College Football Rankings’ Next 5: Arizona? Still?

Five teams in the “Also Receiving Votes” category of the AP and Coaches’ Polls have better-than-even chances of cracking (or, in some cases, rejoining) the ranks of the 2010 BCS standings. Included in the waiting room are three mid-major teams, one wee ACC squad struggling to breathe free, and one program still lingering in the BCS standings past its sell-by date.

A warm welcome to veterans of this space West Virginia and Northern Illinois! They’ve got toeholds in the BCS at Nos. 23 and 24. Now, on to the luckless five:

Where They’re At: Well, maybe not that luckless. After losing their third straight Pac-10 game (their fourth conference loss this season) to Oregon Friday night, the Wildcats drop out of both major polls ... and retain their No. 23 slot in the BCS standings.
What Went Wrong: Nothing, really, unless you’re a voter who thinks a team ought to be punished for three straight conference losses and have been brutally rebuffed by computers.
What’s Next: Arizona State, and then that’s all, she wrote.

Where They’re At: 9-3, with sole possession of first place in C-USA East and no way to lose it between now and the conference title game. Sixth team receiving also-ran votes in the AP Poll, but still hanging in at No. 25 in the Coaches’.
What Went Wrong: After a brief flirtation with the polls several weeks ago, the Knights stumbled in a 31-21 loss to Southern Miss, a no-no for mid-major teams yearning to be ranked.
What’s Next: The Knights will host SMU in Orlando this Saturday to play for the C-USA title.

Where They’re At: 9-3; No. 25 in the AP Poll and trailing Arizona in the Coaches’ Poll ARV line.
What Went Wrong: After rebounding from early-season losses to USC and Colorado to dally briefly in the national rankings, the Warriors did the fashionable thing and lost to Boise State at the beginning of November.
What’s Next: One more regular-season home game, a should-be cakewalk versus UNLV.

Where They’re At: 8-4, and having a sneakily OK season in the ACC that nobody really seems to be taking notice of. Behind Arizona in the AP Poll also-rans and third in the Coaches’ Poll ARV.
What Went Wrong: Four conveniently-spaced losses throughout the season kept the Terps off anybody’s hot list.
What’s Next: Future unclear. After that knockoff of NC State to close out the regular season, it’s time to wait by the phone for the selection committees.

Where They’re At: 9-3, hovering just below the surface of the cream of C-USA West. Currently receiving a whopping three votes in the Coaches’ Poll, but third in the AP Poll ARV behind Arizona and Maryland.
What Went Wrong: The Golden Hurricane hasn’t lost again since a close one with SMU in early October, but got waxed in September by East Carolina and Oklahoma State.
What’s Next: Friday’s shootout win over Southern Miss is it for the regular season; like Maryland, Tulsa’s best hope for a late BCS rankings is screwups from above.