The SEC was dominant under the old BCS format, putting together a seven-game winning streak in the BCS Championship Game from 2007 through 2013 and winning nine of the 16 BCS Championship Games. The SEC had a losing team in the BCS title game just twice, and one of those came against another SEC opponent (LSU losing to Alabama in 2012). If the old system was still in play today, LSU would be in the driver’s seat according to the BCS computers.
According to a report from USA Today, LSU would be the top-ranked team in the BCS standings, as determined by five of the computer formulas previously used in the BCS system. Ohio State, currently No. 1 in the major polls, would be ranked No. 4 in the BCS, which of course would put the Buckeyes at risk of missing out on a championship bid if the standings held. Clemson would be ranked No. 2, followed by No. 3 Alabama.
SEC teams fill three of the top 10 spots in the College Football Computer Composite used by USA Today. In addition to No. 1 LSU and No. 3 Alabama, Florida rounds out the top 10. The Big Ten also has three teams in the top 10 with the Buckeyes at No. 4, No. 5 Michigan State and No. 6 Iowa. Big 12 contenders TCU (No. 7) and Baylor (No. 8) would be left in the distance. No. 11 Memphis is the highest-ranked Group of Five program in this computer ranking.
Computer rankings are designed to remove the human element from the championship picture, but no method or metric is infallible in college football. The College Football Playoff brought more of the human element back into the championship selections by having a selection committee like in college basketball. This computer poll would pit LSU and Clemson in the national championship game under the BCS system, and LSU vs. Ohio State and Clemson vs. Alabama in the College Football Playoff. Would the College Football Playoff selection committee do the same?
The first College Football Playoff selection committee rankings will be released next Tuesday night, so we will see soon enough how the selection committee differs from the old BCS model this season.