No. 1 Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest: 'Bama, Ohio State and Oklahoma Were Cursed

What is the purpose of ranking the best teams in college football? 

To give fans an indication of the top 25 collegiate football programs in the nation? Or to highlight a No. 1 team as "the best in the country" and therefore placing a bullseye on their back, daring challengers to take their best shot? 

Lets go with the latter option and believe that the AP and Coaches poll among others alike hypothetically place 'wanted' signs in the respective campuses of the challengers of whatever school they give the dreaded No. 1 ranking to. Helping already raucous student sections get pumped up for the game ahead with now the added incentive of having a chance of beating "the best" team in the land. Along with the added excitement of the visit of ESPN's game day crew early in the day, which like a weatherman warning the public a storm is likely to occur, Herbstreit, Howard, Fowler and Corso warn the nation that an upset may unfold in the night to come.

And how does all this hype affect the number one team? 

Alabama, Ohio State and Oklahoma. The names of the three teams this season that were given the No. 1 ranking to them before having it ripped away in an instant after falling to the hands of conference rivals. But how would these games of been played out if the defeated teams did not carry the cursed No. 1 title with them into Columbia, Norman and Madison respectively? No one would ever know the result for sure but several factors that would affect the score would of been very different.

Lets just say the Tide were unranked heading into the match-up with South Carolina. Nick Saban always says his team does not focus on rankings or polls but can you really believe an 18 year old kid doesn't take a sneak peak in the USA Today sports section to revel in the glory that their school sits on top in the top 25? So then with no No. 1 ranking comes less pressure on the visiting players and less emotion for the home players along with a quieter stadium among other components that are changed because of the ranking. Would this lead to a 'Bama win? Maybe, maybe not. But the way the game was played would look very different.

So while I'm not saying college football would be completely different without rankings, I'm just suggesting that even the most highly touted of five-star recruits can get a little crazy with the pressure of just that one silly little number...