Remember all of those “doomsday” scenarios, where one-loss Alabama could leapfrog unbeatens TCU and Boise State right into the national title game?
Stick a fork in those notions. They’re done. As is any chance of a Tide title two-peat.
All thanks to a Les Miles-led squad that continues to seemingly defy all logic and common sense. In what Miles described in the immediate aftermath as “the best of college football”, LSU somehow, someway found the means to yet again pull out a victory when defeat may have been more appropriate and kinda expected, simultaneously downing the Tide 24-21 and dousing their SEC West rivals’ crystal hopes.
It wasn’t just that the Bayou Bengals came back twice from fourth-quarter deficits, or that they once again used some slight-of-hand trickeration to stay in the game, or Jarrett Lee‘s improbable 47-yard completion on third-and-13 with under 2:40 left and clinging to a three-point lead, or that… well… yes it was all of that, every damn bit of it that inexplicably worked in symphonic concert with that horseshoe the Mad Hatter has shoved somewhere on/up his person in 2010 that crushed the Tide’s hopes in Nick Saban‘s second return trip to the Bayou.
But, for every loser, there is a winner. Or, in this case, two potential winners.
As sad and asinine as it is, the reality coming into today was that TCU — 47-7 over Utah — and Boise State — 42-7 over Hawaii — needed some immense outside help somewhere along the way in possibly sneaking their way into the 2010 title game. Oregon and Auburn held serve, and did nothing to clear a path to Glendale that’s littered with blind bias and myopia. Alabama, however, did. And they did in a big, big way, removing a one-loss obstacle that would’ve been in the Horned Frogs’ and Broncos’ rear view throughout the remainder of November.
Even with Alabama’s loss, though, both of the non-automatic qualifiers still need help in getting there, specifically in the form of either Auburn or Oregon going down at some point. Oregon seems as much of a shoe-in to stay perfect the rest of the way out, but…
As much both schools may have privately reviled Alabama for their projected ability to jump ahead of them with one loss, they’ve officially and publicly become the biggest Tide fans in the land. Alabama beats Auburn in Tuscaloosa in the Iron Bowl, TCU and Boise State handles their business through the remainder of the season, and you know what? Hello Glendale for one of the BcS-busters.
Unless, of course, a one-loss Auburn team wins the SEC championship game and leapfrogs unbeatens TCU and Boise State.
Sigh. Such is the life of legitimate, qualified non-AQs in the crooked, shameful world of the BcS cartel.
Big congrats to LSU. Les has more dumb luck than any coach I’ve ever seen … but he earned today’s win over my Tide.
However, TCU and Boise State (Who??) can kiss my sweet Southern backside. Horned Frogs … seriously? I’m all for a playoff system because then we won’t have to hear anymore whining from the nether regions.
Oh. My. Gosh. If Auburn winds up in the national championship game against one of these hard-luck stories … I may actually wind up rooting for … gulp … Auburn???
Sigh … this is not my year.
Hey, is there any mechanism whereby the Steelers can just sign that LSU kicker now and skip the whole draft thing? I’m about ready to kick Reed to the curb and let him take the hitchhiker’s tour of rest stop towel dispensers.
@ Deb: Wow. Bitter much?
If teams like TCU and Boise State want to be taken seriously for consideration for the National Title game they can do it easily: Play real teams.
The regular season of college football is supposed to be the unofficial playoffs of the league, but when you schedule ten cupcake games and maybe a game or two against a mid-level opponent and call yourself tested and bitch and moan about being disrespected? Pssh. You deserve to be left out.
Bama got out coached in this game.
Les Miles has his players believing in him and playing their hearts out – something Saban has yet to achieve with Bama this year.
The LSU players gave Les a game ball at the end of the game – that says it all about Les.
Congratulations to LSU players, fans and coaches. You make the game of college football fun to watch.
TCU and Boise St were very impressive this weekend – they are for real. I am still amazed at how TCU destroyed a very good Utah team.
With each week we get closer and closer to having a non qualifier in the NC game. I see no problem with that.
If I had to guess I would say that Auburn will probably lose and be removed from NC consideration. Either Alabama or more than likely Florida will beat them.
Roll Tide….what a great year in College Football !
