The BCS standings were released for the first time this season on Sunday, and they immediately provided some controversy, with Florida owning the No. 2 spot.
Alabama stands atop the initial BCS standings, which comes as no surprise, since the Crimson Tide is an overwhelming No. 1 choice in the two polls used in the BCS formula – the USA Today coaches poll and the Harris poll, which is made up of former coaches, players and administrators and current media members.
But Oregon is a solid No. 2 in both those polls, yet the Ducks are only No. 3 in the BCS standings, because the third component in the BCS formula – the computers – has Florida No. 1. That and the Gators’ No. 3 ranking in the two polls were enough to lift the Gators over the Ducks for the No. 2 spot in the first BCS standings.
So once again two teams from the Southeastern Conference hold the top two spots in the BCS standings, as they did a year ago when LSU and Alabama met for the national title.
The four-team playoff to determine the national champion does not begin until the 2014 season. The system that has been used the past several years will be in effect this year and next, with the teams that finish first and second in the final BCS standings meeting for the national championship.
The oher top spots in the first BCS standings offered no surprises, with Kansas State and Notre Dame occupying the fourth and fifth slots and one-loss teams LSU and South Carolina at No. 6 and 7, respectively.
There is plenty of time for Oregon to improve its computer ranking with games remaining against Oregon State and USC, which stand eighth and 10th in this week’s BCS standings, as well as a Pac-12 title game.
But Florida’s SEC schedule, which includes games against South Carolina and No. 11 Georgia and a possible SEC title game, should keep the Gators near the top in the estimation of the computers, which make up one-third of the BCS ranking formula with the two polls making up the other two-thirds. (The Associated Press media poll is not part of the BCS formula.)
You may recall that LSU and Alabama were No. 1 and No. 2 in the first BCS standings released last season and they finished the season in those exact same spots.