I agree; however, rankings will change along with perception. In the 1950s, Michigan, Chicago and Cal were perceived of as being higher ranked than Stanford, which achieved greatness in the 1960s. Money is a huge factor, and in that department, USC has quite a few billionaire undergraduate alumni (and parents of kids) who just might catapult USC to the top…
http://www.businessinsider.com/universities-with-most-billionaire-undergraduate-alumni-2014-9
At the end of the day, and despite the rankings frenzy, it’s all about fit. Does an introvert want Michigan or USC, for example, or would she prefer Smith College instead? Does an extrovert really want to be around nerdy kids at Harvard or would he fit better at Notre Dame? I kind of wish I had checked out Hampton Sydney, for example. Today’s options, especially with the internet, are limitless.