BCS Rankings: 3 Messages Sent by Final BCS Standings

At first glance, the BCS rankings are nothing more than a collection of numbers. Put together, they represent a result that is definitely scientific, but not exactly logical.

This is how college football determines its champion, folks.

There's no point in denying it: The BCS is a flawed system. Sadly, it's probably not going to go away any time soon. 

If the BCS could talk, perhaps it could give us a few reasons why it should stick around. I say "perhaps," of course, because I have a feeling the BCS would have other things to say.

For example, if the final BCS rankings for the 2011 season could talk, I have feeling it would deliver the following three messages.

The Big 12 is awesome

When it comes to the BCS, the conferences teams play in count for a lot. The voters have made it clear they love certain conferences, and the computers have preferences of their own.

This year, the computers absolutely loved the Big 12. In fact, their rankings consistently indicated the Big 12 was the best conference in the country in 2011.

To give you an idea, the computers think Oklahoma State is indeed the No. 2 team in the country. If it were up to them, the Pokes would be playing in the BCS National Championship Game.

But that's not all. The computers also finished the season with Kansas State at No. 4, Oklahoma at No. 7 and Baylor at No. 11. Shoot, they even thought Texas was No. 19.

Well, if they say so. Truth be told, the Big 12 didn't seem to be that strong this year. 

In computers we trust. 

[Cue the music from The Terminator.]

Conference titles do not matter

Most teams set out to win their conference. Only a few are actually lucky enough to achieve this goal.

The BCS couldn't care less. We know this because the rankings allowed the following things to happen:

• Stanford is ranked ahead of Oregon despite the fact the Ducks won the Pac-12 Championship. The Ducks also beat Stanford head-to-head.
• Virginia Tech is ranked ahead of Clemson despite the fact Clemson won the ACC Championship Game against Virginia Tech. The Tigers also beat the Hokies earlier in the season.
• TCU failed to be ranked in the Top 16, meaning the highest-ranked non-AQ conference winner will not be represented in a BCS bowl this year. The Horned Frogs deserved to go, but the rankings held them out.
• Houston is ranked ahead of Southern Miss despite the fact Southern Miss destroyed Houston in the Conference USA Championship Game.

You get the idea. Conference titles mean everything in the real world, but they mean nothing in the BCS.

Kinda makes all this conference realignment business look a little funny.

The "Game of the Century" didn't actually tell us anything

When LSU beat Alabama in early November, there was no questioning the Tigers were the best team in the country.

There is still no questioning the Tigers are the best team in the country, but the debate rages on whether or not the Crimson Tide is truly the second-best team in the country.

The BCS says they are, but there is a difference of opinion in the BCS itself. The computers think Oklahoma State is No. 2, and the voters think Alabama is No. 2. 

Advantage: voters. Apparently.

Those who support the title game rematch will say Alabama proved it is at least capable of competing with LSU, which is more than any other team can say.

The obvious counterpoint is the Tide also proved that they are not a better team than LSU. Since we already know that, why not give the Pokes their shot? Maybe they would fare better against LSU than Alabama was able to do.

Well, we'll never know now. All we know is that LSU and Alabama are playing for the title, and that this time it counts.

In a word, the title game is a mulligan. Way to go, BCS.

Week 15 BCS Rankings

Rank	Team	BCS Average
1	LSU	1.000
2	Alabama	.9419
3	Oklahoma State	.9333
4	Stanford	.8476
5	Oregon	.7901
6	Arkansas	.7687
7	Boise State	.7408
8	Kansas State	.6827
9	South Carolina	.6553
10	Wisconsin	.6374
11	Virginia Tech	.5190
12	Baylor	.4977
13	Michigan	.4794
14	Oklahoma	.5603
15	Clemson	.4218
16	Georgia	.4119
17	Michigan State	.3883
18	TCU	.3869
19	Houston	.3504
20	Nebraska	.2606
21	Southern Miss	.1918
22	Penn State	.1305
23	West Virginia	.1233
24	Texas	.0876
25	Auburn	.0584