Hate to say it but you all might want to sit down and actually watch TCU play. They are a legit title contender and can and will hold their own if they get in the BCS NC game. they are 14-20 pts better than Boise St and have the D to slow down both Auburn and Oregon.
Auburn wins the SEC west this coming Saturday
against Georgia. If that happens then the Alabama/Auburn game will have no meaning in the SEC but will be “everything” for Auburn in their national title quest.
In an “ironic twist” I see Auburn winning out and the the Florida Gators of all teams “upsetting” Auburn in the SEC championship game. That would be fitting since the Gators dismissed Cam Newton for stealing a laptop.
That would set up a TCU/Oregon NC game.
Remember you heard it here first. Before you think I am a crazed loon–I am an SEC fan. I also bet games and if you check TCU has covered EVERY week. I stated last week they were 20 pts better than Utah and some laughed–the Horned Frogs are for real–watch and see…….
@ Wing T
Our posts are 1 min apart–”great minds” think alike —lol
did the Crimson Tide fan really just make fun of TCU’s mascot?
Boise State – Who did Hawaii beat while amassing those impressive stats? Nobody of consequence at all. You’ll grow up when you show up against some big time opponents, and BTW – smurf turf is for day care and kindergarten, just like your schedule.
TCU belongs- disagree with Deb, but that’s typical. TCU has beaten up on some very good teams. I just hate seeing a Fearsome Frog on top.
@ Deb – dumb luck? Outcoaching is more like it. Learned in the Michigan program of course.
LSU has regained my respect, which is a huge undertaking and victory for them.
OSU is beckoning you to return with your bucknut viewpoint and slanted take on anything not silver and bleeding through the rankings red.
@Blitz
You called the TCU – Utah game . I am still amazed at how TCU destroyed the Utes.
Florida is a very young but talented team. Each game they play better. In a normal year there is no way to make the SEC championship game with 3 conference losses . But this is not a normal year.
Florida will be a much improved team by the time the championship game is played and they will probably beat whomever they play – they are talented !
Since everyone agrees the BCS is broken and essentially is a “beauty contest.” Until we get a proper playoff system like every other sport here’s a suggestion: Evaluate teams by how efficient they are. In other words, rank the teams on how well they play (win/loss record, strength of schedule and statistics) against how much resources they have (football budget, ranking of incoming recruiting class, maybe even size of fan base.) Ideally this would be the only ranking qualification in both the human and computer polls, but even if it was just a component of either or both sets of polls, I think it would spur what I believe ‘amateur’ and college sports should ultimately and even exclusively be about; the pursuit of excellence, not necessarily dominance. Leave that to the pros and their driven pursuit of almighty dollar. Evaluating teams based on efficiency and ultimately excellence would also be much more patriotic and exemplify the values that American was founded and built upon. Doing more with less, creating an environment where everyone is free to succeed and establishing a level playing field where everyone knows and plays by the same rules… What do you think? Nixon went to China, the Berlin Wall came down, why not this?
@polegojim
whoo!! we got a newbie on the site here lol its laughable to call deb an osu fan, she hates osu lol
now on the other hand, i bleed the scarlet and grey….its better than being a dumbass like you are lol welcome to collegefootballtalk
Wow—is ther confusion here between polegojim, a newbie? & buckeyeboy—this is way too funny
Little do they know……………
@buckeyeboy …
Polegojim isn’t new … he’s just now terribly bright. Otherwise he would not in one breath call recognize the I’m a diehard Alabama fan and in the next say I have a bucknut viewpoint. And if he could read, he would have understood that I said Les is the luckiest coach in sports–which he is–but that he earned his win against Bama. That would be a COMPLIMENT to his coaching skill, Polegojim. Sigh.
@JT …
Your headline got my dander up
@winkandthegun …
Yes, darlin’, if their mascot is a frog, she did
@WingT and Blitz …
Boys, I can live with TCU, but back away from the Boise Kool-aid. The devilinmypocket said it ALL for me.
WingT, I don’t think the problem is that the team hasn’t bought in to Saban. The problem is that we don’t have the talent we had last year.
