My College Football Final Rankings

By BJ

It’s been too long. I could’ve knocked up a chick, and she could’ve given birth in the time since the last posting. Birth, I tell you. Personally, I haven’t had a contribution for so many years that I can’t even find my last post, but my hope is to make this a regularly occasionally-updated blog again.

Here is the final BCS standings (and as with every week and every poll), I’d like to make some redactions. First, an exception. USC’s violations are pardoned in my books; it’s eligible for my rankings.

I try to be as objective as possible, and so my rankings aren’t based on who I think can beat all of the teams seeded lower than it. Although for the most part, I would go that route. Rather, they’re rewarded based on conference championships, conference/division records, head-to-head matchups and strength of schedule (record against Top 25 BCS teams), in order. And of course, no undefeateds will be lower than a 1-loss team, but that would’ve only applied here had Houston won its last game. Yes, I would’ve placed them No. 2 in the country. Don’t you love my system?

For the record, my system’s not completely flawed. When picking Boise State and Houston upsets this season, I went 2-1 based on my selection process. Where were my sports bets then, damnshit?

For tiebreakers, I didn’t want to go beyond researching opponents of opponents when there was no other way to link the two teams together, but I tried my best to be fair and consistent. Style points counted!

Biggest winner: I guess you could say USC for not even being in the BCS rankings, but we’ll just acknowledge them as a legitimate Top 10 team that should’ve gave Oregon a rematch in the Pac-12 title game for the rights to play in the Rose Bowl against a stupid opponent. Tulsa moved up the most spots (9) after receiving just two votes in the last AP Poll, but the big winner is TCU, who moved up eight spots and into the Top 10 after quietly completing a solid two-loss season.

Biggest loser: (23) West Virginia was the only team in all four major polls to not be in my Top 25 after a rather unimpressive season and not even nabbing their conference outright. But the biggest loser, or most overrated, is Virginia Tech, who’s No. 11 in the BCS but not ranked in mine. Its only Top 25 opponent was Clemson, and it lost to it twice. And badly…both times.

Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN said at the beginning of the season his top three teams were Alabama, Oklahoma and Florida State. 2, 14 and unranked, respectively. As expected, SEC teams fared better due to the strength of schedule while the Big Ten didn’t do too hot.

My rankings for the 2011 college football regular season (along with BCS rankings, records and comments):

1. (1) LSU (13-0) *SEC Champion
2. (2) Alabama (11-1) – Out of all the 1-loss teams, it lost to the best team.
3. (5) Oregon (11-2) *Pac-12 Champion – Higher than the ‘Hogs based on lower margin of defeat against LSU.
4. (6) Arkansas (10-2) – Only losses against LSU and Alabama.
5. (4) Stanford (11-1) – Beat the Cowboys based on margin of victory over Arizona.
6. (3) Oklahoma State (11-1) *Big 12 Champion
7. (8) Kansas State (10-2)
8. (AP 5) USC (10-2) – Defeat against unranked Arizona State crucial.
9. (12) Baylor (9-3)
10. (18) TCU (10-2) *Mountain West Champion – Lost to Baylor in season opener.
11. (14) Oklahoma (9-3) – Below TCU due to larger margin of defeat against Baylor.
12. (7) Boise State (11-1) – Weak strength of schedule hurts the Broncos.
13. (16) Georgia (10-3) – Lost to Boise in home opener.
14. (9) South Carolina (10-2) – Worse division record than the Bulldogs.
15. (10) Wisconsin (11-2) *Big Ten Champion – Had Ohio State been ranked, it still wouldn’t have been enough to move the Badgers up.
16. (17) Michigan State (10-3) – It sits behind the Badgers after the conference title game loss to them.
17. (15) Clemson (10-3) *ACC Champion – Two of three losses are to unranked teams.
18. (25) Auburn (7-5) – Six of 12 games were against Top 16 teams.
19. (13) Michigan (10-2) – Auburn’s victory at South Carolina, and the Wolverines’ loss to unranked Iowa were the difference-makers.
20. (AP 26) Notre Dame (8-4) – Three of four losses against Top 13 teams.
21. (20) Nebraska (9-3) – Below the Fighting Irish based on lower margin of victory against Michigan State.
22. (21) Southern Miss (11-2) *Conference-USA Champion- Both losses to unranked teams hurt it.
23. (19) Houston (12-1) – Conference title game upset ruins perfect season.
24. (AP 33) Tulsa (8-4) – Four losses to Top 19 teams.
25. (22) Penn State (9-3) – It’s a coin flip with Virginia Tech (11).

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On deck: Bowl game predictions

In the hole: My player awards