LSU Is Better Than Auburn: It's Time We Debate a Conference Playoff System

Auburn and Alabama are set to play an epic Iron Bowl game tomorrow. One that will help decide the BCS championship race.

However, the best team in the South Eastern Conference is LSU, who is 10-1 on the season, with their only loss coming to Auburn by just a touchdown.

LSU plays Arkansas tomorrow, and while it's not going to determine the national championship picture, a win by the Tigers would almost certainly secure a place in a BCS bowl game because they'd be the highest ranked team with one loss.

One of the many factors considered when debating who deserves to be atop the BCS rankings is strength of schedule and this is an area LSU trumps Auburn.

LSU has endured the same grueling schedule as Auburn and Alabama, but the Tigers' out of conference schedule is much more impressive than Auburn. 

The Tigers have beaten two currently top 25 ranked teams, North Carolina and West Virginia, both by six point margins.

Auburn's only non-conference opponent worth mentioning is Clemson, who they beat by only three points in overtime back in mid-September.

LSU will attempt to beat a Razorbacks team who is playing very well of late and are trying to win their second consecutive battle for the Golden Boot.

Rivalry week is the greatest week in college football, but unfortunately the BCS standings overshadow many of these great clashes.

The Iron Bowl is getting all the attention leading up to tomorrow, but the matchup between LSU and Arkansas is the matchup with the SEC's hottest teams. 

LSU is not able to play for the SEC championship in Atlanta this year, but a win against Arkansas tomorrow will give them a resume worthy of a BCS title berth.

I don't want to take anything away from Auburn and Alabama, they are two great teams, but the SEC is so competitive that there needs to be a better way to determine the best team.

If Alabama were to beat Auburn Saturday, LSU would still not play in the SEC title game, making the situation all the more unfair.

Two seasons ago in the Big 12, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech all had one conference loss heading into championship week, but only one could represent the Big 12 south in the conference title game.

Separating conferences into divisions is a good way to organize the schools, but when two of the best teams in a conference play in the same division, it's not wise to have one of them watch the conference title game from their living room couch.

Tiebreakers determine who advances to the conference title games, and who barely misses out, but when you beat someone early in the season, the win does not mean as much as if you beat them in November. 

A playoff system for the national title game and the conference championships is the best way to determine the best teams in the nation. 

LSU can beat any team in the country, but, unfortunately, they won't get a chance in January, even though they are better than the team representing the SEC East division in the conference title game.