College Football Preseason Rankings 2011: Who Has More to Lose, Oregon or LSU?

The most intriguing game during the opening weekend of the college football season is without a doubt No. 3 Oregon against No. 4 LSU.

Both are legitimate BCS Championship contenders and whoever wins on Sept. 3 will be in a great position to reach the title game.

Of course there will be plenty of more work to do, but the road is much clearer for the victor.

So when these two powers get together the first weekend in September, who has more to lose? Let's see.

Future Schedule: Oregon

Oregon plays a nice schedule, but the Ducks play only one other top 25 team in Stanford.

Of course, USC isn't eligible for the coaches poll and there's a chance Arizona State and Washington could crack the rankings during the season.

As of today, the Ducks have limited options to make up for losing to LSU.

Future Schedule: LSU

LSU has a beast of a schedule.

Pollsters will excuse a loss to Oregon if the Tigers beat West Virginia in Morgantown and roll through their SEC schedule.

LSU is good enough to get by Mississippi State, Florida, Auburn, Alabama and Arkansas. Now, a loss to any of these teams combined with a loss to Oregon would prove detrimental.

But a lone loss to Oregon would be forgotten if the Tigers win 12 straight.

National Respect: Oregon

After back-to-back BCS bowl games, Oregon has developed a sterling reputation and is considered a championship contender every season.

Chip Kelly's back-to-back losses in said bowl games did put a little damper on the Ducks' overall reputation, but not enough to keep them out of contention.

Think Ohio State of the west.

The Ducks are respected, but everyone is a little leery.

National Respect: LSU

LSU is one of the elite SEC teams, so the Tigers get one of the highest ratings around.

The Tigers have won two BCS Championships, and each time LSU had at least one loss.

Coach Les Miles is criticized a lot for some of his coaching decisions and in-game management, but he wins a lot and recruits great players.

The Tigers are just fine when it comes to reputation.

Keys to Recovery: Oregon

Just winning 11 consecutive games and the Pac-12 title game won't be enough for Oregon.

The Ducks are going to need some help along the way.

They'll need another 2007 when two-loss LSU played one-loss Ohio State in the BCS Championship.

It would also help Oregon's cause if Arizona State, Stanford, USC, Oregon State and Washington have better-than-expected seasons.

Keys to Recovery: LSU

Just win, baby!

That's all LSU needs to do. If the Tigers win out it would be hard to imagine them not playing in the BCS Championship.

Of course, that's making a huge assumption that LSU could actually pull off such a monumental feat.

Conclusion

It's simple. Oregon has the most to lose.

A one-loss SEC team will garner enough respect that almost everyone would agree that if LSU runs the table after Oregon that the Tigers could play for a championship.

The Ducks will have a much tougher time pulling it off.

Naturally, a lot can change depending on how the season plays out, but it is more likely that Oregon's dream of playing for a championship would end the first week with a loss.