Would A One-Loss Stanford Cardinal Leapfrog Undefeated Ohio State Buckeyes?

Nov 7, 2013; Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal wide receiver Jeff Trojan (18) gathers the onside kick by the Oregon Ducks during the fourth quarter at Stanford Stadium. The Stanford Cardinal defeated the Oregon Ducks 26-20. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Evan Spencer is supposed to be confident in his football team.

While members of the media may appreciate the candor, if Spencer were to have come out on Monday and said that his team didn’t belong in the same conversation as the Alabama Crimson Tide or the Florida State Seminoles, THAT would be real headline news. However, we love imagining Nick Saban and Jameis Winston as active volcanoes, needing just the slightest provocation to erupt, burying Columbus under ash and pumice like a modern-day Pompeii.

So, we take Spencer’s comments and run with them, knowing that should Alabama or Florida State matchup with Ohio State in a BCS Championship Game, those comments may provide some hypothetical added incentive.

Maybe it’s just me, but a national championship seems sufficient enough. Alas.

Evan Spencer may have gone slightly too far with the insinuation that Ohio State would “wipe the field” with FSU and Bama, but I think we can all agree that mentality–while normally reserved for conversations that don’t take place in front of dozens of tape recorders–is one that SHOULD pervade the locker room of every national title contender. Spencer is supposed to think like that, he’s just not supposed to say it to the media.

However, while Spencer is obligated to have confidence in Ohio State’s chances at a national title, I’m not, because they don’t.

I don’t know how to “wipe” a field. Do you use some sort of mopping device and what purpose would that actually serve? Do you just sweep it? Wouldn’t that just push around those rubber pellets (artificial turf) or dislodge a few random blades of grass (natural)?

Whatever the hell it means, when it comes to Ohio State, I haven’t seen anything that’s led me to believe they’d be doing any field-wiping with either Alabama or Florida State. And, I think you can make a very strong case that a one-loss Stanford Cardinal team would deserve a shot at a BCS title berth over the Ohio State Buckeyes, too.

As it currently stands, Ohio State occupies the No. 3 spot in the BCS standings. Stanford sits at No. 4. The computers all have Stanford ranked ahead of Ohio State, while the human polls favor the undefeated tagline of the Buckeyes.

However, Stanford has already played and beaten five ranked teams this year, and they’ll have opportunities to earn meaningful, nationally-televised wins at USC, home against Notre Dame and in the Pac-12 championship. Ohio State, on the other hand, has beaten two ranked opponents (Wisconsin and Northwestern) and plays a soft schedule leading into the Big Ten title game (likely against Michigan State).

With the USC Trojans on the cusp of breaking into the Top 25 and the Pac-12 South champ likely being ranked, Stanford will have the chance to garner wins over SEVEN ranked programs heading into bowl selection. Best case scenario for Ohio State gives them three wins over ranked teams.

There’s really no comparing the schedules that each of these two teams have played, and I would take a one-loss Stanford–given their dominant performances against a tough schedule–over Ohio State to play in a BCS title, in the event that either Florida State or Alabama lose.

That is without even factoring in the Baylor Bears, who are undefeated and sitting at No. 5 in the BCS, but have four opportunities to climb in the rankings against quality Big 12 opponents left.

Alabama and Florida State are the two leaders in the clubhouse, and should they both win out it’d be difficult to foresee anybody leapfrogging either program given how far ahead they are in the BCS standings. However, should one (or both) of those teams lose, and Ohio State, Stanford and Baylor win out, it will make for possibly the most contentious BCS argument ever in the system’s final year of relevance.

Personally, I’d have a hard time deciding who I’d take between a one-loss Stanford Cardinal team and an undefeated Baylor Bears, but I definitely have the Ohio State Buckeyes on the outside looking in.

Sorry, Evan Spencer. You might not even get a chance to back up those bold claims.

Whatever they actually mean.

Regardless, the final season of the BCS may be coming a year too late. College football might be getting their playoff in 2014, but I think it’s fairly obvious they could use it now.