The BS National Championship Game

Later today the powers that be will let us know which two teams will play for this year's BCS National Championship game.  The LSU Tigers are easily the #1 team in this discussion and their ticket to the big game is already punched. 

Pollsters then had to make a big decision: who's number 2?

Conventional wisdom tells us that the Alabama Crimson Tide will be playing LSU on January 9th.  But there is no wisdom in that outcome. 

It was just a month ago that college football brought us this year's "Game of the Century" as LSU marched into Alabama for a showcase of the top two teams in the polls.  It provided a close, but extremely ugly game where neither team reached the end zone... neither team went over 300 yards of offense... each team turned the ball over twice... and there were four missed field goals.  Yes - 4.  Five field goals WERE made, however, and LSU got out of town with a 9-6 overtime win.  If you aren't a hard-core fan of one of those schools you did NOT enjoy that game.  There are actually people who claim that they want to see that rematch.  Wow. 

The purpose of the National Championship Game is to determine the best team in the country.  I already know who's better between LSU and Alabama.  You know how I know?  They already played.  LSU went into hostile territory and won in Tuscaloosa.  They also won their division, their conference and their conference championship game.  Alabama did none of those things.

The Oklahoma State Cowboys only lost one game this year.  It was also in overtime.  It was to a lesser team to be sure, but it was on the road and less than 24 hours after a tragic plane crash took the lives of two members of the OSU athletic family.

The SEC crowd is shouting loud that theirs is the best conference and a one-loss season in the SEC far outweighs a one-loss season in the Big 12.  The funny thing about that is... they're wrong in this case.

Based on where teams were ranked on the day they played them, Alabama has wins over the #12, 14, 23 and 24 teams.  Oklahoma State beat the #8, 10, 14, and 22nd rated teams.  Advantage Cowboys.

You can just hear them in Tuscaloosa... "But it's not where they are when you play them - it's where they are at the end!"

I couldn't agree more.

Based on the most recent BCS standings from last week, Oklahoma State has now beaten five of the top 25 teams.  Alabama?  Only 2.  The plain truth (cover your ears SEC apologists) is that it was harder to be Oklahoma State this year than it was to be Alabama. 

It's one thing to be a part of a great conference, but when you don't have to PLAY everyone in that conference, there's a chance that this happens.  There are 5 truly relevant teams in the SEC right now (top 25 in the BCS standings):  LSU, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia and South Carolina.  Alabama beat Arkansas - their best win.  They lost to LSU and they didn't even have to play Georgia or South Carolina.  Even a diehard Dixieland supporter can't argue that beating Kansas State, Texas, Baylor and Missouri is more impressive than beating Auburn, Florida, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt.  All they need to do is look at the polls.

The truth is, we should skip the National Championship Game this year and give the trophy to LSU today.  The Tigers have already earned it.

But if we're supposed to believe that the title is still up for grabs how can we send a team that already had their chance - at HOME - and lost?  Especially when there's another team waiting in the wings whose resume' is surprisingly better.  If the SEC truly wants to call themselves the best conference they should welcome this test, not cry for a re-tread of a game that has already been decided... and in disappointing fashion.