LSU vs. West Virginia: Why LSU is No. 1 over Oklahoma, Alabama

With their win Saturday night over No. 16 West Virginia, the LSU Tigers will have beaten three teams that are, or recently have been, ranked in the Top 25.

They beat Oregon on a neutral field to start the season. They went on the road to defeat Mississippi State, and now, they’ve gone into the mountains of West Virginia to beat the Mountaineers.

Arguably, Oklahoma’s schedule has not been that tough. With Kent State and North Texas on their schedule, Alabama’s schedule hasn’t been that tough.

So, what argument will the pollsters have if they don’t make the Tigers the No.1 team in the land? What justification could they possibly have for such a decision?

The Tigers have left the swamp and gone wherever they’ve been asked to go. They’ve taken on one of—if not the—toughest schedules of this young season. And they’ve come out victorious at every turn.

No disrespect is intended toward Alabama or Oklahoma. They’ve both done what’s been asked of them as well. But what’s been asked of them isn’t as much as what’s been asked of the Tigers.

They took on Oregon’s feared offense and tamed it with ease. Their defense has been stifling and impressive.

They outgunned the Bulldogs and Mountaineers. Their offense hasn’t always been flashy, but it’s been effective and has always come through when needed.

The point of the polls is to decide who the best two teams in the nation are. A big part of the formula that decides the BCS standings is strength-of-schedule. There can be no doubt that LSU’s strength-of-schedule has been as tough as anyone’s, and their record is flawless.

The BCS standings don't come out for nearly a month, but the polls are happening now.

We can wait for it all to shake out. But why wait?

LSU has proven, now, that they deserve to be the top team in the country. They’ve already proven that they can play anyone, anywhere.

I don’t know what the pollsters will do in the next couple of days. There’s a very strong case, however, that LSU is the No. 1 team in the land. They’ve done more than anyone to prove it.