First BCS Rankings of 2009 Will Be Announced Today

All previous ranking polls can be disregarded, to an extent, from this season. The one that really matters is making its debut today.

The first BCS poll of the season will be released this afternoon and it will reveal the cream of the crop, as far as teams being in position to go to the big-money bowl games.
This is where the real fun begins and it doesn't stop for a while.
Getting into the top 10 and staying in is vital from here on out in the BCS picture. Eight teams will be spread among the Tostitos Fiesta, FedEx Orange, Rose and Allstate Sugar Bowls, leading up to the top two in the BCS National Championship Game.
The nation should already have a good idea of who some of the major players will be after this week's games.
Defending champion Florida didn't look pretty in its final audition for the initial BCS poll, but a 23-20 win over Arkansas on Saturday probably was enough to put the Gators atop today's rankings. Florida , ranked No. 1 in the AP and USA Today/Coaches Polls, has gone 6-0 since its BCS National Championship win last season and currently has the nation's longest winning streak at 16 games.
Some other teams in the AP's top 10 also fared well, too.
No. 3 Texas triumphed over No. 20 Oklahoma, 16-13, at a neutral site in Texas on Saturday. The Longhorns also are 6-0 this season.
No. 6 USC outlasted No. 25 Notre Dame, 34-27, Saturday to improve to 5-1.
No. 8 Cincinnati took care of its business Thursday with a 34-17 win over No. 21 South Florida to stay perfect at 6-0.
Where it gets really interesting is the position No. 5 Boise State is in after its victory Wednesday. The Broncos (6-0) will have to win the rest of their games to stay in the BCS picture, which is possible with an easier remaining schedule. If Boise State keeps winning and other undefeated top 10 teams lose, it could create a predicament for some who want a big-draw team on the grand stage.
Some might be unaware of exactly what the BCS is, and that's OK. It's only been around 11 years.
The BCS, or Bowl Championship Series, consists of 11 Division I-A conferences and independent Notre Dame, which agreed to the system.
The formula for figuring rankings is spread equally among three components - the USA Today/Coaches Poll, Harris Interactive College Football Poll and an average of six computer rankings. Champions of the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10 and SEC get into a BCS game automatically.
Source theledger.com