BCS Rankings 2011: LSU and 3 Teams With Legitimate Claim to No. 1 Spot

With the first BCS rankings a week away from being revealed, there has been plenty of speculation with regards to which teams will occupy the all-important No. 1 and No. 2 spots.

There are still plenty of undefeated teams and many of those teams can make a case for why they should be at, or near, the top.

The top of the AP Top 25 polls has changed a bit over the past couple weeks despite the fact that none of the perceived elite teams have suffered a loss. The polls are obviously an inexact science, but so is the BCS.

There's no way of knowing for sure which team will be atop the rankings next week, but here are three teams that will have a legitimate gripe if they aren't considered to be the nation's top team by the BCS system. 

Alabama Crimson Tide

Currently ranked No. 2 in the top 25, the Alabama Crimson Tide have been absolutely dominant to this point in the season. Provided the Tide can get past Vanderbilt Saturday night, they will have another fairly easy game next week against Ole Miss, meaning they should be 7-0 when the rankings come out.

Alabama boasts victories over three current or former top 25 teams in Penn State, Arkansas and Florida, and essentially all of their games have been blowouts. The defense is dominant as it ranks first in the nation, and the offense hasn't missed a beat without Greg McElroy, Mark Ingram and Julio Jones.

Running back Trent Richardson may be the leading Heisman Trophy candidate and is the key to the offense's ignition. The Tide will ultimately have to go past LSU if they hope to make it to the BCS National Championship Game, but they could easily be No.1 when the rankings are revealed.

Oklahoma Sooners

The Oklahoma Sooners began the season ranked No. 1 in the top 25 polls, but impressive starts from both LSU and Alabama have dropped them all the way to No. 3. While that may not mean much since LSU and Alabama eventually have to play each other anyway in the SEC, the Sooners may be feeling a bit disrespected right now.

Oklahoma made a big-time Week 6 statement, throttling the No. 11 Texas Longhorns 55-17. Although the Sooners do have wins over some lower-level teams, such as Tulsa and Ball State, wins over Texas and Florida State are certainly nothing to sneeze at.

In all likelihood, the Sooners will score a blowout win over the Kansas Jayhawks next week and will look strong with the debut of the rankings. Oklahoma may be the most complete team in the nation as it ranks in the top 10 in both scoring offense and scoring defense. Also, few teams can match up to its explosive passing game with quarterback Landry Jones and wide receiver Ryan Broyles. 

LSU Tigers

There is little question that the most impressive team in college football this season has been the LSU Tigers. Despite an early-season scandal that saw players suspended for their involvement in a bar brawl, the Tigers dominated out of the gates and are currently ranked No. 1 in the nation.

LSU holds wins over Oregon, Mississippi State, West Virginia and Florida, all of whom were ranked at the time of the game (the Oregon Ducks No. 3 at the time), and LSU won in impressive fashion in each. Provided LSU takes care of the Tennessee Volunteers next week, there is a great chance that the Tigers will be No. 1 in the first BCS rankings.

Not only do the Tigers have one of the most dominant defenses in the country, but their offense has been impressive as well, even without the services of quarterback Jordan Jefferson for much of the season. With that type of balance, the Tigers may have the rightful claim to No. 1.