AP is ready to crown LSU...eVen if they lose.

[Lott's Bandana]

The AP members, voters and otherwise, are already making noise about voting LSU #1 if they lose close to Bama.

Heard on several national radio programs, the conference champions and winner in Tuscaloosa just needs to keep it close and they get the AP title.

This gives the SEC two more champions and would cap a year of Sportswriter hyperbole over a conference that was unprecedented. The writers would LOVE this opportunity.

[Caboose]

Hard to say I disagree. If LSU loses and its another 9-6 type game its hard to say Alabama had a better season.

[En_Fuego]

The BCS


tYJusyeEOQg

[the-rover]

Gary Danielson said, during the sec championship game, he was prepared to do exactly that, based only on what lsu had done during the regular season.....win or lose in the mnc.

[King Barry's Back]

Seems reasonable to me. LSU has had a great season, and if they barely get edged to end up at 13-1 - I can't see a reason to say they don't deserve the national championship.

EXCEPT that they when on the big stage and feeling the big pressure, they couldn't get it done.

Setting up that kind of test is why we have championship games, anyway.

[AlbqSooner]

Sports writers opinions < Reality.

[BoulderSooner79]

Did the AP crown the Pats in '07? I mean they had already beaten the Giants in the regular season and only lost by 3 in the last minute in the SuperBowl. And they clearly had the resume the rest of the season.

[Sooners78]

So, we should go back and claim the 88 basketball championship? How many times did we beat KU that season? 2 or 3? Let them claim a national championship and buy their rings. It wouldn't count. BCS is the system the universities agreed to. The game in New Orleans is the one that matters. What they did during the regular season, while impressive, only gets them to that game.

[badger]

Did the AP crown the Pats in '07? I mean they had already beaten the Giants in the regular season and only lost by 3 in the last minute in the SuperBowl. And they clearly had the resume the rest of the season.

The AP wants to stay relevant. They are newsmakers and this would make news. Alas, some professionalism dictates that the news should not be about yourselves :mad:

[Zin]

One thing you need to keep in mind is that Gary Danielson is an idiot.

[TUSooner]

Sports writers opinions < Reality.

Best post ever. EVER.

Even by its own shifting and disingenous standards the BCS is horse ****.

[Dale Ellis]

Hard to say I disagree. If LSU loses and its another 9-6 type game its hard to say Alabama had a better season.

BS, the winner of that game is the champ, that's the system we have, like it or not.

[rekamrettuB]

Wouldn't be surprised if Bama wins by 14+ if Ok State pulls the AP NC if they can beat Stanford which matches up real well with them. A Bama win could really make this bowl season pop.

[FtwTxSooner]

The AP didn't sign on to the BCS system. I don't have an issue with them awarding their championship in any way they see fit. If they choose to select the team which they felt had the best season, so be it.

[SoonerPride]

The AP poll is irrelevant.

[cantwait48]

does anyone honestly think lsu will be celebrating a title if they lose? they will be freaking PO'd.

[GreenSooner]

BS, the winner of that game is the champ, that's the system we have, like it or not.

Unless, at some future date, it's discovered that there's been a "lack of institutional control" at whichever school wins the game, in which case we'll have had no champion this year at all.

[GreenSooner]

does anyone honestly think lsu will be celebrating a title if they lose? they will be freaking PO'd.

After all, they're not 'Bama (http://www.rollbamaroll.com/2010/7/5/1549250/alabamas-13-national-champion)!

[SoonerKnight]

Let's give everyone a participation trophy because there are no losers!

[westbrooke]

Personally, I will find the silver lining and relish the irony of LSU celebrating an AP title eight years after dismissing USC for doing the same.

[Zin]

I think we can all agree that whether or not LSU wins or loses, Bama will claim yet another national championship.

[DocHemi]

I think we can all agree that whether or not LSU wins or loses, Bama will claim yet another national championship.

Yup. Wouldn't surprise me if they've already claimed the one USC was forced to vacate.

[Penguin]

I have much more faith in the AP poll than I do the coaches poll. Allowing coaches to participate in the BCS is like having a suspect's defense attorney also be on the jury. I would not be surprised if one day a coach's contract also included a clause that the coach must always vote their team number one on their ballot.

[8timechamps]

I think we can all agree that whether or not LSU wins or loses, Bama will claim yet another national championship.

They've gone ahead and awarded themselves the 2012/2013 trophy too, just to save time.

[TheUnnamedSooner]

Why do they call it AP? Shouldn't it be AD?

[Okie35]

Yea it'll be split between Bama and LSU.

[soonercastor]

Rightfully so. LSU has done would have done much more than Alabama.

[CowboyMRW]

After all, they're not 'Bama (http://www.rollbamaroll.com/2010/7/5/1549250/alabamas-13-national-champion)!

That site is retarded. They have some years that say consensus national champions, and then out to the side it says "other champs". If there were other champs then you are not concensus

[StoopTroup]

LSU isn't gonna lose to Bama.

