BCS Rankings: National Championship Game Should Not Be a Rematch

After losing to LSU a week ago, Alabama finds itself in perfect position to force a rematch for the BCS national championship, but it should not get that chance.

In Week 11, two major contenders for the BCS championship lost for the first time this season. Stanford lost at home to Oregon, breaking its 17-game winning streak that was started after last season's loss to Oregon.

The team with an outside chance, Boise State, ruined those chances on Saturday as well. The Broncos lost at home to TCU, snapping a 65-game home winning streak and effectively ending their BCS hopes for the season.

College football is now down to three undefeated teams. Houston has a very good quarterback and a great offense, but there is no chance that the Cougars play for a national championship. This leaves two legitimate undefeated contenders: LSU and Oklahoma State.

If the season ended today, college football fans would have themselves a great title game. Oklahoma State has the second-highest scoring offense in the nation and has topped 50 points six times this season. LSU gets it done with defense, holding opponents to single-digits six different times and allowing only 10.7 points per game overall.

Unfortunately, things do not always turn out the way they are planned.

What happens if one of these teams loses before January? A lot of people will be calling for Alabama to get a rematch against LSU. This should not happen.

Alabama is the No. 3 team in the BCS standings, and will remain there after this week. Therefore a loss to Oklahoma State would set up the "Game of the Century Part II," but there are other teams that deserve a chance.

The college football regular season is too short to get a true judge on the best conferences. We can use the "eye test," deciding which teams look the best, but there is no way to determine if a good Big 12 team could beat a good SEC team without seeing them on the field.

If the championship of college football is decided within a single conference, the rest of the country is effectively ignored. Everyone should be given a chance.

In 2006, No. 1 Ohio State defeated No. 2 Michigan in a rivalry game that many believed was between the best two teams in the country. When the Wolverines suffered a heart-breaking 42-39 defeat on the road, analysts were calling for a rematch.

Florida was eventually given the opportunity to face Ohio State for the championship and dominated the Buckeyes by a score of 41-14. When Michigan faced USC in the Rose Bowl, it lost 32-18.

Fans thought that the two best teams were in the Big Ten that year, but other teams were rightfully given a chance to prove that theory wrong. What if this year is similar?

The other problem with this rematch is that one team would not have won its conference championship. A team should not be able to win a national championship without first proving it is the best in its own conference.

Oklahoma attempted to accomplish this feat in 2003. The Sooners dominated the regular season but came up short in the Big 12 Conference Championship Game. Voters decided to place them in the Sugar Bowl, and the team lost to LSU. Every participant since has at least won its conference.

Voters will need to find a better solution, but which teams could earn a place in the coveted game?

If LSU stumbles, than whichever of the one-loss SEC teams that eventually wins the conference should get an opportunity to face Oklahoma State for the championship. This could be LSU, Alabama or even Arkansas if the Razorbacks defeat the Tigers.

If Oklahoma State loses, there are few better options than Alabama, but each one should be examined.

Oregon defeated Stanford this weekend, showing the Ducks are still the class of the Pac-12. Unfortunately, Oregon already lost to LSU in the first week of the season. The rematch would make more sense than one with Alabama (first game was three months ago, both teams would be conference champions) but the Ducks already had a chance to knock off the Tigers on a neutral field and came up short.

There are two one-loss ACC teams that could be considered, but the body of work will most likely not be enough to get either Clemson or Virginia Tech into the title game.

This leaves one team with a real shot to move above Alabama in the standings: Oklahoma.

Oklahoma has only one loss and a chance to face undefeated Oklahoma State in the regular season finale. With a win, the Sooners should definitely have the opportunity to play for a national title.

As much as people complain about the BCS, football games are decided on the field. With the college football season being this short, losses mean everything. A rematch in the championship game devalues those losses.

Hopefully, Oklahoma State and LSU remain atop the polls to create the best possible game.