NB: For our purposes, we’re utilizing SB Nation’s BlogPoll when discussing Top 25 college football rankings. Because it’s better.
College Football Rankings’ Next 5: The Big 12 Hits A Glass Ceiling
Assessing the pitfalls and fortunes of the top five teams in the “also receiving votes” category that serves as college football’s casting couch. This week: Why half the good-ish undefeated teams in the Big 12 can’t crack the polls.
• Missouri.
Where They’re At: 4-0 after defeating one AA team, a Mountain West team, a MAC team, and Illinois, which somehow still counts as football. No. 23 in the coaches’ poll.
What Went Wrong: Only beating San Diego State by a field goal in Week 3 cannot have helped their case for inclusion in the rankings, not until somebody up there notices the Aztecs have cracked our legendarily exclusive and violently arbitrary mid-major top ten and may actually be an all-right outfit.
What’s Next: Unfortunately for these Tigers, there’s another week of waiting before Big 12 play. They’ll host Colorado in Week 6, but how much does beating Colorado even count for right now?
• Oklahoma State.
Where They’re At: 3-0 and fresh off a bye. No. 24 in the coaches’ poll.
What Went Wrong: Being fresh off a bye, for one thing; for another, their list of pelts in 2010 consists of Washington State, Troy, and Tulsa -- and the Trojans came thisclose to pulling off a repeat of their 2007 upset bid, falling 41-38.
What’s Next: The ‘Pokes are primed for a resurgence in attention, if not aptitude. This year’s team is badly decimated by attrition. But they’ve got a Thursday-night slot in Week 5 against Texas A&M to open conference play and prove Mike Gundy can make magic out of nothing at all.
• Kansas State.
Where They’re At: 4-0, with one high-profile win (over UCLA in Week 1). Unranked in either major poll.What Went Wrong: Missouri State, the Wildcats’ Week 2 patsy, didn’t give them too much trouble; their UCLA win now looks maybe undeservedly awesome in retrospect. The past two weeks’ margins of victory, however, have dinged them. Beating Iowa State by seven and UCF by three isn’t Top-25 behavior.What’s Next: Probably pain and some lost votes. The Wildcats have this week off before hosting No. 6 Nebraska in Thursday primetime.• Florida State.
Where They’re At: 3-1, 1-0 in ACC play. No. 25 in the AP Poll.
What Went Wrong: The “1” in “3-1.” It may take another couple weeks for voters to forget the Seminoles’ absolute mauling at the hands of No. 10 Oklahoma.
What’s Next: Easy pickins. Virginia isn’t exactly the class of the conference, nor do they provide a particularly hostile road atmosphere. A victory in Charlottesville and some screwups by currently ranked teams should put the ‘Noles to rights.
• Clemson.
Where They're At: 2-1, with two very soft and pliable wins and one OT loss to Auburn. Unranked in either major poll.
What Went Wrong: Lack of evidence, really. The Tigers can beat up on horribly overmatched teams and can't hang with a contender for the SEC West title. Of their in-betweens, we know nothing.
What's Next: A statement win or a rough afternoon, depending on which version of Jacory Harris shows up this Saturday for No. 16 Miami's visit.
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