College Football Rankings Discussion

The final game of the 2010 season has been played, anointing the Auburn Tigers as the 2010 National Champions. Playoff system aside, it is tough to argue with Auburn's title. Yet there are a few glaring mistakes in the final rankings, or at least the guru thinks so.

First and foremost, Oregon fell to #3 in both the AP and USA Today polls. Rose Bowl champion Texas Christian leapfrogged (get it?) the Ducks in both sets of rankings. I understand the enthusiasm for the Horned Frogs, I truly do. But how on Earth can you justify knocking Oregon down a peg? They may have lost a game, but it was to the newly crowned champions. They held Auburn to just 22 points, their lowest total since September 9th. Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton was limited to 46 rushing yards on 22 carries. More importantly, the game was as tight as it could have possibly been. The teams were tied with literally two seconds remaining. The championship was decided on the final play, a game-winning field goal by Auburn kicker Wes Byrum. So Oregon's only loss of the season comes to the national champs by the slimmest of margins on the game's final play...and they get bumped in the rankings. Absolutely ridiculous.

Could someone please explain to me why Central Florida is ranked 20th in USA Today and 21st in the AP poll? Sure, the Knights won eleven games, but against who? Their signature win came against a Georgia team that finished under .500. In fact, none of their victories came against an opponent with a winning record. And they are ranked ahead of teams like South Carolina? Absurd.

Also absurd: UCONN played in a BCS game. I understand that the Big East has one automatic qualifier, but this is beyond ridiculous. The Huskies ended the season unranked in both the USA Today and AP polls. In fact, to find Connecticut in the final rankings, one must view the complete standings, where they can be found at #33 in USA Today and #34 in the AP poll. They never played a game against a ranked opponent in the entire regular season, and when they finally faced off against one in the Fiesta Bowl, they lost by four touchdowns. It is clear that Boise State, #7 in the according to USA Today, was more deserving of a BCS bid than a team that went 5-2 in the Big East.

What are your thoughts on the matter? Is this ranking system a joke? Should a playoff be instituted? Is TCU better than Oregon? Where does Boise State fit in? How awful are the Connecticut Huskies? Let your voice be heard in the comment section by clicking on the link that reads "# comments, (click here to add yours.)"