BCS Rankings: Is Alabama or Stanford More Deserving of the No. 3 BCS Spot?

The final stretch of the college football season is nearly upon us.

LSU and Oklahoma State do not look like they are going to lose anytime soon, so it begs the question of who should currently be ranked third in the BCS.

The Crimson Tide just came off a devastating three-point loss at home in overtime to LSU, the top-ranked team in the country.

The Tide had their chances, but three missed kicks on top of one that was blocked ended up making the difference. Plus, an interception at the goal line surely hurt them as well.

However, Alabama only dropped one spot in the BCS rankings—to third—and many are once again questioning the BCS system.

It is still early November, folks—no need to panic. Alabama’s SEC schedule has not been the most difficult schedule, but a road victory over Penn State has certainly helped at the moment.

Plus, it is not like Alabama is just your typical team. On paper, they are arguably the most talented team in America, with a dozen future NFL stars currently playing for the Crimson Tide. Plus, they dominated an Arkansas team which a few computer rankings have as a top-five team.

Even though they do not have Georgia or South Carolina on the schedule, the slate at the moment has been a bit tougher than Stanford’s.

For now, Stanford’s best victory is over USC on the road, where the game went to triple overtime. The Trojans have a ton of support from the BCS voters, but that still doesn’t help your argument over a powerhouse Alabama team.

If Stanford were to run the table, they would certainly pass Alabama. Plus, if they manage to knock off Oregon this weekend, then I would almost certainly assume they would immediately pass the Tide this weekend.

If I was voting, I would still keep Alabama slightly over Andrew Luck’s squad just because we have not seen them play any legitimate teams this season. One could make the same argument for Alabama, but at least we know they play the tough SEC slate every weekend and have nearly come out on top every time.

College football is a fluid situation, and things change every game. Injuries and depth take part, but usually your team reaps the benefits of having an All-American signal caller. That is why it is Andrew Luck’s time to shine.

The Ducks have quite the high-powered, fast-paced offense, and there is nothing Luck can do but take care of the ball and put together his usual masterpiece.

There are still many questions as to whether Luck has the weapons to knock off the Ducks, even at home. How much do the losses of TE Zach Ertz (knee) and WR Chris Owusu (concussion) hurt the team?

Every team would prefer to have everybody healthy, but Luck relies on his tight ends down the field and he has an excellent offensive line that paves the way in the running game. Luck can do it all, and has shown the ability to make plays in all different situations of the game. Stanford helps itself as a team since they are fourth in the nation in turnovers lost (seven).

If Luck can play keep away from the Ducks' offense and turn his long drives into touchdowns and not field goals, the love that voters will have for Stanford may break through the steel trap door.

Alabama is still the king of the castle since the computer voters have them pegged as third and they have Stanford at eight.

So, it seems that the voters are buying into the paper champions known as Saban’s ferocious defense. Just look at the numbers, as Alabama leads the country in six different defensive categories!

Maybe those will soon change, but with the schedule they have, I would not bank on seeing an unusual outcome.

It should be noted that we see strange things happen every late November, regardless of the year and the rankings. Alabama could perhaps slip up to Mississippi State or Auburn, and we could even see Stanford run the table.

So, instead of blowing a gasket of who should be third or fourth, just enjoy the games and let them play out. After all, the BCS has mysteriously worked out all these years, so why would it change this season?