BCS Rankings 2011: Could LSU and Alabama Still End Up 1-2 at the End?

If there's a year where we see two teams from the same conference finish No. 1 and No. 2, 2011 is the year, with both LSU and Alabama coming from the SEC.

When the BCS rankings are released on Sunday, we have to expect that both will be ranked in the top three, with the Oklahoma Sooners as the other school (provided all three win).

That being said, a lot more is riding on this first set of rankings because the biggest thing keeping  both schools from facing off for the national title is the Oklahoma Sooners.

There's a good chance that along with either LSU/Alabama that the Sooners go undefeated through the regular season, as the Oklahoma State Cowboys are their only threat to perfection.

After the LSU-Alabama game concludes, the best chance of both having a rematch based on the outcome of this game, is if Alabama wins.

Here's why.

If LSU wins, they get a vehement boost in the rankings because it's a road win over a top five team.

Alabama gets hurt in the rankings worse if they lose since it's a home game, as opposed to LSU, because if the Tigers lose it's a road loss to a top five team.

In terms of how the BCS point system works, yes it's complicated, but when a team loses, they don't get punished (so to speak) as much for a road loss as a home loss, especially when it's two schools like 'Bama and LSU playing in Tuscaloosa.

So with that in mind, LSU won't get punished as much as Alabama for the loss, since the game is in Alabama.

In the long run that's one aspect that plays into the odds of both schools getting into the national title game.

The next is a loss for Oklahoma and/or Oklahoma State.

The worst thing that could happen for anyone hoping that LSU and Alabama both get into the BCS title game, would be in Oklahoma and Oklahoma State faced off as two other undefeated schools in early December.

If either the Sooners or Cowboys go undefeated, their strength of schedules will have been strong enough to oust a one-loss Tide or LSU team.

However, if the Sooners and Cowboys both finish the regular season with just one loss, the SEC is so much more difficult than the weaker Big 12, that a one-loss Tide or LSU team could most definitely rank higher than Oklahoma or Oklahoma State.

The next concern would be the Big Ten with Wisconsin going undefeated, because although their schedule isn't as difficult as Alabama's or LSU's, it's still solid.

They've already dominated Nebraska, but some tough remaining games are at Michigan State and Ohio State, as well as Illinois.

Not to mention the Big Ten title game.

So although a one-loss Wisconsin team helps, you could make a case for the Badgers almost as much as a one-loss 'Bama or LSU team.

Other remaining schools are Clemson, Stanford, and Boise State.

All undefeated would definitely get a shot over a one-loss Alabama or LSU team, so help is needed there as well.

Now with everything said, could LSU and Alabama end up ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the BCS?

Well yes, but they need about as much help with everyone having one loss as a non-AQ school hoping to get into the national title.

To this point all we know is that either LSU or Alabama will most likely be in the national championship, but both?

That may be asking a little too much, even from the SEC, regardless of how insanely great the entire conference is.

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