Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State: Can Cowboys Leapfrog Alabama with Bedlam Win?

"The LSU Tigers are going to play in the BCS National Championship Game."

Right now, in these uncertain college football times, that above statement seems to be the only thing that people can agree on right now.

We know that the 12-0 Tigers are pretty much guaranteed a spot in the BCS Championship Game, no matter what the outcome of this weekend’s SEC Championship Game with Georgia is.

Win or lose, LSU has done enough to prove that it deserves an invitation to New Orleans.

The only problem is, you have to wonder if there’s any other team out there who has proved that they’re worthy of joining the Tigers there.

As it stands now, it looks like No. 2 Alabama, which lost to LSU 9-6 at home back on Nov. 5, will be the one that makes that trip.

Yes, the Tide may not have to win a conference championship to actually win a national championship, and that’s something that’s got a few folks outside of Tuscaloosa a little upset right now.

The idea of a rematch of the “Game of the Century,” which turned out to be a 9-6 defensive slug fest, hasn’t exactly been universally embraced by the college football public.

For those of you who are turned off by the idea of an all-SEC rematch in the title game, there’s still some hope that No. 3 Oklahoma State could blow out Oklahoma in the Bedlam game on Saturday and somehow jump the idle Tide in the final standings.

Let’s be honest, though; there’s a lot better chance of that scenario not happening than actually happening.

There is, however, still a legitimate argument to be made for Oklahoma State to make it into the title game, instead of Alabama.

If you compare the two teams’ resumes, you’ll see that Oklahoma State has actually had the tougher slate this year.

If the Cowboys beat Oklahoma this weekend, that will be their seventh win over a team that was ranked in the BCS top 25 at some point this season. Alabama has only had five such wins.

As a whole, the BCS computers say that the Big 12 was the toughest conference in college football this season. Plus, even SEC fans have to admit that their conference went through a bit of a down year in 2011.

So if both teams do in fact finish 11-1, shouldn’t the team from the tougher conference get the edge?

Especially since we still don’t know if that team can actually beat the No. 1 team in the country or not.

We’ve already seen Alabama fight that battle and lose on its own home turf.

What’s a 1-1 tie between the teams going to tell us?

How can we declare a true national champion from that?

Why not let an 11-1 team that actually won its conference and that played a more difficult schedule have its shot at the top dog, instead of the 11-1 team that sat home and rested up on the final week of the season?

Some fans have pointed to the fact that Alabama has the best defense in the country and the Heisman favorite in RB Trent Richardson as reasons the Tide should be in the title game.

But you can make the case that Oklahoma State has just as strong of an offense as Alabama has a defense.

No matter how it all plays out, it’s surely going to make for an interesting debate, and that’s what really makes college football what is.

One thing’s for sure, if Oklahoma State beats Oklahoma by 30 points on Saturday night, then you better believe that Sunday is going to be full of drama as we count down the hours to the BCS bowl pairing show.

Ah, drama and debate, the two true cornerstones of college football.