BCS Rankings: Why Alabama Doesn't Deserve Another Shot vs. LSU

After a wild week that saw top contenders like Oklahoma State, Oregon and Oklahoma fall, the Alabama Crimson Tide find themselves back in the No. 2 spot in the BCS rankings.

Despite that, they simply aren't deserving of a rematch with the No. 1 LSU Tigers.

LSU must first go through No. 3 Arkansas this week and No. 13 Georgia in the SEC Championship Game to be assured of a spot in the National Championship Game. I do believe the Tigers will take care of business like they have all year long, though, leaving only the No. 2 spot in question.

The Tide are essentially doing battle with four other one-loss teams at this point: Arkansas, Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech and Stanford. A loss against LSU would eliminate Arkansas from the running, and a loss to Oklahoma next week would do the same to Oklahoma State.

Virginia Tech figures to remain in the mix if it can beat Virginia in its next contest and Clemson in the ACC Championship Game. Provided Oregon beats Oregon State, Stanford won't be afforded the opportunity to play for the Pac-12 title, and I believe that will disqualify the Cardinal from the running.

That essentially leaves Alabama and Virginia Tech.

While most observers would probably give the Crimson Tide a huge and perhaps insurmountable edge, I simply don't see it that way. In my mind, everything is breaking in the Hokies' favor rather than Alabama's.

If the Tide beat No. 24 Auburn this week, then they will officially finish as a one-loss team, since they aren't in line to play for the SEC Championship. Some may say that Alabama is a victim of circumstance because it plays in a division that harbors the Top Three teams in the country in terms of rankings.

That is most certainly true, but that's how the cookie crumbles. 

Teams in the same division simply don't play for a championship in the sports world unless they somehow meet at the end of a long and arduous NCAA tournament.

In professional sports, you'll never see the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox playing for the World Series, even if they happen to be the two best teams in baseball. In the NFL, you won't see the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions playing for the Super Bowl, either.

Perhaps in a perfect world the Top Two teams would play for the title regardless of affiliation, but that simply isn't how it works in sports. I'm of the mind that a conference championship is necessary in order to vie for the National Championship, and Alabama simply can't provide that, leaving Virginia Tech as the only logical choice.

Cynics will say that LSU would blowout Virginia Tech, and perhaps that would be the case, but Alabama already had its chance against the Tigers and didn't come through.

The Tide certainly took the Tigers to the brink, but they didn't come out on top.

Fans of the Tide may say that Alabama is more deserving than a team like Virginia Tech, but I'm not sure how that is true. The Tide could have removed all doubt by simply beating LSU early in the year, but instead they have put themselves in a precarious position.

The Hokies have a great defense and a great running game, thanks to Heisman Trophy candidate David Wilson. Because of that, I think they have a fighting chance against the Tigers. Alabama already had its chance and blew it. If Virginia Tech takes care of business, then I think it is more deserving of the No. 2 spot than Alabama.