The Stage is now set for an All-SEC BCS Title Game
Posted on November 29, 2011 by Jacob Bunn
A lot happened this past weekend. Many enjoyed way too much Turkey and pie; shoppers camped out at their favorite stores Thursday night to try to get the best deals on ‘Black Friday.’ In addition to the traditional holiday festivities, there was a significant amount of college football that took place.
Coming into rivalry weekend in college football, the BCS Championship picture was still unclear for the most part. LSU and Alabama were the top two in the standings after week twelve, but they still had business to take care of.
On Friday when LSU hosted Arkansas, many believed the Razorbacks would give the top-ranked Tigers a good game. That was the case for a quarter and a half, when Arkansas racked up a 14-0 early lead. Then, Tyrann Matheiu and Jordan Jefferson made the plays to get LSU back in game and ultimately take control of it. At the end of the day, LSU had beaten third-ranked Arkansas 41-17. So, it is clear that LSU is still by far the premiere team in the nation with a perfect record on top of a strong resume.
Saturday, Alabama traveled to Auburn to compete in the Iron Bowl. The Tide needed an impressive win because it has a loss on its resume. Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide came away from Jordan-Hare Stadium with nothing less than a tremendous victory over the 24th-ranked and defending national champions, Auburn, by a score of 42-14.
So with both of the top teams winning in a convincing manner, the puzzle to find the top two teams in the nation to play in the BCS Championship seems to have gotten a lot clearer.
There are one-loss alternatives to Alabama. Oklahoma State, Stanford, and Virginia Tech sit behind the Tide in the BCS Standings released last evening. The problem with those choices is the losses they incurred. Virginia Tech lost to Clemson, which was on the rise at the time but has since faded. Stanford lost to current number nine Oregon at home. And Oklahoma State, which seems to have the most support to be the alternative to ‘Bama, lost to an unranked Iowa State team after blowing a sizeable lead in the game.
All of those pale in comparison to Alabama’s loss to the undisputed best team in the nation, LSU, in overtime by a score of 9-6.
It was called the ‘game of the century’ between the Tide and the Tigers on November 5th. It was one more terrific football game, with a very riveting conclusion. Both defenses are some of the best I have ever seen. In fact, both teams are very much alike. So much so, the outcomes of the games between Alabama, LSU and their common opponents are strikingly similar.
LSU beat Mississippi State 19-6; Alabama beat Mississippi State 24-7. LSU beat Florida 41-11; Alabama beat Florida 38-10. LSU beat Tennessee 38-7; Alabama beat Tennessee 37-6. LSU beat Ole Miss 52-3; Alabama beat Ole Miss 52-7. LSU beat Auburn 45-10; Alabama beat Auburn 42-14. LSU beat Arkansas 41-17; Alabama beat Arkansas 38-14. And of course, as mentioned above, LSU beat Alabama 9-6 in overtime. The similarities do not end there, but that is as far as I will go for now.
If you watch these two teams play, it is difficult to tell which one is which because the styles and athletes are so much alike. Both of them are simply playing on a much higher level than the rest of the college football universe. I actually think the winner of the LSU-Alabama BCS Championship Game should play the Green Bay Packers just to make sure the teams are in their proper leagues.
On a serious note, though, the only thing that could stand in the way of a remake of LSU/Alabama in New Orleans is the voters in the USA Today Coaches Poll or Harris Interactive Poll. Those two polls make up two thirds of the composition of the BCS Standings. The other third is comprised of computers. As unlikely as it may be, a coordinated effort to stonewall the SEC from having two teams in the BCS Championship could have an effect.
Personally, I think the chances of a game between LSU and Alabama are very good. But make no mistake about it; there is a ton of anti-SEC sentiment in the stratosphere of college football. And, there are a lot of people in particular places and positions who abhor the idea of the Southeastern Conference automatically getting the opportunity to gain another national title before the game is even played. I would ask people with such opinions, though, where they have been the past five years. If I’m not mistaken, the SEC has won five consecutive BCS Championships.
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Email Jacob at jacob@bunnsports.com and follow him on Twitter at @JacobBunn
