BCS Rankings: Nebraska and 3 Teams Who Will Continue to Rise

The college football season is just getting started.

That's what happens when the BCS computer rankings begin to appear every Sunday.

Most teams have played seven games of their 11 or 12-game schedules and some teams still aren't getting the respect they deserve. Both No. 9 Oklahoma and No. 15 Wisconsin have been exposed as two teams that weren't as great as most experts thought.

Then there are the teams like No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama who everybody assumed would be in the spot they currently hold.

Yet, there are teams still not getting the respect they deserve. With over a month left in the season, here are three teams that will continue to vault alongside undefeated Clemson up the BCS computer rankings...the only poll that really matters.

No. 6 Stanford Cardinal

The Cardinals are No. 6 and still severely underrated.

QB Andrew Luck continues to be the smartest player in the nation, and the fact his team has gotten points in all 38 red zone appearances proves it.

The part of the Cardinal nobody is talking about is their spectacular running game. They have two backs with a yards per carry average north of 6.3 and have created the sort of balance on offense that makes this team next to unstoppable. On Saturday against a ranked Washington team, the team ran for a school-record 446 yards.

Right now they are second in the nation, averaging over 48 points a game.

Defensively, the Cardinal have great depth up front and haven't allowed over 21 points on the season. Currently, their defensive unit is ranked fourth in the country, surrendering an average of 12.6 points per game.

I expect Stanford to take down the Oregon Ducks and vault by top five teams that still have some incredibly difficult games on the schedule (LSU-'Bama, OU-OSU).

This team is going to win out and will be heading to the championship game when it's all said and done.

14. Nebraska Cornhuskers

The Cornhuskers were walloped by No. 15 Wisconsin back on Oct. 1st, but are now in the driver's seat with the Badgers' loss to Michigan State.

Nebraska is using their power running game, currently ranked seventh in the nation at 261 ypg, to control the time of possession battle and keep the offense balanced.

QB Taylor Martinez is slowly progressing in his second season, and is limiting the turnovers. The defense has been surprisingly weak thus far, however, giving up over 25 points a game.

But take out the 48 points they gave up to the Badgers and that number looks a lot more reasonable.

Everything depends on how they play this week against the Spartans.

With a win, Nebraska will be a favorite to reach the Big 10 title game.

Furthermore, with games to boost the computer ranking against Penn State and Michigan still on tap, we are looking at a top 10 team by this time next month.

Who would have thought that would be the case after such a brutal loss earlier in the season?

No. 17 Houston Cougars

I don't think the Houston Cougars are one of the best 12 teams in the country, but it's all about who you play and the Cougars' schedule is as soft as tissue paper.

The offense, led by potneital Heisman canidate Casey Keenum (2,685 yards, 23 passing TDs), is ranked No. 1 in the nation in points (49.3) and passing yards (441).

The video-game like numbers are perfect against Conference USA teams that don't have a chance, thus lots of point-padding ensues—something the BCS computers love.

There isn't a single tough game left on the slate and there is literally nobody in the way of stopping them from a perfect record (unless you count SMU, Rice or Tulsa as tough opponents, which I certainly don't).

As teams around them continue to tumble, the Cougars will only rise.