BCS Rankings: 4 Teams Destined to Get the Shaft
The BCS just isn't fair. And you know what? It probably never will be.
To be sure, the BCS is fair enough on a surface level. The top two teams get to play for the title, and the teams immediately below them are in good position to earn a trip to a BCS bowl. The only problem is that there are miles of red tape and loopholes to consider, and these things tend to deny deserving teams.
It's going to happen this year too, you can rest assured about that. When it comes to shafting teams that don't deserve to be shafted, the BCS never disappoints.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
In 2011, I have a feeling that the four teams listed below are pretty much doomed to get the shaft treatment.
Georgia (No. 13)
Talk about a turnaround. After losing two in a row to open the season, the Georgia Bulldogs have won nine games in a row and have already clinched the SEC East. A couple weeks from now, my best guess is that they'll be taking on LSU for the conference title.
If Georgia wins, it will be the best team in the SEC, which would essentially make it the best team in the country.
But the Bulldogs wouldn't play for the BCS title. Instead, they would head to the Sugar Bowl and would then be forced to watch from afar as Alabama (another best guess) played for the title, despite the fact that the Tide will have won neither the conference nor their division.
It would be an utter mess, make no mistake about that.
If Georgia loses the SEC Championship Game, a BCS berth will be out of the question. The Bulldogs could very well be the best three-loss team in the country, but they would be shunned.
Kansas State (No. 11)
The way things are looking right now, it looks like the Big 12 is only going to send one team to a BCS bowl. That would be Oklahoma State to the Fiesta Bowl, assuming the Pokes beat the Sooners in Bedlam, of course.
In the event that the Pokes head to the national championship game, the Fiesta Bowl would look to grab another Big 12 team to fill the void. My guess is that it would choose Oklahoma, which is not going to plummet in the rankings after losing to Oklahoma State.
No matter what happens, I have a sneaking suspicion that the Kansas State Wildcats are going to be on the outside looking in. I don't think they're as good as their two-loss record indicates, but we're talking about a team that could end up in the top 10 and then miss out on a BCS berth.
Kind of a bummer if you're a Kansas State fan.
Boise State (No. 7)
In order for Boise State to be in the mix for a BCS berth, my understanding (which I got from USA Today's Erick Smith) is that Houston needs to lose one of its final two games and TCU needs to finish outside the BCS top 16.
Even then, the Broncos would have other at-large teams to contend with.
Since I don't see Houston losing, I'd say the Broncos are pretty well doomed. They will finish in the BCS top 10, but they will get passed up for at-large bids by teams like Stanford and Michigan, the latter of which could be knocking on the door of the top 10 in a couple weeks.
Expect the Boise State apologists to freak out when the Broncos are denied a BCS berth. I have a feeling I'll be one of them.
Arkansas (No. 3)
I'll say this right here and now: the Hogs are not beating the LSU Tigers on Friday. It's just not going to happen.
Arkansas won't get knocked down very far in the rankings after losing to LSU, but its BCS fate will be pretty much set in stone. Assuming LSU goes on to win the SEC, you're looking at an LSU vs. Alabama rematch in the BCS title game.
That will leave the Sugar Bowl looking for a replacement, but it won't be allowed to go after Arkansas or any other SEC team. The same goes for other bowls looking to fill empty spots.
Ultimately, I have a feeling the Hogs are going to end up in the Capital One Bowl. Not exactly a fitting place for a team that is going to be the best two-loss squad in the country.
| 1 | LSU | 1.0000 |
| 2 | Alabama | .9491 |
| 3 | Arkansas | .8985 |
| 4 | Oklahoma State | .8408 |
| 5 | Virginia Tech | .7842 |
| 6 | Stanford | .7711 |
| 7 | Boise State | .6881 |
| 8 | Houston | .6684 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | .6526 |
| 10 | Oregon | .6469 |
| 11 | Kansas State | .590 |
| 12 | South Carolina | .564 |
| 13 | Georgia | .519 |
| 14 | Michigan State | .502 |
| 15 | Michigan | .398 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | .394 |
| 17 | Clemson | .363 |
| 18 | Baylor | .323 |
| 19 | Penn State | .306 |
| 20 | TCU | .303 |
| 21 | Nebraska | .149 |
| 22 | Notre Dame | .095 |
| 23 | Georgia Tech | .087 |
| 24 | Auburn | .075 |
| 25 | Texas | .075 |
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
