Why FSU won't get a title shot

Texas A&M began the season unranked in the polls, has lost two games and now sits at No. 9 in the BCS standings.

Florida State began the season ranked seventh in the polls, has lost one game and now sits at No. 10 in the BCS standings.

Something about that just doesn't seem to compute.

The reality is that FSU ranks five spots higher than A&M in the coaches' poll and four spots higher in the Harris poll. It's the six BCS computers that have much different outlooks on the Seminoles and are causing them to lag way behind in the national championship race -- so far behind that they're already out of the race, barring an almost unimaginable series of events.

Florida State is the No. 17 team in the computers this week … if you remove Ohio State from the rankings, as the BCS does. Even though the Seminoles have just one loss this season and are a game away from winning a BCS automatic-qualifying conference, the computers have nine two-loss teams ranked ahead of them.

Who says computers don't have feelings? They seem to despise FSU.

Here's why Florida State isn't getting any love from the hard drives. For starters, the BCS decided back in 2001 that it was no longer a good idea to allow these computer programs to consider game scores when ranking the teams. So, for the past 12 seasons, margin of victory hasn't been processed in the computer element of the BCS formula, and five of FSU's 10 wins this year have been by more than 40 points.

To see BCS expert Brad Edwards' take on why Florida State won't make the BCS title game, you must be an ESPN Insider.

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Brad Edwards

ESPN Insider

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• Analyzes college football and the BCS as part of ESPN's Stats & Information Group
• Analyst for both College GameDay on ESPN Radio and the ESPN College Football app