BCS National Championship: Alabama's Loss Alters The Title Picture

The No. 1 team in the country lost in a game that could ultimately change the landscape of the BCS Championship Game.

Alabama went to South Carolina ranked No. 1 in the country and they were manhandled by the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Running back Marcus Lattimore was dominant on the ground and scored three times in the surprising 35-21 victory. The South Carolina defense pushed around the offense line of the Crimson Tide and sacked and harassed quarterback Greg McElroy all day long. Alabama plays in one of the toughest leagues in the country and to remain undefeated in the Southeastern Conference is a very tough task, but one loss in college football can become very costly.

When the season started, online sportsbook BetMania posted the odds to win the BCS Championship. Alabama was the favorite to win it all at 3-to-1. That could change along with the new national top 25 rankings.

When the rankings come out on Sunday there is a very good chance that the Ohio State Buckeyes will hold the No. 1 spot and that the Tide could slip to No. 3, with the Oregon Ducks making a very good case for the No. 2 spot.

The Tide can rebound and finish the year without another loss and win the SEC championship, but will that be enough?

BetMania had Ohio State at 6-to-1 to win the BCS Championship, and the Buckeyes have as good of shot as any team in the country to win it all. Ohio State does not have a Big Ten title game but still has to deal with tough games against Iowa and Michigan.

Oregon only faces one more ranked team in Arizona, but will have to beat USC and Oregon St in the civil war to end the season. They have an explosive offense and with the Alabama loss, they should leapfrog into the number two spot in the country.

Boise St and TCU are still in the mix, but no BCS voter in their right mind would put them above a one loss Alabama Crimson Tide team.  This does however leave the door open for other undefeated teams like Nebraska and Oklahoma.

Alabama fans will not panic because they still know that they are one of the best teams in the country, but it could be said that this loss cost the Crimson Tide a shot at the national championship.