BCS Shakeup, How Does This Affect Alabama?

Franklin Crittenden by Senior Analyst Written on October 31, 2008
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College football is a passion for me. It consumes me. There is not a day that passes that I do not have to have my college football fix.

I confess, I am a college football junkie.

Anything and everything about college football interests me and can potentially be turned into a "who is better" discussion or debate in my opinion. 

It is like this game people play that involves Kevin Bacon, where you have to tie whatever movie or actor your opponent chooses back to Kevin Bacon.

The way it is played is, you say a movie or actor's name, and your opponent has to explain how that relates to Kevin Bacon.

For instance, Gone With the Wind was produced by MGM, which produced Two Men And A Baby, which starred Ted Danson, who produced Dances With Wolves with Joe Blow in it, who then played with Kevin Bacon in Stir of Echoes.

Believe it or not, that is the way I look at college football.

My Kevin Bacon game involves college football, and my Kevin Bacon is Alabama. I see everything through those Crimson-colored glasses.

By that, I mean if anyone is playing college football anywhere, anytime, I ask myself this question: How does this affect Alabama?

For example, Penn St. played Ohio St. So I watch that game hoping Penn St would blow out OSU because Ohio St. already had been blown out by Southern Cal, and Alabama might end up playing Penn St. in the BCS Championship game. 

So that affects Alabama, because if Alabama were to barely beat Penn St. in the BCS Championship Game, I would not want USC fans arguing they beat a team who lost to the team that we beat worse than Penn St. did. 

Since Penn St. did not blow out OSU, USC fans could make that argument. You see?

Is this crazy sounding to you, or do we all do this?

Do we all see every college game played through our team's colored glasses?

Sometimes it is very simple—for example...Georgia playing Florida. Alabama already defeated Georgia. It will not serve any purpose for Alabama to play Georgia again, so I will root for Florida because Alabama could then play Florida in the SEC Championship game if they win that game. You see, that is how that game affects Alabama.

Other times it is not so clear-cut.

Texas is No. 1. This one is a head scratcher for me.

If Texas wins they keep the top spot, which you would think would be bad for Alabama. You would assume that I would want Texas to lose so that Alabama would be ranked No. 1.

My twisted mind sees this differently.

As long as Alabama can stay in the top two, we will play in the BCS National Championship Game. The top two teams are the only ones that have that opportunity. So I see being ranked first as a disadvantage at this point in the season.

If Texas were to lose, it will put a big No.1 bull's-eye on Alabama's butt. We do not need the No. 1 jinx to deal with right now while trying to stay undefeated and stay in contention for the BCS game.

Right? ... WRONG!

What happens if Texas keeps winning and then somehow Penn St. were to pass Alabama in the BCS standings?  I would then look back on my choice and think, if only Texas had lost we would still be in the top two and playing in the BCS Championship Game. 

I'll take my chances with being ranked No. 1.

Single Page
Vote Now! - Author Poll

Who will play in the BCS Championship Game?

  • Alabama
  • Texas
  • Penn St,
  • Florida
  • Oklahoma
  • Texas Tech.
vote to see results
Results - Author Poll

Who will play in the BCS Championship Game?

  • Alabama

    74.1%
  • Texas

    1.9%
  • Penn St,

    7.4%
  • Florida

    11.1%
  • Oklahoma

    1.9%
  • Texas Tech.

    3.7%
  • Total votes: 54
(0)
...
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written on October 31, 2008 Preview/Prediction

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