[yermom]

I have much more faith in the AP poll than I do the coaches poll. Allowing coaches to participate in the BCS is like having a suspect's defense attorney also be on the jury. I would not be surprised if one day a coach's contract also included a clause that the coach must always vote their team number one on their ballot.

one day the BCS will be gone, and the AP will still be there.

[allanace16]

Vote LSU national champs. I agree with the AP. Bama gets a mulligan on their loss and LSU isn't supposed to get one in a similar situation? Screw that. Especially if it's some 6-3 bull**** like last time.

[Indy Sooner]

one day the BCS will be gone, and the AP will still be there.

Since 1936. Right on.

[Soonerfan88]

Personally, I will find the silver lining and relish the irony of LSU celebrating an AP title eight years after dismissing USC for doing the same.

This was my first thought. How do the LSU fans justify this after all the talking they have done?

[OUTromBoNado]

I argued this point with a 'Bama fan and work. He said there was no chance in Hell the AP would split it. "Bama beat themselves in the first game"

My response: "Stick to watching the Saints. You don't know the AP very well. If they can stir controversy, they will."

[Sooners78]

Vote LSU national champs. I agree with the AP. Bama gets a mulligan on their loss and LSU isn't supposed to get one in a similar situation? Screw that. Especially if it's some 6-3 bull**** like last time.

In their first game, it was a 3 point game in OT, and could have easily gone the other way. LSU certainly didn't convince me that they are a better team than bama in that game. The two teams about as even as you can get defensively, and neither offense is explosive except both teams run the ball well.

I fully expect Bama to win this time with their power run game. Home field advantages are not as big of a deal in the SEC. Those teams thrive on playing in hostile environments every week. And, love him or hate him, Nicky boy is the best coach in America.

My point is that these two teams are definitely the two best teams, and therefore, should be playing in the championship. If LSU can't win when it counts. they don't deserve the trophy.

[jkjsooner]

The AP didn't sign on to the BCS system. I don't have an issue with them awarding their championship in any way they see fit. If they choose to select the team which they felt had the best season, so be it.

I suppose they can do whatever they want but since the days of the polls coming out after the bowls I don't believe they've ever awarded a champion who lost their bowl game. This would be unprecendented.

We were the only undefeated team in 2000 after beating numerous top 5 teams. Anyone think we would have received the AP trophy if we lost to FSU?

Should FSU have been given the AP championship back in 1996 when they had already beaten Florida earlier in the year?


Some of you guys talk about tradition and how the entire season counts but this isn't tradition. The bowls have always (at least since the 1950's) been more meannigful that a regular season game.

I'm calling all of you anti-playoff traditionalists who want a split title hypocrites.

[Penguin]

one day the BCS will be gone, and the AP will still be there.

In the future, AP sportswriters will be replaced by robots. I, for one, will not bow down and worship these new overlords. Unless, of course, they give us Pizza Fridays.

[rekamrettuB]

Vote LSU national champs. I agree with the AP. Bama gets a mulligan on their loss and LSU isn't supposed to get one in a similar situation? Screw that. Especially if it's some 6-3 bull**** like last time.

Folks need to quit looking at it like a "rematch" is being played. Bama lost a game and earned/won/lucked their way back into the NC game. It just happens to be against a team they already played. The frustration/anger should be towards the fact that LSU has to play anyone since they never lost. Any team that lined up against LSU this year would have received a "mulligan" for their loss.

My question is this...if LSU was playing Ok State and Ok State won ohhhhhhh 14-13 after Ok State blocks an extra point and runs it back 100 yards for 2 points with 5 seconds left. Would the AP still vote LSU #1? I mean they had an incredible season, their resume is one of the best when looking at their wins vs ranked teams etc. They have the same record as Ok State and didn't have a loss to an unranked Iowa State team. What's the difference?

[Lott's Bandana]

My question is this...if LSU was playing Ok State and Ok State won ohhhhhhh 14-13 after Ok State blocks an extra point and runs it back 100 yards for 2 points with 5 seconds left. Would the AP still vote LSU #1? I mean they had an incredible season, their resume is one of the best when looking at their wins vs ranked teams etc. They have the same record as Ok State and didn't have a loss to an unranked Iowa State team. What's the difference?

So it was a 13-12 game with 5 seconds left? Not sure I'd even attempt the PAT.

Yes, I think the AP still might vote LSU #1 in your scenario. Why not?

[allanace16]

Folks need to quit looking at it like a "rematch" is being played. Bama lost a game and earned/won/lucked their way back into the NC game. It just happens to be against a team they already played. The frustration/anger should be towards the fact that LSU has to play anyone since they never lost. Any team that lined up against LSU this year would have received a "mulligan" for their loss.

My question is this...if LSU was playing Ok State and Ok State won ohhhhhhh 14-13 after Ok State blocks an extra point and runs it back 100 yards for 2 points with 5 seconds left. Would the AP still vote LSU #1? I mean they had an incredible season, their resume is one of the best when looking at their wins vs ranked teams etc. They have the same record as Ok State and didn't have a loss to an unranked Iowa State team. What's the difference?

