BCS Controversy: Why BCS Will Decline Alabama Crimson Tide-LSU Tigers Rematch

After an outstanding duel between No. 1 and No. 2, I’ve come to one conclusion…no rematch.

“The Game of the Century” was a heavyweight fight between two great teams with great plays, but it was also filled with turnovers (four) and several penalties.

There is no way in the world the Bowl Championship Series can justify a rematch between the two teams.

If the regular season counts as a tournament, then LSU won and should advance.

The Pac-12 winner, Big 12 winner, or even Clemson is more deserving of the bid.

Oklahoma has played a vicious schedule this year. They knocked off Florida State (in Tallahassee), Texas (in Arlington), and Kansas State (in Manhattan). If they win out, they will have to go through 2/3 Oklahoma State (in Stillwater) and Baylor (Norman).

Oregon would have reeled off 12 consecutive wins after losing to LSU (in Arlington). They have beaten Arizona State at home and Washington on the road.

The Ducks still have tough contests at Stanford and at home against USC.

While a rematch between Alabama and LSU would generate lots of money, the BCS might not want to gamble on another at-large team that probably doesn’t deserve the spot in the national championship.

This has happened before. There are two examples of teams from the past who didn’t deserve to be in the national championship game.

In 2001, Nebraska was mauled 62-36 in their annual post-Thanksgiving Day showdown with Colorado. At the time, Nebraska was ranked No. 2 in the polls.

With a little help from Florida losing to Tennessee and LSU’s upset of Tennessee in the SEC championship, the Cornhuskers found themselves in the championship despite Oregon winning the Pac-10 title and finishing 10-1.

Oregon’s only blemish was a 49-42 home loss to Stanford, who finished the year 9-3 and ranked 16, in Week 8.

The Ducks thrashed Big 12 champion Colorado (ranked number three) 38-16 in the Fiesta Bowl, while Nebraska was humbled 37-14 by Miami in the Rose Bowl.

Two years later, Oklahoma rolled along in the Big 12 until they were manhandled 35-7 by No. 12 Kansas State in the Big 12 championship.

Despite the lopsided loss, Oklahoma still played for the national championship as the BCS went away from the “when you lose” strategy.

Instead of pitting USC (who lost 34-31 to unranked California in Week 5) and LSU (who lost to unranked Florida 19-7 at home in Week 7) for a winner-take-all national championship, the BCS goofed as Oklahoma and LSU faced each other in the Sugar Bowl, while USC played Michigan.

Remember what happened? The BCS dropped the ball for the second time in three years.

LSU’s terrific defense held Oklahoma in check with a 21-14 win. USC defeated Michigan 28-14 in the Rose Bowl.

This left college football with a split national championship, and fans debating who’s the best team.

Granted, Nebraska and Oklahoma did lose in their final games before bowl season, but the point is neither team should’ve been in the game because a more deserving conference winner was left out.

The only scenario in which Alabama should be selected is if Oregon would lose to Stanford and Stanford chokes in the inaugural Pac-12 championship game.

Oklahoma needs to lose to Baylor, and beat Oklahoma State in the regular season finale.

Clemson, who has had a pretty tough schedule themselves, would need to lose once.

Clemson is a forgotten team that could face either a top 10 Virginia Tech team or a top 15 Georgia Tech team in the ACC championship game.

If teams ranked above Clemson lose, the Tigers should have their claim for a shot at the title as well.

The Tigers have posted wins over Florida State (home), Auburn (home), and Virginia Tech (road).

They still have a game at South Carolina and possibly the ACC Championship against either a top 10 Virginia Tech or top 15 Georgia Tech team.

I will admit Alabama deserves a shot over non-AQ teams like Boise State and Houston. Both teams have played well this year, but their schedules are far too weak.

If Stanford and Oklahoma State lose and the Crimson Tide gets the spot in the championship game, teams like Michigan and Georgia have a right to complain.

In 2006, No. 2 Michigan lost 42-39 in the regular season finale to top ranked Ohio State in Columbus.

After USC lost in the regular season finale to UCLA, most assumed Michigan and Ohio State would face each other in a rematch in the BCS championship.

However, Florida was selected after a thrilling 38-28 win over No. 10 Arkansas in the SEC Championship.

As it turns out, the BCS got it right as Florida thumped Ohio State 41-14 in the BCS Championship and USC dispatched Michigan 32-18 in the Rose Bowl.

In 2007, the Georgia Bulldogs were one of the hottest teams in the country at the end of the season.

The Bulldogs shot themselves in the foot with losses (at home) to South Carolina and (on the road) at Tennessee.

LSU lost triple overtime games at Kentucky and at home (in the final game before the SEC Championship) to Arkansas.

The Bayou Bengals did have very good fortune on their side. Teams ranked ahead of them fell two weeks in a row.

Missouri beat Kansas in the regular season finale. Oklahoma, in turn, beat Missouri in the Big 12 Championship. Had Missouri won, they would have been in the BCS Championship.

West Virginia also had a chance to play for the championship, but choked their chance away to a lowly Pittsburgh squad in their last regular season game.

LSU reached the BCS championship game because they won the SEC and Georgia didn’t. LSU beat a team that manhandled Georgia.

Not only would a rematch be unfair to the other possible one-loss conference winners, but a rematch wouldn't be fair to LSU either.

They had to endure a brutal battle with Alabama once. Why should they be forced to face a team that knows them very well again?

What kind of reward is it to beat the number two team, who's in your division, in their stadium, and face them in the national championship game

Knowing what happened with Nebraska and Oklahoma, does the BCS really want to put another team that didn't win the conference in the championship?

If Alabama goes to the BCS championship and loses, teams that reached the title game without winning the conference would have gone 0-3 since the BCS's inception in 1998.

Then again, this is further proof college football needs a playoff of some form at the FBS level.

It will take something similar to LSU in 2007 for Alabama to get a rematch against the Bengal Tigers in the BCS Championship.

Some Tide players said they still feel Alabama’s better and want a rematch to prove it.

Well, if the BCS gets it right, they will get their rematch…in 2012.