Monday, December 5, 2011

If Alabama Barely Beats LSU In BCS Championship Game, Are They Really #1?

I heard a really good point made by Mike Greenberg this morning on ESPN's Mike and Mike.  If Alabama, on a neutral field, were able to squeak a victory past LSU, does that really mean they're #1?  By default, they're the BCS Champions, but how fair is that?

Okay, I know that the words "BCS" and "fair" don't go together at all.  If that were the case, Boise State would be in a BCS bowl game instead of West Virginia.

LSU beat Alabama on the Tide's home field at night.  The Championship Game is on a neutral field.  What if we see a repeat of the earlier game and neither team is able to do much offensively and we end up with a score of 6-3?  Can you reasonably say that Alabama is clearly the better team at that point? I don't think you can.

If Alabama wins, even by the narrowest margin, they're the BCS Champions.  No doubt.  BCS voters are contractually obligated to vote the champion #1.  The AP and Coach's Polls, however, are not obligated.

So you could have a situation where LSU could narrowly lose the title game but still remain #1 in the AP poll.  If I had a vote, and that's how it turned out, that's what I'd do.

Unless LSU beats Alabama again, this BCS year will be filled with controversy.  The more the better, in my opinion.  This system is highly flawed and geared to provide for the big conferences and no one else.

Bring on a playoff!!!!

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