BCS Rankings 2011: Is This the Year the SEC Isn't in the Title Game?

As we enter Week 6 of the college football season, there should be no doubt in anyone's mind that LSU and Alabama are the most impressive teams in the country thus far.

Once again, the SEC looks to be the most dominant conference in America. The storied conference has enjoyed an unprecedented run of success with five straight national championships to date, starting with Florida back in 2006.

But is there a chance that this year breaks that streak? Is this the year in which an SEC school isn't in the title game?

As we mentioned earlier, LSU and Alabama look like the top two teams in the country right now, but keep in mind that these two powerhouse programs are scheduled to play each other on Nov. 12 in Tuscaloosa. That means that one of these teams will have a loss, and that could very well knock that team out of contention for the National Championship game.

With teams like Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Boise State and Stanford all having legitimate shots at going undefeated, that would mean that the title game would likely feature two unbeatens.

So does this mean that the winner of that LSU-Alabama game is a lock to go to the national title game? Well, not necessarily.

Both of these teams still have difficult roads remaining. Alabama and LSU both have to take on Auburn this season, and LSU closes out the season against a good Arkansas team. In addition to that, one of these teams are likely to go to the SEC title game, where they could meet the likes of South Carolina or Florida, which is no easy task.

If both of these teams finish the season with a loss, this could be the first time in a long time that an SEC school is not represented in the BCS National Championship game.

Now, I'm not saying that this is going to happen. But it certainly has to be considered a possibility at this point.

Especially with the way those other top-tier teams are playing right now.