The Oklahoma State Case for the BCS Championship

A Friday night in Ames seemingly ruined Oklahoma State’s BCS title hopes. The Cowboys were rolling, unbeaten and virtually unstoppable on their way to the Bedlam Game with New Orleans oh-so close. But *IT* happened. OSU was Tessitore’d.

While the Cowboys have remained in the top three, jumping Alabama to get a shot at LSU and the BCS Championship seemed impossible barring an absolute rout of Oklahoma. Could you imagine? The thought of OSU dismantling a team that spent a good chunk of the season at No. 1, the program that has beaten the Cowboys nearly 70 instances more than vice versa, was laughable. As Cincy Joe of CowboysRideForFree.com pointed out on the SaturdayBlitz.com Podcast, the Cowboy-Sooner rivalry is Owen Hart and Bret Hart. Bret was a five-time World Champion; Owen never won the big one.

Now that the previously laughable is reality, another thought seemingly implausible a week ago has become very realistic: OSU leapfrogging idle Alabama to play for the crystal football.

Both Alabama and Oklahoma State have strong cases to be made for playing the grand finale. Alabama stands 11-1 in what is widely regarded the nation’s best conference, the Tide’s sole defeat a three-point, overtime decision to the nation’s only unbeaten and consensus No. 1. The top ranked Tigers have been unchallenged all season — except by UA, which proved it can dish to LSU as well as it can take it.

OSU’s loss was a similar OT finish, but at 6-6 Iowa State. The Cyclones played a handful of good games this season, including knocking off Iowa and taking Kansas State to the wire on Saturday, but in no conceivable fashion is ISU comparable to LSU — even if the Pokes were on the road in their loss, while Bama was at home.

Otherwise? Every indicator says OSU should play LSU.

While the SEC is heralded as college football’s best conference — and most seasons there’s zero room for argument — Bama ended its regular season with just two wins over teams in the BCS Top 25 as of Dec. 3. And both Penn State and Arkansas were teams the Tide played in September.

Conversely, OSU’s pasting of rival Oklahoma marked its fifth defeat of a team in the current BCS Top 25: Missouri, Kansas State, Baylor, Texas and Oklahoma. That total could drop to four should Texas or Missouri fall out tomorrow, but the edge remains Oklahoma State’s.

The disparity isn’t the fault of Alabama. The Crimson Tide didn’t play Georgia or South Carolina, both of which are in the BCS Top 25 by virtue of conference scheduling. Alabama played the games on its schedule — precisely the argument that has hoisted other teams on their own petard.

The SEC has been the BCS beneficiary of other teams playing fewer ranked teams. The last season a rematch was suggested (more on that in a bit) for the title game, Florida was given precedent over Boise State. BSU was the only other unbeaten, but was never even considered for Ohio State’s opponent as the Broncos simply “won the games on its schedule.” The same occurred in 2008 when Utah was relegated to the Sugar Bowl. If the SEC is going to benefit from said mindset in the seasons it’s up, it has to deal with the consequences on the years it’s down. And the latter are much, much more rarer.

Going back to the 2006 season, precedent was set. Alabama finds itself in a very similar place to those Wolverines. Both were great teams. Both had given the No. 1 team in the nation all it could handle before ultimately succumbing. But neither had the number of quality wins as its closest competitor, and both had to sit idle on the regular season’s final day to watch those competitors rack up another impressive win.

There are other, subjective reasons to suggest OSU deserves to play LSU. The nation’s best offense clashing with the best defense certainly has inherent intrigue to it, and Les Miles facing the program he helped resurrect in his new backyard is chock full of human interest. But those pale in comparison to the hard facts that back a Cowboy title game appearance.