2009 NCAA Division I FBS Football Rankings - Function

Function

As the 2009 football season progresses, rankings are updated weekly. The team voted number one in the final AP and Coaches Polls can claim the title of National Champion. The BCS Rankings and Harris Poll do not vote in a final poll as their sole purpose is to determine who plays in the BCS National Championship Game. Other polls exist and may vote for different schools which causes confusion, especially for split titles. But generally, only the AP and Coaches Polls are used in crowning the National Champion.

The initial BCS Rankings came out on October 18, 2009 with Florida as the top rated team. Over the years, the Nos. 1–2 teams in the initial BCS standings have played just once in the BCS National Championship – USC and Texas (2005). Five times in the first 10 years of the system, the No. 1 team from the initial selection week has advanced to the title contest, and Florida State (1999) and USC (2004) are the only two first-week No. 1 schools to capture the eventual crown. Every year (excluding 1998 when UCLA and Ohio State opened at 1–2) at least one of the top two first standings’ squads has advanced to the BCS National Championship. The Florida Gators, last year's national champion, made their debut in the first BCS standings at No. 10, and fought all the way into the title game.