BCS or CFP? How the two rankings compared at the end of the 2023 season
The world of college football has a rankings problem.
For years, it was the Bowl Championship Series and the BCS rankings that were much maligned among college football fans, with computer models deciding who deserved to play for the national championship. This notable excluded the Oregon Ducks back in 2001, relegating an undefeated Oregon team to the Fiesta Bowl with Joey Harrington at the helm, while Nebraska went on to get destroyed by Miami in the championship — a game that every Duck fan believes they deserved to play in.
Now, the College Football Playoff committee is under fire once again after the 2023 rankings came out and excluded the undefeated Florida State Seminoles, a team who just won the ACC Championship. It is the first time in the 10 year history that an undefeated Power 5 champion has not made the playoff, instead getting bumped out by a one-loss SEC Champion Alabama Crimson Tide.
So which system is more hated, the old BCS or the current CFP? A year from now, it will be less of a conversation as we expand to a 12-team playoff, but for now it is the biggest topic of conversation in college football.
Though the BCS is no longer used, the model that it utilized to determine rankings still exists. Here’s how the BCS model would have ranked the top 25 teams in 2023, compared to how the CFP ultimately decided things:
Michigan Wolverines
Michael Allio-USA TODAY Sports
2023 Record: 13-0
College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 1
BCS Score: 0.9844
Washington Huskies
James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
2023 Record: 13-0
College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 2
BCS Score: 0.9611
Alabama Crimson Tide
(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
2023 Record: 12-1
College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 4
BCS Score: 0.8730
Florida State Seminoles
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
2023 Record: 13-0
College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 5
BCS Score: 0.8708
Texas Longhorns
Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
2023 Record: 12-1
College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 3
BCS Score: 0. 8662
Georgia Bulldogs
Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
2023 Record: 12-1
College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 6
BCS Score: 0.8076
Ohio State Buckeyes
2023 Record: 11-1
College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 7
BCS Score: 0.7934
Oregon Ducks
Photo Courtesy of Oregon Athletic Department
2023 Record: 11-2
College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 8
BCS Score: 0. 7155
Penn State Nittany Lions
Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
2023 Record: 10-2
College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 10
BCS Score: 0.6378
Missouri Tigers
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
2023 Record: 10-2
College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 9
BCS Score: 0.6014
Ole Miss Rebels
Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
2023 Record: 10-2
College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 11
BCS Score: 0.6001
Oklahoma Sooners
Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
2023 Record: 10-2
College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 12
BCS Score: 0.5829
LSU Tigers
John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
2023 Record: 9-3
College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 13
BCS Score: 0.5182
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
2023 Record: 9-3
College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 16
BCS Score: 0.3825
Arizona Wildcats
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
2023 Record: 9-3
College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 14
BCS Score: 0.3778
Louisville Cardinals
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
2023 Record: 10-3
College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 15
BCS Score: 0.3403
Liberty Flames
Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports
2023 Record: 13-0
College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 23
BCS Score: 0.2989
Iowa Hawkeyes
Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
2023 Record: 10-3
College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 17
BCS Score: 0.2582
SMU Mustangs
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
2023 Record: 11-2
College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 24
BCS Score: 0.2169
NC State Wolfpack
Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
2023 Record: 9-3
College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 18
BCS Score: 0.1887
Oregon State Beavers
James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
2023 Record: 8-4
College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 19
BCS Score: 0.1832
James Madison Dukes
Hannah Pajewski-USA TODAY Sports
2023 Record: 11-1
College Football Playoff Ranking: N/A
BCS Score: 0.1826
Oklahoma State Cowboys
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
2023 Record: 9-4
College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 20
BCS Score: 0.1227
Tennessee Volunteers
Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
2023 Record: 8-4
College Football Playoff Ranking: No. 21
BCS Score: 0.0997
Troy Trojans
Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports
2023 Record: 11-2
College Football Playoff Ranking: N/A
BCS Score: 0.0982
