Here is Higher Ed Watch's annual reranked of the top 25 teams in the BCS standings based not on football wins and losses, but based on academics. Of the top 25, OSU comes in at #4.


http://higheredwatch.newamerica.net/blogposts/2010/fourth_annual_academic_bowl_championship_series_rankings-41517

still not in the National Championship game, and we're the largest research university in the country. WTF?!?

darbypitcher22;608364 wrote:still not in the National Championship game, and we're the largest research university in the country. WTF?!?

Since OSU is the largest, that brings its overall down since it gets average to lower scores and graduates. Not a knock, just a reality of being a large campus. It is still great, especially if you look at individual departments.

ptown_trojans_1;608398 wrote:Since OSU is the largest, that brings its overall down since it gets average to lower scores and graduates. Not a knock, just a reality of being a large campus. It is still great, especially if you look at individual departments.

Correct. And they are the second highest public school on the list (honestly I was surprised to see Boise so high, my mother is a teacher in Idaho and that is simply a state that does not value education). You would expect private schools like Stanford and TCU to be ranked higher because they can be more selective than a state school.

Kinda funny how the bottom two are playing each other haha.

I remember these rankings from a few years ago, it is stupid that a factor is the racial separation. Virginia had the highest black graduation rate in the top 25 (85% or so) but since the white graduation rate was 100% they were penalized - again despite having the highest black graduation rate.

krambman;608829 wrote:Correct. And they are the second highest public school on the list (honestly I was surprised to see Boise so high, my mother is a teacher in Idaho and that is simply a state that does not value education). You would expect private schools like Stanford and TCU to be ranked higher because they can be more selective than a state school.

Academic reputation has nothing to do with it - it is about the football team's graduation rate, the rate compared to the general student population, racial disparities, etc...

Boise is likely high due the football team's rate compared to the general population, same with UCF. These large, mostly commuter schools have lousy general graduation rates, so the football team looks good in comparison.

BTW 3 of the 4 factors deal with race:

"Four federal graduation rate calculations help determine a school’s score: the football team’s graduation rate relative to the school overall; the difference between black and white graduation rates on the team; the difference between black and white graduation rates at the school overall; and the difference between the graduation rates of black players on the football team and the school’s overall black student population."

Uh, why not include the difference between graduation of white players on the football team and the school's overall white student population? What does the difference between black and white graduation rates at the school overall have to do with football? The author answers at the bottom of article - "guilt."

Boise State is #2????

I kinda figured this was almost a Commuter School for people with sled dogs.

Sleeper????? Your thoughts?????