BCS Standings: What It Would Take for an SEC to Not Play in the Title Game

With the release of the most recent BCS standings, it is looking like a near certainty that it will be an all-SEC national championship game. 

Between LSU, Arkansas and Alabama, two of the three are almost guaranteed to be playing in New Orleans on Jan. 9 for all the marbles. 

But almost guaranteed does not mean it will definitely happen. There are a few scenarios that would allow one team that is not from the SEC to squeeze into the national championship game. 

Here is what would need to happen.

LSU must beat Arkansas on Friday. The loss by Arkansas would knock them from No. 3 of the BCS standings and put them out of the race for the national championship.  

Alabama would need to lose the Iron Bowl to Auburn on Saturday. This is one of the biggest rivalries in college football and as always it could go either way. 

Auburn is at home in this one and could easily pull off the upset.

Losses by both of these teams would allow No. 4 Oklahoma St. to presumably jump to No. 2 in the rankings and play for the national championship.

To seal the deal, Oklahoma St. would have to win their season finale on Dec. 3 against Oklahoma.

Another way there would not be an all-SEC national championship would be if LSU lost to Arkansas and Auburn beat Alabama. 

This would likely propel Arkansas to the SEC title game. 

An Arkansas loss to Georgia would give them and Alabama two losses and allow Oklahoma St. to play LSU for the national championship. 

These are the two most plausible scenarios for there not to be an all-SEC national championship game.

While it is highly unlikely that either of these will happen, there is always a chance, and for those SEC haters, it will give them something to root for this weekend.