BCS Bowl Projections: Most Likely National Title Contenders, If LSU Loses

Did you know that, if you press the right buttons, your computer will explode? If Arkansas defeats Alabama, the buttons needed to cause the BCS computers to blow up will have been pushed.

OK, in all seriousness, you don’t need to be cautious about what keys you touch on your computer.  It won’t explode in your face. There will be fireworks, though, if the Razorbacks can pull off the upset over the Tigers on Black Friday.

Earlier this season, the BCS looked like it would be in for some heavy criticism with about a half-dozen teams primed to run the table. Instead, all of those top teams—minus LSU—were shockingly upset.  That left just the Tigers and the Houston Cougars, a team that the BCS doesn’t respect, as the only undefeated teams remaining.

If LSU bites the dust, all of a sudden, Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech, Stanford and Houston would all have a legitimate argument to receive a national championship bid.

A solution that would instantly decide the recipient of one bid would be to award the top team of the SEC. It isn’t that simple, though, as the Crimson Tide defeated the Razorbacks, the Razorbacks hypothetically would’ve beaten the Tigers and the Tigers took out the Crimson Tide. Because of that three-way regular-season tie, the BCS couldn’t logically choose two SEC teams like it will if LSU beats Arkansas.

The trio of non-SEC BCS schools possesses fatal flaws when making an argument for a national title berth. Unranked Iowa State upset Oklahoma State, Clemson slaughtered Virginia Tech, 23-3, and Oregon beat down Stanford, 53-30. The only way one of those teams could separate itself from the pack is if OK-State defeats Oklahoma in two weeks.

Basically, the winner of the SEC Conference Championship, will receive one of the two bids. If the Cowboys lasso the Sooners, then they should be dealt the final spot, but if they lose, Houston deserves it more than anyone else. That is what should happen, but with the BCS, what should happen and what will happen are two entirely different matters.

It wouldn't be shocking if two SEC teams played for the national title no matter the outcome of the LSU-Arkansas game.

Here are the updated BCS rankings:

Rank	Team	BCS Average
1	LSU	1.000
2	Alabama	.9491
3	Arkansas	.8985
4	Oklahoma State	.8408
5	Virginia Tech	.7842
6	Stanford	.7711
7	Boise State	.6881
8	Houston	.6684
9	Oklahoma	.6526
10	Oregon	.6469
11	Kansas State	.590
12	South Carolina	.564
13	Georgia	.519
14	Michigan State	.502
15	Michigan	.398
16	Wisconsin	.394
17	Clemson	.363
18	Baylor	.323
19	Penn State	.306
20	TCU	.303
21	Nebraska	.149
22	Notre Dame	.095
23	Georgia Tech	.087
24	Auburn	.075
25	Texas	.0746

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.  Follow him on Twitter.