5 Top 25 Teams the AP Got Wrong That the BCS Will Correct

With the combination of human polls and computer formulas, the BCS attempts to comb the subjective nature of human voters with the pure statistical analysis of computers to produce an accurate ranking system.

The AP poll, the most respected of the human polls but not part of the BCS formula, has both overvalued and undervalued a handful of teams in this week's poll. Here are five teams whose AP poll ranking is not reflective of their deserved position, but whose BCS ranking will accurately assess their true merit.

No. 16 Kansas State

The computers love the Big 12, so expect the Wildcats to be higher than No. 16 when the BCS releases its standings. Their only two losses have come to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, who will play for the conference title next Saturday.

Kansas State has five wins over bowl-eligible teams, and should get a sixth next week against Iowa State. The Wildcats' porous defense hurts them in the human polls, but their resume is as strong as any two-loss team in the country.

No. 13 Oklahoma

The Sooners trail Georgia in the polls, despite having eight of their nine wins over bowl-eligible teams, compared to only five for the Bulldogs. Their two losses were by a combined 10 points.

Oklahoma has a much stronger non-conference schedule than Georgia or No. 11 Michigan State, with double-digit wins over Florida State and Tulsa. The Sooners blasted Texas and Kansas State away from home, and are still one win from the Big 12 title despite a slew of key injuries.

No. 24 Southern Miss

The Golden Eagles won the Conference USA East Division, but bad losses to 3-9 UAB and 6-6 Marshall should keep them out of any poll. They have a respectable win over Virginia, but that was in September against a Cavaliers team still finding its way.

They have only three wins against teams that will go bowling, and benefited from not playing either Houston or Tulsa in the regular season. Don't look for Southern Miss to sniff the top 25 of the BCS standings.

No. 22 West Virginia

Perhaps the Mountaineers are ranked because voters feel like at least one Big East team has to be ranked. The truth is the Mountaineers have done little deserve to their AP ranking.

West Virginia's best win is over Cincinnati after the Bearcats lost QB Zach Collaros, and they have only one other victory over a team with a winning record. Despite their struggles, the 8-3 Mountaineers are in the driver's seat for an Orange Bowl bid.

No. 15 Wisconsin

The Badgers failed to move up in the AP Poll despite a 45-7 pounding of Penn State to clinch the Big Ten Leaders Division title. Wisconsin's only two losses came on long passes in the final minute to Michigan State and Ohio State.

For the second year in a row, Wisconsin has played its best football in November, overcoming increasingly colder weather with a dominant running game. Their victories have come in far more dominant fashion than No. 14 South Carolina, which has limped past 6-6 Mississippi State, 5-7 Tennessee, 6-6 Florida and The Citadel.