The Rest of College Football

[Pasadena Blue]

... on the other hand, in both games 'Bama looked like the better team.

[lineygoblue]

Of all the teams with only 1 loss, LSU looks the best to me, and they have the best resume. Someone above listed the teams they defeated, but you left out that they beat the Orange Bowl winner West Virginia, who absolutely destroyed the ACC champion just a few days ago.

LSU is the best team in the country, and shouldn't have had to prove it again tonight. They beat Alabama earlier in the year at their own stadium, and I don't see why tonight's game should carry more weight than that one.

[JRB]

Everybody agreed to play by the rules of this system when the season started, and the rules of this system mandate that the winner of the BCS championship game is the BCS champion. There's precedent for awarding a national title to the winner of a rematch in a split series, as well-- Florida annihilated Florida State in the 1997 Sugar Bowl after the Seminoles won a regular season meeting by three points.

You can argue against the system all you want, and possibly with good reason. I suspect the system we have will be around two more seasons at most, and may not even last until next season. But for the 2011 season, Alabama's the national champion, and I don't have much quarrel with that.

[hack]

Bamako is the capital of Mali. I assumed entropy was pointing out some of the developing-world challenges faced by the state of Alabama.

[Optimus Prime]

Like inbreeding?

[WM Wolverine]

Alabama's defense is outstanding, I said this in October. Its amazing to see those athletes fight through and shed blockers than make a perfectly fundamental tackle that doesn't give an extra inch to the ballcarrier...

I sure hope Bama doesn't return more than 5 defenders from that defense when we play them next season.

[Hannibal]

Their offense is actually pretty good too when it wants to be.

[Hannibal]

Everybody agreed to play by the rules of this system when the season started, and the rules of this system mandate that the winner of the BCS championship game is the BCS champion. There's precedent for awarding a national title to the winner of a rematch in a split series, as well-- Florida annihilated Florida State in the 1997 Sugar Bowl after the Seminoles won a regular season meeting by three points.

There's this precedent in every sport. That's why it's so silly for people to complain about it happening in college football as if the AFC or NFC championship games have never been rematches.

[WM Wolverine]

QB play is mediocre but doesn't make many mistakes, plenty good enough with their rushing offense and defense.

[hack]

I think the difference is that in this case, it's a set of very loose rules that apply, and which can be and are bent and interpreted in different ways. Add in the perception of strategic voting and credibility's shot. In other sports the rules are clearly defined and not in any way subject to human pressure. The ol ``if the season ended today...'' bit is reassuring because when the broadcasters play out those scenarios for playoffs it is a chance every time to underscore that there are rules, tiebreakers, etc. With the BCS, the speculation about the championship game is a constant reminder that this is a system in which lobbying voters is a legitimate activity often central to the process of winning.

[Rocky Bleier]

Alabama is the best team in the country. No doubt.

[WM Wolverine]

I thought so all season, still think Oklahoma State deserved a chance to play LSU for the NT nearly as much as Alabama. Stanford was right there too.

[Ghengis Jon]

Okie State deserved a chance to play ALABAMA for the MNC, not LSU as last night's game demonstrated. The fixation on a "perfect" record is overblown.

[whodean]

Alabama's defense is outstanding, I said this in October. Its amazing to see those athletes fight through and shed blockers than make a perfectly fundamental tackle that doesn't give an extra inch to the ballcarrier...

I sure hope Bama doesn't return more than 5 defenders from that defense when we play them next season.

Bama's D won't be AS dominant but their offense will be better, they don't lose much that isn't readily replaceable. Some of the young WRs really stepped up last night, and even if Richardson goes Pro, Eddie Lacey and company are good RBs.

Anything can happen in that opener though, especially early in the season M will have a shot.

[WM Wolverine]

LSU had the resume to play in the NT game; beat WV, beat Alabama, beat Oregon, SEC champs, beat a couple other top 15 teams (Arkansas, Georgia), went undefeated...

I didn't think the Tigers were as good as their record (which was perfect) and felt Alabama was better, but there is no way I'd have ranked LSU higher before yesterday...

This is exactly the reason why you need more than a 1 vs 2 to decide NT, you need at least 4 but then you often have a #5 or #6 that is every bit as deserving as the #4 team.