Three of last week’s Top Ten (Houston, Virginia Tech, and Michigan State) all lost and have disappeared from the rankings. Following is the Final Top Ten of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) for 2011.
Current Rank, Team, Win-Losses, Last Week’s Rank. Justification.
#1, LSU, 13-0, #1. Add the SEC Championship victory over Georgia, 42-10, and the Tigers have finished as the only unbeaten team in the 120-member FBS. LSU has beaten five teams in the current BCS Top 25; Alabama, Arkansas, Oregon, Georgia and South Carolina. At season’s end there is no debate, the LSU Tigers are clearly #1.
#2, Oklahoma State, 11-1, #4. The Cowboys absolutely destroyed Oklahoma Saturday night, 44-10, to win the Big 12 Championship. They now must await the BCS Selection Show to see if they will play in the 2012 National Championship Game in New Orleans. Oklahoma State, like LSU, has five wins against teams currently ranked in the BCS Top 25; Oklahoma, Kansas State, Baylor, Texas and Missouri. A missed field goal in double overtime (with the ball going directly over the upright) is the only blemish on an otherwise perfect record.
#3, Alabama, 11-1, #2. The Crimson Tide were idle this week. Alabama’s only loss, in overtime to #1 LSU, was the result of multiple missed field goals. Unlike LSU and Oklahoma State, The Crimson Tide has only beaten two current BCS Top 25 opponents; Arkansas and Penn State. Popular opinion is that Alabama will play LSU in the National Championship, but a direct comparison suggests Oklahoma State played a stronger schedule (especially with Division 1-AA Georgia Southern among Alabama’s opponents) . It could go either way.
#4, Stanford, 11-1, #5. The Cardinal we also idle. Stanford’s only loss was to #5 Oregon; their signature win was against the USC Trojans (#9 AP, #11 Scripps Legends, but BCS ineligible due to probation).
#5, Oregon, 11-2, #9. The Ducks beat #4 Stanford, 53-30 on the road, and are the PAC-12 Champions. Oregon’s two losses were to #1 LSU and on a last second missed field goal against #9 USC. The Ducks are headed to the Rose Bowl against Wisconsin.
#6, Boise State, 11-1, #6. The Broncos started the season with a win on the road over current BCS #14 Georgia. If not for a missed last second field goal, to lose 36-35 to TCU, Boise State would be undefeated. It’s amazing that five of this week’s top six teams were all involved in games decided by last second field goals.
#7, Wisconsin, 11-2, unranked. The Badgers beat Michigan State 42-39 Saturday night, winning the Big 10 Championship, avenging an earlier 37-31 defeat to the Spartans. Wisconsin finishes with wins over three BCS Top 25 teams; Michigan State, Nebraska and Penn State. Their two defeats were against Michigan State and Ohio State.
#8, Kansas State, 10-2, unranked. The Wildcats make the Final Top Ten, with wins over three current BCS Top 25 opponents; Baylor, Texas and Missouri. Their two losses were to current BCS Top Ten teams; Oklahoma State and Oklahoma.
#9, Arkansas, 10-2, #8. True, the Razorbacks only losses were to #1 LSU and #2 Alabama, but neither of those games were close. The only “quality” win for Arkansas was against South Carolina.
#10, Baylor, 9-3, unranked. With victories over four teams currently in the BCS Top 25 (only LSU and Oklahoma have beaten more), the Baylor Bears have finished in the Final Top Ten. Their signature wins include games against Oklahoma, TCU, Texas and Missouri.
dropped from last week’s rankings: Houston, Virginia Tech, Michigan State.
