Computer Glitch, Meaningless FCS Game Mean The BCS Standings Are Wrong

We hate to keep harping on this stuff, but they make it all too easy. The BCS standings are slightly off — LSU at 10 and Boise State at 11 should be switched — and the perpetrator is little Appalachian State.

Apparently in the final data submitted to the BCS, compu-wiz Wes Colley forgot to include the results of Saturday's Appalachian State-Western Illinois game. After updating to include that game, the computer rankings should switch LSU and Boise State, and that's enough to change the overall BCS rankings for the two.

Two trains of thought here: first, the vaunted computer rankings are still dependent on someone feeding them the correct data. They caught this one, but it's not beyond the realm of possibility to think that they might not have been so lucky in the past.

Second, what the hell does the result of Appalachian State-Western Illinois have to do with real BCS bubble teams? They're not giving the specifics, but we're assuming it's something to do with strength of schedule. For example: FCS powerhouse App. St. "only" beat Western Illinois by 28, so App. St. isn't as strong as before. Therefore Florida's win over App. St. isn't as impressive anymore, so Florida becomes a weaker team. Thus, LSU's defeat of Florida becomes less impressive, and LSU drops down in the rankings just enough to make a difference.

That's probably not exactly what happened, but whatever did, rest assured it's just as convoluted. This is how your BCS sausage is made, people.

Glitch leaves LSU, Boise State in wrong order in final BCS [CBS Sports]