College Football Rankings: Good Teams People Take for Granted

With the LSUs and Alabamas of the college football world, certain teams get lost in the frenzy that is the BCS Rankings. Not every team has Oregon's flashy jerseys or the dominating presence of the aforementioned teams, but the teams that lack those qualities have plenty to offer.

Outside of their respective fan bases, certain teams don't get the coverage they deserve. They don't get watched as much as they should be watched, and they don't get talked about as much as they should be talked about. The limelight is often hogged by the dominating programs in college football, but watching those teams isn't the only way to crave a football fixing.

The following teams are teams that, if you're not a diehard fan of, probably haven't watched very much of, and you're taking what they bring to the college football table for granted.

No. 18 TCU

They lost a nail-biter against Baylor to open the season and a few weeks later lost to SMU in overtime. It's safe to say that at that point, with a 3-2 record, TCU was off of most people's radars. However, they've climbed back into the picture, dominating the last six games they've played.

Of those six wins, the most impressive was a 36-35 win at Boise State, who was ranked No. 5 in the polls at that time. TCU's offensive attack is as potent as ever as it offers one of the best quarterback-receiver-running back combos in all of college. They have the means to excite in every offensive position thanks to the strong arm of Casey Pachall, the soft hands of Josh Boyce and the top end speed of Waymon James. 

If you haven't watched this team go, you're missing out on some exciting football.

No. 17 Baylor

Baylor can put points on the board, and the teams that take the 17th-ranked team in the country for granted often don't end up playing that well against Robert Griffin III and this high octane offense, just ask Oklahoma, two weeks removed from a 45-38 loss.

Griffin III has asserted himself as one of the nation's top quarterbacks and is getting Heisman consideration. Baylor lacks true football tradition, which has resulted in this team receiving a lack of attention. This is a team that deserves to be in the national limelight as their fearless quarterback is making a name for himself and their overall play is at a level it's never quite been it.

People are crazy about this team in Waco, and you should be too.

No. 12 South Carolina

A team that's been in the middle of the pack the entire year, the Gamecocks seem to be ranked exactly according to their skill level. They are no better than the 10th-best team in the country and no worse than the 15th—that's why this team keeps hovering around this ranking.

Because of this, the Gamecocks' brand of football isn't being appreciated as much as it should. Their only losses are to the then-seventh-ranked Arkansas and Auburn early in the season. Aside from those two reasonable losses, South Carolina has proved themselves to be quite the team. While UGA may be on its way to the SEC Championship, it suffered a loss to the Gamecocks, as did the Clemson Tigers who will be fighting for ACC dominance against Virginia Tech.

This is a team that is beating champions and taking names. Without Marcus Lattimore, they may have taken a hit, but they continue to march on without their former Heisman candidate. They've been doing just fine without him, a testament to how deep this team is.

No. 11 Kansas State

Kansas State knows how to win close games. Aside from a gut-wrenching loss to No. 3 Oklahoma State, the Wildcats have won every close game in front of them, including a four-overtime victory over Texas A&M, a 17-14 win over No. 23 ranked Texas and a 36-35 win over Baylor. That's not even taking into account their victories over Miami and Missouri.

Kansas State is always good for an exciting game, a game that will go down to the wire as Collin Klein will likely lead the team to victory. With so many games being played so tightly,  it should be receiving more attention nation wide. Take a second and think about all the Kansas State football you've been missing. Close games, good teams, great football. What's not to love about the Wildcats?

No. 6 Houston

Take a second and ask yourself this question: have you ever actually watched Case Keenum play a full game?

If the answer is no, you need to do whatever is necessary to remedy that. He is one of the most dominant college football quarterbacks I've ever seen. He threw for nine—not one, not two, not three (looking at you, LeBron)—but nine touchdown passes in one game against Rice, a game in which the team scored 73 points.

He's thrown 43 touchdowns thus far, and he has the biggest game of the season ahead of him against No. 24 Southern Miss. In a top-25 showdown, Keenum will be sure to play his best, and if you haven't seen him yet that might just be the best time to watch him.

He is an offensive mastermind, a once-in-a-lifetime talent for Houston and one you certainly need to watch by the season's end. 

No. 3 Oklahoma State

It's been all LSU and Alabama this year. Oklahoma State is just as good as those teams—maybe even better.

They have the best offense in the nation as Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon are the most impressive quarterback-receiver duo in the nation. Blackmon is a sure-fire first-round pick who is a game-changing player when his time comes in the NFL.

Watching this team play, though, is one of the most exciting things you can watch. They put points on the board like no other, and if they win this weekend against Oklahoma, they might just hop Alabama in the BCS rankings.

A national title game between the often-ignored, high-powered offense of Oklahoma State against the stout defense of LSU would be a clash of the best at each end of the spectrum. Defense vs. Offense.

Oklahoma State has always been overshadowed by the Sooners in their namesake's state, but a win this weekend could flip the whole order of things around, and Blackmon and the Cowboys might just be in the National Championship game.