And, yes, Florida State was a touchdown favorite heading into today’s game against Florida despite the fact that the Gators had the higher ranking. Therefore, No. 6 UF’s 37-26 win over the No. 10 Seminoles was technically an upset.
But the Gators have a chance to upset more people outside Tallahassee if they become part of an all-SEC BCS championship game. That would be the second year in a row the SEC has accomplished such a feat and SEC fatigue has never been higher, either. Of course, that’s going to depend solely on what happens tonight between top-ranked Notre Dame and USC. If the Irish can win, one spot in the title game will be secure.
If the Irish lose, however, things get a bit more interesting.
Since both Alabama and Georgia took care of their respective business today, those two are on a path to a defacto national semifinal in Atlanta for the SEC championship next week. Florida, meanwhile, doesn’t have to worry about another loss. In fact, the Gators have quality wins over Florida State, South Carolina, LSU and Texas A&M.
Name any team in college football with a better BCS resume than that. It’s certainly not Oregon. Even at one loss, the Ducks needed way too much help to have a title shot. If Stanford beats UCLA tonight, neither Oregon nor Florida will be playing in their respective conference championships. Yet both will be in the BCS championship hunt.
If it comes down to it -- meaning if Notre Dame loses to the Trojans -- voters may have to decide between style points (Oregon) and body of work (Florida). Or, whether they want to prevent another all-SEC BCS championship game. Keep in mind that Florida has a No. 2 computer average, whereas Oregon’s is currently No. 7. That will factor in to the decision as well.
As will tonight’s game between the Irish and the Trojans. If Notre Dame can roll, this discussion is moot. If USC prevails, get ready for BCS drama all over again.