BCS Rankings 2011: Penn State and 4 Teams Anticipating Massive Moves

If the BCS rankings were a can of soda, it would explode from so many teams being shaken up and down the polls.  Out of the all the college football squads rising and falling this week, the following teams stand out.  Here are the four that will be dealt a brand new home when the new rankings are released on Sunday night:

4. West Virginia (Week 10 Ranking: No. 24)

The Mountaineers were due for this drop.  They were still ranked despite having two losses and not a single quality win going into their Week 10 matchup.  In that contest, the Louisville Cardinals upset West Virginia 38-35.

They already dropped from the AP Top 25 and the USA Today Poll.  WVU will be invisible on the BCS’s Week 11 rankings.

3. Nebraska (Week 10 Ranking: No. 10)

Going into October, Nebraska was a legit Big Ten championship contender.  The Cornhuskers were then cooked by Wisconsin 48-17. 

After beating down Michigan State last week 24-3, they looked to be on the rebound.  That momentum quickly dissolved this weekend, as they were upset by Northwestern 28-25.  Nebraska will be closer to being ranked outside the Top 20 than inside the Top 10 in the latest standings.

2. Cincinnati (Week 10 Ranking: Unranked)

Cincinnati doesn’t have an eye-opening win on their schedule, but they're simply winning games that they should win.  They are 7-1 this season and in first place in the Big East after a 26-23 win over Pittsburgh. 

Undefeated in the conference, the Bearcats will without a doubt make their debut appearance to the BCS rankings this week.  Cincinnati won’t last long, though, if they can’t handle West Virginia this upcoming Saturday.

1. Penn State (Week 10 Ranking: No. 16)

The Nittnay Lions still haven’t beaten a single ranked opponent, but like the Bearcats, they refuse to get upset.  A 10-7 win against Illinois moves Penn State to 8-1, with their only loss being against Alabama.  They will be just outside the Top 10 in this week’s rankings.

JoePa and company will have their hands full for the remainder of the regular season, though, with games against Nebraska, at Ohio State and at Wisconsin.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.  Follow him on Twitter.