Yes, Blitz, Mike Bianchi is telling everyone about that laptop. Interesting how Urban would get rid of Cam Newton over a laptop but the guy who threatened to kill his girlfriend is still there. I assume we have an arrest record and guilty verdict on that laptop. Forgive me, but I’m kind of a stickler on the evidence thing. Frankly, I don’t think either of us should count on beating Auburn in the Iron Bowl or SEC Championship. But much as it pains me to say it, I’d rather see Auburn as National Champ than Boise.
@ Deb
Boise won’t even get in the NC game–they will be playing the SEC champions/Sugar Bowl host
Florida Gators. Hard to believe but trust me they will run the table, South Carolina (that wins the SEC East), Appalchian St, at FSU then upset #1 and unbeaten Auburn. That scenario will make the Florida Gators the 2010 SEC Champs and put TCU in the NC game against Oregon.
I never was sipping or selling Boise St koolaid–please don’t confuse me with Edgy who is trying to say Boise is as good as TCU and they aren’t.
My how things have changed in the SEC in the last 2 weeks. Who would have thunk UF would be playing for the SEC championship and getting into yet another BCS bowl game…….
Blitz, I think it’s funny what you came to Jesus with TCU but NOW, you’re acting as if you’re Christopher Columbus and you discovered America when the Natives were here many thousands of years before.
Should we book on this like your predictions that Virginia Tech would roll all over Boise or that Oregon State would do the same or that Hawaii will give Boise all that they can handle or that Florida will take down Alabama? Hell, people make predictions all the time and they’re wrong more often not so I don’t really worry what they say but you’ve got a habit of accentuating the positives and completely forgetting the times that you were so full of blitz with your picks that you were on the moon Hedupyr, which revolves around the planet Uranus. I’ve said from day one that TCU was better than Boise BUT you’re completely off your nut to believe that it’s 14-20 points better. TCU was the BCS Buster last year and was the favorite over Boise State and — gasp — the 7 point favorite was taken down by 7.
Sorry, Blitz … I still don’t thunk it LOL I’ll believe Florida wins the 2010 SEC Championship when I see it and not one second before.
I’m confused as to why anyone would be surprised over TCU taking Utah apart. Utah isn’t even a Top 20 team let alone a Top 5 team. The teams that they have beaten have a combined 24-51 record, including three 1-8 teams. Utah has proven that it can beat 5-3 Pitt, nothing more.
What’s sad is that people actually view TCU’s win over them as a good win, and that TCU actually benefits from beating this pretender. TCU’s big wins are against a .500 Oregon State team and an OK Baylor team that isn’t even ranked.
Kudos, though, to TCU and Boise State. They’ve got the formula right. Play an easy schedule and win out. Then watch the better teams knock each other out and back into a BCS bowl.
Meanwhile, a team like Auburn has beaten 4 ranked teams, and all it takes is one loss to knock them out. What a joke TCU and BSU are.
@frankboothisback …
Frank, is that you? Did you have to change your name?
I did. Someone else took frankbooth. And apparently you can’t have a space anymore. And I hate Utah, TCU, and Boise State.
frankboothisback says:
I did. Someone else took frankbooth.
******************
You should be able to go in and edit a name to display, instead of the one that you log in. That’s how I got mine back.
Drat, Frank. That means when PFT switches over, you’ll lose the name there, too. I’m not sure what edgy means, but you should try that.
Thanks Edgy. I just tried it, I’ll see if it works on this post.
It did.
Yay!
Oh, btw, Frank ….
“Meanwhile, a team like Auburn has beaten 4 ranked teams, and all it takes is one loss to knock them out. What a joke TCU and BSU are.”
Amen to that!
a frog as opposed to…tide?
Let’s see … would I rather face a Crimson Tide … or a frog? Hmmm …. lol
No contest.
When Bama’s football program started in the late 1800s, it was just known by its colors: the Crimson White. Sports writers soon began referring to the team as the Thin Red Line. But in 1906, when the team held off a heavily favored Auburn squad, one sportswriter said they looked like a Crimson Tide sweeping the field … and the name stuck. It evokes the idea of a Tsunami overwhelming opponents.
Frogs evoke Kermit.
@ deb
it’s Horned frogs, that’s like an Evil Kermit
@gamustangdude …
That’s hysterical! Now I’m trying to picture Evil Kermit LOL