BCS Rankings: Sun Devils up to No. 17 in latest rankings

For Sun Devil football fans, analyzing the various polls and rankings can be a maddening experience. Many believe that Arizona State is undervalued in most polls, but the ranking that matters most is the one that rates the Sun Devils the best.

On Sunday evening, the week 13 BCS rankings were released and Arizona State appeared at No. 17 which is two spots higher than its place in the AP poll and five spots above its place in the Coaches' and Harris polls.

The Sun Devils receive a more favorable view in the BCS poll because the BCS rankings take into account computer simulations that grade the Sun Devils as one of the most battle-tested teams in the country. ESPN analyst David Pollack said the computers have Arizona State 11th overall.

Arizona State's strength of schedule continues to improve on a weekly basis, as its opponents pick up steam and fight their way up the rankings as well.

On Saturday night, a USC team that gave up 62 points in a loss to the Sun Devils defeated a Stanford squad that beat ASU by 14 points. Stanford is still considered one of the nation's top teams, and with USC breaking into the BCS rankings at No. 23 this week, Arizona State saw its strength of schedule move up yet again.

Of course, even the BCS rankings are imperfect in the eyes of Sun Devil fans. Arizona State is ranked below Fresno State and Northern Illinois teams that are undefeated, but don't have quality wins on its resumes.

Next week, the Sun Devils will travel to Pasadena with a prime opportunity to climb into the top 15 with a showdown against the UCLA Bruins. The Bruins are the third highest-ranked Pac-12 team in the BCS rankings with an overall slotting of 14th. The Bruins are also 8-2 but the Sun Devils own a one-game lead in the Pac-12 South because of a better conference record.

The Week 13 BCS Rankings