BCS Rankings Week 11: Title Rematch Between LSU and Alabama a Real Possibility

If LSU's 9-6 win over Alabama was the "Game of the Century" in college football, then what would you call a rematch between these two SEC West foes in the BCS National Championship Game?

"Clash of the Titans," perhaps? How about "Brawlin' in Nawlins?" For you movie buffs out there, "Play it Again, Sam."

I could go at this for a while, though some fans might yet attribute simpler monikers to such an occurrence—"exciting" for those who enjoyed Saturday night's bone-crushing display of defense, "boring" for those who prefer to see points scored by running backs and wide receivers, not nervy kickers.

And make no mistake about it: a second showdown between the Tigers and the Crimson Tide for the national title is a distinct possibility, despite what would likely be an uproar of moral outrage from everywhere outside of Tuscaloosa.

LSU will undoubtedly remain No. 1 after edging Bama with a field goal in overtime, followed by Oklahoma State, Stanford and, most likely, the Tide.

Unless, by some miracle, the BCS computers decide that Boise State deserves to be in the top four out of respect for the Broncos unblemished record.

The Tide should have little trouble running the table from here on out, with a home game against Georgia Southern sandwiched between road dates at Mississippi State State and Auburn in the Iron Bowl to close out the season. That would leave Nick Saban's squad at 11-1 and, if LSU wins out, without a spot in the SEC Championship Game.

Meanwhile, OK State still has a tough test against Oklahoma in the Bedlam Game to close out the season. The Cowboys are anything but guaranteed to beat the Sooners, much less walk over them into the national title game in New Orleans, seeing as how Bob Stoops' boys have prodded the Pokes in their last eight meetings.

Stanford also has a ways to go before it can call itself a lock to compete for the crystal football. The Cardinal must first overcome a resurgent Oregon team at home on Saturday. The Ducks have just the sort of team speed that could give Stanford's defense fits, just like it did last season in Eugene and just like USC did in Los Angeles last weekend.

Even if Andrew Luck and company survive an onslaught from the Quack Attack, they'll still have to contend with Cal and Notre Dame at home before hosting the Pac-12 Championship Game against either UCLA or Arizona State.

In other words, the last month of the season will be anything but a cakewalk for the Pokes and the Trees. Should those teams lose, Bama could easily vault its way back into the top two to play the Tigers for the title in New Orleans.

As easy as it is to dismiss such an outcome, as easy as it is to look at the final score from Saturday night and say the Tide had their chance and blew it, realistically, there's still plenty of doubt as to which team is the best in the nation. Sure, the Tigers won, but they were outplayed by the Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium, the clear benefactors of four missed field goals by Bama's kicking combo. Hence, we didn't really learn which team was better, so much as which one happened to have the more reliable kicker.

Not to hate on kickers too much, but that's hardly enough to distinguish one team from another, much less to vault one to the top of the heap and drop the other out of contention.

And before you pish-posh the notion of an LSU-Bama rematch for the title and point to Ohio State's 42-39 win over Michigan in 2006 as proof, consider the temporal difference.

By that, I mean the Wolverines lost in their last game of the season, giving them practically no shot to bounce back in the BCS rankings to force an All-Big Ten championship game. The Tide, on the other hand, have the benefit of four weeks and at least three games between now and when the final BCS standings are revealed. 

That time, and the myriad madcap possibilities that could come of it across the college football landscape, could very well be enough to lift Bama back into the top two, thereby guaranteeing a berth in the BCS title game.

The Tide will just have to hope that the difference between immortality and, errr, lesser immortality doesn't hinge on a field goal from here on out.