BCS Rankings: 5 Teams That Should Be Lower in the AP Poll

The final 2011-12 regular season AP poll is out. As always, there are a handful of teams that don’t deserve to be ranked as high as they are.

With all eyes on the final round of BCS standings, this tends to go unnoticed.

Still, it’s not fair to teams that have no business being behind squads getting by on name recognition only.

Here are five teams that should be ranked lower in this week’s AP poll. 

No. 12 Michigan State

Granted, the Spartans lost a highly contested, super-close game against the Badgers in the inaugural Big Ten title match, but it was still their third loss. 

There are five teams with less than three losses below Michigan State in the rankings, and there are three teams with more wins than the Spartans ranked lower. 

No. 19 Oklahoma

At No. 19, the Sooners serve as a classic example of a team getting by on name recognition alone. 

Oklahoma was dreadful Saturday night against arch rival Oklahoma State, and there is no way they should be ranked ahead of a one-loss Houston team that was No. 6 in the BCS before this weekend or an 11-2 Southern Miss team that handed the Cougars their only defeat this season. 

No. 20 Houston

Houston makes this list for one simple reason: They are ranked two spots ahead of the Southern Miss team that shocked them on Saturday to win the Conference USA title and deny the Cougars their first-ever BCS bid. 

No school should be ranked higher than the team they just lost to—especially when that team is the conference champion. 

No. 23 West Virginia

West Virginia hasn't beaten anybody this season, and they are going to back into the BCS by winning the Big East via about a thousand tie-breakers. 

Dana Holgorsen's first season in Morgantown was a major disappointment, and his team shouldn't be ranked in the Top 25. 

No. 25 Florida State

There are any number of 8-4 schools that deserve to be ranked ahead of the 'Noles, including a Virginia team that was one win away from a spot in the ACC championship game after beating Florida State earlier this season.

Again, this is a case of a team that's ranked because of the logo on their helmet instead of their performance on the field.