BCS Rankings Week 14: Winners and Losers from Latest Poll

The 14th BCS rankings of the season were released Sunday night, and once again they were filled with fallacies and errors. This broken system continues to be consistently inconsistent. Some teams benefited from the new rankings, while others saw their dreams shatter. 

As the season gets closer to an end, the less likely the BCS system is to work itself out. As a result, some of the mistakes tonight are going to cause damage that cannot be fixed in one week. 

Here is a list of the six teams that profited the most this week and the six who endured the most damage.

Winner: Alabama Crimson Tide

Alabama maintained its ranking as No. 2 in the BCS polls and also moved up to No. 2 in the computer rankings as well. This was expected because OSU was idle. However, had it not switched places with Alabama it could have signified big trouble in the future.

The Tide now have a bye week but also a .839 lead. It seems almost certain that an Oklahoma State win will put it ahead with the computers, but the Cowboys will need a major swing in the human polls. With three of the four teams incapable of losing next week, the Cowboys will need a very impressive victory to jump the Tide.

This has the Tide nation smiling. 

Loser: Georgia Bulldogs

The University of Georgia defeated No. 23 Georgia Tech 31-17. Its reward was dropping one spot in the newest BCS rankings.  This shows how absurd the BCS rankings really are.

It is not as bad as when Arkansas beat a top-10 team and dropped a few weeks ago, but it is still baffling.

The Bulldogs are probably taken it in stride because they know that if the beat LSU they will get an automatic Sugar Bowl bid. For the fans, however, it has to be a point of frustration.  Ten straight wins and the disrespect continues. Let’s see what they will do if Georgia beats LSU. 

Winner: Oklahoma State Cowboys

Some might think this needs to go on the losers’ side because of the remaining cushion that the Tide maintains (.839).  However, there are several bright spots that give the Cowboys hope.

The Cowboys were able to trim the Tide's lead by .244 despite being idle.  A win next week will cut into that lead further, but they are going to need some major help from the voters.

It is not an ideal situation but at least they are still in the race.  They are in a place now that they might need Virginia Tech to lose to help their case.  There are too many voters who are pushing the Hokies and Stanford over the Cowboys.

Loser: The Big Ten

The Big Ten is struggling for national relevance and it continues to fall short. In this week’s rankings it did not have one team in the top 12. The SEC had four, the Big 12 had three, the Pac-12 had two, the ACC had one, the C-USA had one, the MWC had one.

Six other conferences placed a team in the top 12, but not the Big Ten. Whoever wins the inaugural Big Ten championship game will get an automatic BCS bid. However, all the other conferences are the ones who are getting the publicity.

The only news that seems to come out of the Big Ten anymore is bad news. 

Winner: Kansas State Wildcats

Kansas State surged in the polls this past week moving from 15th to 11th. This is crucial because the Wildcats are now in prime position to get a BCS bid to the Fiesta Bowl.  If Oklahoma State defeats Oklahoma next weekend the Wildcats are a lock.

The Wildcats will have to defeat Iowa State who comes in with a record of 6-5. However, if they do win that game they will finish the season 10-2 and be BCS bound.

This is quite a feat from a team that was back to being a cellar dweller after the retirement of Bill Snyder. I guess you can go home again and be successful. 

Loser: Arkansas Razorbacks

The Razorbacks slipped from third to eighth this week after being dismantled by LSU 41-17. The drop is not too harsh when you consider how soundly they were defeated.

The drop, however, all but ensures they will not be the third SEC team in the BCS bowls if they were granted a third invite.

Now, the only opportunity is for Georgia to beat LSU and the Tigers still make it to the national championship to face Alabama. 

Winner: Houston Cougars

Houston moved up to No. 6 in Sunday's BCS rankings and is now one win away from a historic BCS bowl bid.  The Cougars have not had the most daunting schedule in college football, but they did dismantle two pretty solid teams the last two weeks in SMU and Tulsa.

Case Keenum and company appear to be headed to the Sugar Bowl to face Georgia Bulldogs (if they upset LSU) or another at-large team.

They do have one hurdle remaining in the Conference USA championship game against No. 24 Southern Miss.  The Golden Eagles enter the game 10-2 and are a worthy opponent. 

Loser: Michigan Wolverines

Michigan was hoping to make strides toward an at-large BCS bowl selection. After beating rival Ohio State and ending its seven-game losing streak to the Buckeyes, hopes were higher.  However, this week they not only did not gain a spot, they dropped one spot to No. 16.

It was quite a season for the Wolverines, who moved to 10-2. This is quite an improvement from their 7-6 season last year.  Michigan has improved dramatically, but where will it land come bowl time?

Winner: Boise State

The Boise State Broncos have not had a lot to cheer for since their 36-35 loss to Texas Christian earlier this season.  The missed field goal in the closing seconds denied Boise State from a likely matchup against LSU in the national championship game.

With the loss, BCS bowl hopes are out of the question—or are they?  The Broncos are up to No. 7 in the rankings.  With Oklahoma State and Houston both having games on their schedule they could lose, a top-five ranking is not out of the question.

Moreover, what if the Georgia Bulldogs pull off the upset in the championship game? The Broncos are far from a lock to get an at-large bid, but there is a chance now.  A lot of things would need to go their way, but at least they’re in the conversation. 

Loser: Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State continued its free-fall from a high of 12 three weeks ago. The Nittany Lions have dropped down to 21 and could be on their way out next week.

The Nittany Lions were dismantled 45-7 this past weekend by Wisconsin.  The loss dropped them to a respectable 9-3.  However, they have lost two of their past three games as well.

Penn State fans are looking for something to cheer for.  Perhaps they will decide to go to a bowl game and finish the season on a positive note.

Winner: Missouri Tigers

Despite a 7-5 record, the Missouri Tigers were able to move into the BCS top 25 rankings. The Tigers are not going to go to a BCS bowl and they’re certainly not going to be in national championship talks. However, after the up-and-down season this has to be an encouraging sign.

With their coach being arrested and several injuries, they have needed some good news before heading to the SEC, and this has to be refreshing.  

Loser: College Football Fans

Oklahoma State can still jump Alabama, but with this week’s rankings, the chances lessened.   As a result, if the Cowboys are unable to leapfrog the Tide, the fans will be the losers.

Not because this is a bad matchup or not entertaining.  Instead, because a broken system just got a lot more cracks.

It is impossible to enjoy a game to the fullest that is led by people with their own agenda who force their own will on you.  If the rankings remain next week, it might be time for a full revolt by the fans.