BCS Rankings: 5 Teams That Really Faded Away at the End of the Year

Looking at the final BCS standings, there are a number of teams that were able to claw their way into the BCS bowl berths. Some of the teams that were found in the Top 25 could have severely increased their bowl standing if not for their meltdowns to finish the season.

Houston was one win away from a BCS berth, while Michigan State could have defeated Wisconsin for a second time and earned its way to a BCS bowl. Falling short of a goal is never a positive, and all of these teams dropped the ball when it mattered most.

Looking at the BCS standings, here are five teams that faded at the end of the season as they got lost in the mix that became the top of the BCS rankings. 

No. 15 Clemson Tigers: 11-2 (7-1 ACC)

Clemson started the season with an eight-game winning streak and worked their way up near the top five. A meltdown occurred against Georgia Tech and the Tigers lost by a huge margin to the Yellow Jackets.

The Tigers went on to lose three of their last five with all three of the losses coming by huge deficits. The Tigers held the keys to their destiny and were a team on the national title radar, until they lost to Georgia Tech, 31-17.

No. 19 Houston Cougars: 12-1 (8-0 C-USA)

The Houston Cougars were looking to be the second undefeated team in the country this season and were one game away from staying undefeated and earning themselves an automatic BCS bowl berth. An opportunity that the Cougars have not yet had.

Houston played in close games all season, but they managed to find ways to win. Against Southern Miss this past Saturday, the Cougars were unable to dig out of the hole that they found themselves in. Southern Miss took the Cougars to task and the late-season meltdown cost them a shot at a BCS game. 

No. 14 Oklahoma Sooners: 9-3 (6-3 Big 12)

Oklahoma started the season as the No. 1 team in the country and held onto that ranking for much of the first half of the season. The Sooners were an obvious player in the national title race. After making it to six straight victories, the Sooners hosted the Texas Tech Raiders and lost a close game at home.

The Sooners went on to split the second half of the season, losing to Baylor and Oklahoma State in the season finale. The Sooners had their destiny in their hands and had the opportunity to play for a national title this season. The loss to Texas Tech started the downward spiral to the three-loss conference record.

No. 13 Michigan State Spartans: 10-3 (7-1 Big Ten)

The Spartans from Michigan State lost early to Notre Dame, but they battled their way back into the discussion starting the season 6-1. The Spartans traveled to Nebraska, and they got throttled by the Huskers, 24-3.

The Spartans won the remainder of their regular-season games and faced off against Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship game. The Spartans played a close game but ended up losing the contest to the Badgers.

For the second season in a row, the Spartans just missed a BCS bowl berth, being unable to finish the season on a high note. 

No. 22 Penn State Nittany Lions: 9-3 (6-2 Big Ten)

Penn State faced a wealth of adversity as a university and a football team towards the end of this regular season. Despite the news that surrounded the program, the Nittany Lions still lined up and played hard football.

The Nittany Lions started the season 8-1, with their only loss coming to the Alabama Crimson Tide. Then the Nittany Lions hosted the Nebraska Cornhuskers and lost 17-14 following the release of the Jerry Sandusky allegations.

The Nittany Lions won a game at Ohio State, then they finished the year getting stomped by Wisconsin. The Penn State team was in a great position to make a run at the Big Ten and a BCS bowl, but with all of the distractions surrounding the program it is surprising that the Lions could pull of the victories that they did.