Auburn Jumps to #1 in the BCS Rankings Ahead of Oregon and Boise State

Auburn is #1 in the BCS Rankings and although I understand why, they have beaten Clemson, South Carolina, Arkansas and LSU this season, I’m not convinced they should be at the top of the rankings. 

The Tigers’ climb to #1 in the BCS is more due to the fact that the powers that be, the two human polls and the computer poll, have put a lot of faith in the awsomeness of the SEC this season.

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Usually, I’d agree with that BCS power that be, that the SEC is the best conference in football, but not this season.  I can’t agree with them this season.  So, I can’t make an SEC team #1 in the BCS Rankings.  To me, Utah, Boise State and Oregon are easily the best three teams in the nation.  They are at this point, anyhow, and the reason is simple:  Utah is 6-0-1 ATS, Boise State is 5-1 ATS, and Oregon is 5 and 2 ATS.  Auburn?  5 and 3 ATS.

Yes, I understand that football handicapping is different than the BCS Rankings, but maybe they shouldn’t be.  If the team is undefeated, and Utah, Boise State, Oregon and Aburn all are, then don’t you think the odds makers know way more about how a team will play than any freaking computer that creates rankings based on an overall, non subjective look at stats?

The NCAAF football betting odds maker has to determine a betting line, like Damon D. spoke about in his last BetFlix Video, to try and ensure the same amount of money is wagered on both sides.  I’d think the football handicappers’ information is pretty spot on and more so, probably, than a computer’s info.

But my love for football handicapping isn’t the only reason that Auburn shouldn’t be #1 in the BCS Rankings.  They shouldn’t be #1 because even though they have beaten more ranked tams than Utah, Boise State and Oregon, those ranked teams they beat probably were more highly regarded than they should have been when Auburn beat them.

Auburn beat Clemson 27 to 24 in overtime at home.  Clemson went on to lose 30 to 21 to Miami and 21 to 16 to North Carolina.  So, Auburn barely beat a team that started on a three game losing streak.  Auburn beat #12 BCS ranked South Carolina.  South Carolina did beat Alabama, but they lost to Kentucky, 28 to 31 a week later.  Kentucky is not a great team.  They’re not even a very good team this season.

Auburn did destroy #19 BCS ranked Arkansas 65 to 43 but Arkansas had already lost 20 to 24 to overrated (at least then!) Alabama and barely beat Texas A&M, 24 to 17.  The LSU victory is my favorite because although LSU was undefeated they had barely escaped with victories versus North Carolina, Tennessee and Florida.  LSU probably should have lost to West Virginia, a team that got smacked at home by Syracuse this past Saturday.

Hey, Auburn’s a good team, I’m not saying that, but they shouldn’t be #1 in the BCS Rankings.  Auburn’s #1 ranking has been the result of too much weight being placed onto teams in the SEC.  If it’s a down year for the SEC, and I believe it is, then Auburn’s victories over those SEC teams, and Clemson, shouldn’t have pushed them up to #1 past Oregon or Boise State.

None of it might matter at the end.  The Tigers have to face Ole Miss, the much improved Georgia Bulldogs and, of course, Alabama before the end of the regular season.  Then, should they go undefeated and make it into the SEC Championship, they will most likely have to face South Carolina again.  Because of Auburn’s issues on defense, they give up 354 yards on average per game and 252 yards through the air, I don’t see them going undefeated.

I certainly hope they don’t.  No offense to Auburn fans, but it would be terrible if the BCS Rankings got it wrong again and either Oregon or Boise State got shut out of the BCS Championship game.

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