Alabama Football: How Ensuring a BCS Title Spot Takes Only 3 Easy Steps

Plenty of voices out there are saying that Alabama already has a BCS Championship appearance wrapped up.  As a graduate and lifelong Alabama fan, I don't want to take any chances.

Alabama's current No. 2 BCS ranking notwithstanding, things could still go wrong.  Poll voters are notoriously fickle, and often re-evaluate their rankings based more on their most recent impression instead of the season as whole.  That puts Alabama, who doesn't play this weekend, at a disadvantage this weekend, because No. 3 Oklahoma State plays a Top 10 opponent who provides a strong opportunity for a resume-boosting final statement.

This situation could be a formula for an anxious Sunday for Alabama fans, who might have to spend it waiting on the final BCS poll results with anxious breath and fingers crossed. 

But take heart, Alabama Nation.  It does not have to be this way. 

If the right combination of things happen, you can start celebrating Saturday night.  If that possibility sounds enticing, you should spend your rooting energy as follows:

LSU to Beat Georgia

It might feel funny for Alabama fans to cheer for LSU after spending a whole season competing against them for SEC West supremacy, but if Alabama is to get its rematch against the Tigers, its best chance is for LSU to win. 

Alabama's BCS Title Game selection argument boils down to the contention that it's the only team on Earth capable of giving No. 1 LSU a competitive game.  An LSU loss blows that claim out of the water.  

The Tide might slip into the title game anyway if enough voters moved Alabama to the No. 1 spot in the polls, but it is just as likely an LSU loss could push Alabama down to number three.  With a title game appearance so tantalizingly close, that is is a chance Alabama fans should have no interest in taking.    

Oklahoma to Beat Oklahoma State

This one is obvious.  Oklahoma State is the only team with any realistic shot to overtake Alabama in the BCS Standings.  An impressive Oklahoma State win over a 9-2 Oklahoma team will likely sway some voters to put the Cowboys in front of the Tide.  Even if Oklahoma State doesn't jump Alabama in the human polls, it could still overtake Alabama in the BCS Standings due to superior computer rankings if it even gets close enough. 

In Alabama's favor is the fact that Oklahoma State is currently ranked a few places below the Tide in the human polls, so the Cowboys have a long way to climb.  Alabama will probably be fine so long as Oklahoma State doesn't win in a blowout, but a loss would remove all doubt. 

Virginia Tech v. Clemson

While this is game that might impact Alabama's BCS destiny, it isn't entirely clear what result most benefits Alabama, and it won't be until the Oklahoma State-Oklahoma game is done.  As such, Alabama fans won't know who they should root for (or should have rooted for) in this game until around the time the game ends. 

If Oklahoma State wins, Alabama is better off if Virginia Tech wins, because the Hokies, as one-loss ACC Champions, would likely take some of the anti-rematch vote away from Oklahoma State. 

If Oklahoma State loses, Alabama is better off if Virginia Tech loses too, if only to eliminate the ever-so-remote threat of the Hokies sliding into the second spot. They probably won't overtake Alabama no matter what happens, but a Virginia Tech loss, in combination with an Oklahoma State loss, would remove all drama whatsoever from the BCS Title Game announcement. 

Which, if you are an Alabama fan, should be Saturday's primary goal.