No matter what happens next week in the Bedlam Series between No. 5 Oklahoma State and No. 12 Oklahoma, No. 2 Alabama is almost guaranteed to find a spot in the BCS national title with their 42-14 win over Auburn in the Iron Bowl. Even if the Cowboys can finally knock off the Sooners next Saturday, it may not be enough to counter the crushing loss to Iowa State just two weeks before.
It doesnt’ matter if Oklahoma State really is the best, second-best or 50th-best team in the country. The computers loved them and they had a title shot square in their hands.
Since losing to LSU 9-6 earlier this month, Alabama has been as dominant as anybody in the country. If the “tied in regulation against LSU” argument wasn’t sufficient enough to push the Tide into the title game, surely beating Auburn in a huge rivalry game was.
The bigger question will be whether the Tide will be No. 1 or No. 2 when the title game rolls (see what we did there?) around. Top-ranked LSU is expected to beat No. 13 Georgia next week in the SEC title game, but in the event of an upset, the Tigers may have done enough over the course of the season to merit a spot in the title.
Imagine that: two teams who didn’t win their division or their conference competing for the national title. That’s not unprecedented in the history of sports; there’s just usually been a playoff on the other end of it.
Barring a complete meltdown in Atlanta, a rematch of the “game of the century” appears all but officially in order -- y’all already know how I feel about that -- which would secure the SEC a sixth national title in a row.
Bama just better make sure they bone up on their field goal kicking if they’re going to come out on the right side of the game that’ll really matter.
