name.

No. 1: Purdue Boilermakers (4-3, 2-1 Big Ten)

A bit of a difficult argument to make, as the team does feature three losses on the season, yet a win over the Fighting Illini could well mean a Boilermakers appearance in the Top 25.

So long as the Boilermakers can bring the kind of game they brought to the table defensively against Illinois, expect them to put up a strong performance against No. 18 Michigan next week, as well.