1681

They are to a large majority of media experts. You played the talking head card first, so I guess it’s fair game.

I understand people wanting to see OSU play LSU, because it would be interesting. I would like to see that game myself.

The two best teams this season are playing for the MNC. I hope LSU wins, because while I dislike them, I HATE Alabama.

I also HATE finding myself defending Alabama for any reason on any forum, but here I am.

I’ll just bow out for a while and let you guys toss it around. I think chris nailed what I should have said on the last page, he was able to post from the perspective of an unbiased observer.

I think the one thing we can all agree on is there should be a playoff, be it a plus one, or a four or eight team true playoff.

1682

Robsam, I think what is bothering some people is that you are so confident that Alabama is the obvious choice. You can certainly make the argument that Alabama is the justifiable number two, but I don’t think you can argue that its obvious. Even the final BCS rankings show the gap was pretty narrow in the end. Last week Alabama was number 2 in four of the six computer rankings and this week that flipped to Oklahoma State. Note that the computer rankings, for all their flaws, don’t suffer from any human bias. The poll voters were not willing to put Oklahoma State ahead of Alabama in the end, but it was awfully close.

I think what bothers a lot of people is that in a system that has no playoff, the last thing we want to see is a rematch. And what do you say to LSU if they lose the national championship game? That it wasn’t enough to beat Alabama on their home turf this year?

1683

I was about to go to bed, and I KNEW I shouldn’t check my phone…

LSU will play Alabama in New Orleans. They MIGHT have a better home field advantage if they played the game in Baton Rouge, but not by much.

If Alabama can win in the Superdome, and I think they can, I’d say it’s as close to a home and home series that college football can produce.

As for your point that I think it is obvious Bama should be there, I get it. It offends some people that I can’t see their side of the argument. But the people that make the “didn’t win their conference” argument, in my opinion, have no idea how good Alabama truly is and seem to ignore the fact that they damn near, and really should have, won the first game against LSU. No other team has really even challenged LSU after the first half. Bama did.

1684

I can’t believe people, having already seen Alabama lose to LSU this year, want to see it again, instead of giving another team a shot at beating LSU.

Even if Alabama were to win, so what? That makes them 1-1 vs LSU this year, so what kind of claim do they have on the championship?

If they were to give a new team, one that hasn’t played LSU this year, a chance and that team won then there is no question of who is champion.

1685

Yes another excellent point on why there shouldn’t be a rematch like this. LSU losing would just make the teams equal then and why would either one of them have a claim over the other for the championship.

1686

Actually they are, considering OSU actually played 9 games against known conference opponents and 3 out of conference teams (one pac 12 and 2 cupcakes) and the SEC teams like Alabama still cook the books with 8 conference games, with four out of conference games usually consisting of one so-so team (Penn State) and three jokes. And of course at least one of those cupcakes scheduled late in the year to ease into a rivalry game. Yep those Alabama quality wins over Kent State, North Texas and those Georgia Southern Eagles. Hmm and coincidentally all cupcake games played in Tuscaloosa this year.

True that the LSU schedule was tough this year and deservedly they have risen to the challenge, but just check out the future 2012 schedule for a quick lesson in SEC cheese. The 2012 LSU schedule of out of conference games is an embarrassment of scheduling. North Texas, Washington, Idaho and Towson!

So when the SEC expands to 14 will they still only play 8 conference teams, because hey only two more teams to go until they only play half their conference every year.

-Tim

1687

I’m not sure the point you are trying to make. Most major conference football teams schedule at least two cupcake teams each year, with one high level opponent rounding things out. But since those schedules are set years in advance, its pretty hard to “guarantee” that they play a top level as opposed to mid-level school when it actually comes around. If you really think one less conference game gives the SEC some advantage, then I don’t know what to say. But they aren’t playing significantly worse schedules year in and year out then the Pac12, Big12, or Big10 are.

1688

They are actually required to by law, so that is not something they can even control. Ohio State should be commended for at least trying to schedule an annual game against a top opponent from another conference. Miami Florida might be a shell of its former self, but 10 years ago everyone was convinced they were on track for repeat undefeated national championships. Before Miami it was USC. Before USC it was Washington for 1 year, which admittedly was a step down. However, before Washington it was Texas.

That being said, these games are usually scheduled years in advance, which makes it difficult to know which non-conference games are going to be competitive.

This is why I like the idea of giving preference to conference champions, since they are usually awarded to the most deserving team from a slate of common opponents.

1689

I’m with Benny - bragging about how either would go undefeated in any other conference just doesn’t cut it when it could be reasonably put to the test by matching Oklahoma St against LSU since Alabama already showed it was a loser to LSU in a snoozefest, and Alabama could try out Stanford. SEC is so great? If they win both in such a set of match-ups they would end up one-two. But that means an SEC team isn’t guaranteed to win the national championship without further risk, and the bragging just seems to me to be nothing more than fear to face someone outside of their own conference. As to who wins between the two of them? Can’t say I really care who wins the rematch - it’s a dud game to me.

1690

Alabama deserving, not deserving, I don’t really care. I already saw that game. I want to see them both play different teams. This matchup is boring.

It’s not as if the BCS actually does a good job of coming up with a national champion. It’s all just a moneyfest. Give us interesting matchups at least!

1691

I find the SEC overrated. Don’t get me wrong, I think LSU is hands down the best team, but the SEC gets is dick sucked constantly and I don’t get it. Their out of conference matchups are a joke and like half of the conference is 6-6 or worse even with the easy OOC games. I’m in the camp that Okie St. should have made the NC, they lost to a shitty team the same day that the women’s basketball coach died in a planecrash. Meanwhile the only notable thing baba has done is gone to overtime at home against lsu and beating ark.

1692

The one thing that always makes these conference strength debates the most interesting is that different conferences have distinctly different styles of football and it makes a difference. Anyone with a memory will remember teams that looked dominant and unbeatable all season going down in a MNC game because they ran up against a team playing a style they were ill equipped to counter.

LSU I’m prepared to believe in because they have demonstrated strength against a potent team from another conference, namely Oregon, but Alabama couldn’t beat them before and doesn’t deserve another shot.

1693

As far as conference strengths go, the SEC has won the last 5, I think, National Championships. I know there are other factors in determining that and that it can be argued that the SEC is not as good top to bottom, but I think it is a good indicator.

I don’t really want to see it again either, but what are ya’ gonna do?

1694

Just turn it on from time to time to check the score while I’m watching Justified re-runs. Something like that. I am DVRing all of season 1 that is in reruns now. Never saw season 1. I mean, what am I going to miss if I watch Justified instead? A field goal attempt?

Go Harlan County, KY!

1695

Oddly enough, I don’t think there would be any room to debate had Alabama beaten LSU the first time - LSU absolutely has the bona fides to have been the best one-loss team in that scenario. They absolutely stepped up to the plate for the regular season non-conference part of the schedule by beating Oregon and WVU, which to me is the only substantive metric to try and figure this stuff out absent a playoff.

Not that it would have made a difference, but Saban voted OSU fourth as did Pinkel from Mizzou.

1696

Cheer for Alabama to get a good and proper ass-whipping from LSU this time around. :)

1697

That is definitely the plan, but I have to do it covertly as my wife has to believe I am rooting for Alabama. :)

1698

Nick Saban can go eat a bunch of mixed dix.

You too Pinkel and Shaw.

1699

The most interesting thing I learned from that article: La. Tech’s coach is named Spike Dykes, which is TOTALLLLLLY what I’m going to name my roller derby team when I start one.

1700

That was Texas Techs old coach before Mike Leach.