I agree with that to an extent, but when there's other top teams in play that they haven't (nor has any of the teams they faced) played, it doesn't make sense to favor setting LSU up against a team we've already seen that they're better than over a team they haven't played. It makes a difference in people's minds that Alabama's already lost to LSU if they happen to win this game just like the fact that Alabama lost to LSU was the main factor keeping them in contention to begin with. This same "eye test" bull**** that kept OSU out of the game and put Alabama in is the same thing that people are using to say LSU should be national champs regardless. If we're throwing strength of schedule, quality wins, etc., out (which is what happened), and focusing ONLY on who the teams lost to, then yeah, LSU has every bit of a claim to that title as Alabama does, and they're the champs of their conference with an extra win in the SEC title game.

Fact is LSU isn't being held to the same standard for being the champ as anyone else is, and it's far harder for a convincing argument to be made that they shouldn't be national champs to a team they went 1-1 against than a team they went 0-1 against. Obviously the crystal football goes to whoever wins this game, but if the AP wants to vote LSU the champs win or lose, and they can, I feel like there's a far better argument for that than any other time in the BCS era.

[rekamrettuB]

So it was a 13-12 game with 5 seconds left? Not sure I'd even attempt the PAT.
Yes, I think the AP still might vote LSU #1 in your scenario. Why not?

It happens all the time. I've said the same thing everytime the situation presents itself. Why not line up for 2 points and kneel it? I've watched a lot of football and I've never seen it done.

[rekamrettuB]

Fact is LSU isn't being held to the same standard for being the champ as anyone else is, and it's far harder for a convincing argument to be made that they shouldn't be national champs to a team they went 1-1 against than a team they went 0-1 against. Obviously the crystal football goes to whoever wins this game, but if the AP wants to vote LSU the champs win or lose, and they can, I feel like there's a far better argument for that than any other time in the BCS era.

I don't really care what the AP does and I could see there point if enough of them did vote LSU 1 still. But once the postseason is over the records are cleared. Same thing would exist if, by some strange scenario, LSU was undefeated and there wasn't anyone with less than 3 losses left. A team strolls in with 3 losses and beats LSU. This whole rematch thing happens all the time in playoff sports and nobody cares...I just don't see the big deal here. It's the postseason.

[Lott's Bandana]

I don't really care what the AP does and I could see there point if enough of them did vote LSU 1 still. But once the postseason is over the records are cleared. Same thing would exist if, by some strange scenario, LSU was undefeated and there wasn't anyone with less than 3 losses left. A team strolls in with 3 losses and beats LSU. This whole rematch thing happens all the time in playoff sports and nobody cares...I just don't see the big deal here. It's the postseason.


You just made the most salient point of all there.


Keyword: PLAYOFF

[rekamrettuB]

You just made the most salient point of all there.


Keyword: PLAYOFF

So why do we care here tho? That's my point. I know I would enjoy a playoff system over the bowl system compared post season format to post season format. But, I think there would be a little less enjoyment about the college football regular season compared to now. College football is the only regular season I can just veg out all day and watch regardless of who is playing or how well my favorite team is doing. In the NFL when my team is doing bad I don't care to watch other regular season games. I'll tune in to the playoffs tho even if my team isn't present. I tune into all post seasons even if I don't follow the regular season.

[SoonerLaw09]

Well if they wanna crown they a$z then CROWN 'EM!!!

http://fastcache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/11/2009/01/061017_dennis_green.jpg

[Lott's Bandana]

So why do we care here tho? That's my point. I know I would enjoy a playoff system over the bowl system compared post season format to post season format. But, I think there would be a little less enjoyment about the college football regular season compared to now. College football is the only regular season I can just veg out all day and watch regardless of who is playing or how well my favorite team is doing. In the NFL when my team is doing bad I don't care to watch other regular season games. I'll tune in to the playoffs tho even if my team isn't present. I tune into all post seasons even if I don't follow the regular season.

That is a really good question and one that is hardly ever addressed, and I don't understand why.

We spend the entire regular season talking about and forecasting who will be in BCS Bowls now, and we still think (as you have confirmed) the regular season is the best of all sports.

If there was an 8 team playoff, based on whatever, there would be a great value to the regular season as everyone would understand a loss would still be devastating to that team's playoff chances. Any team from spot #9 on would gravitate to the traditional Bowl lineup, as they do now. A team currently going to the Helicopter Bowl would still go the Helicopter Bowl and it would still be as (un)important.

Right now, half the top 10 in the BCS doesn't even get into a BCS bowl, so there really wouldn't be much of a difference in how important the regular season would be, except those teams above #8 would still be playing for the NC!

Good example: OU losing against Baylor would not have been as devastating because there still was a chance to end up Top 8 for a playoff, but it would have made the game in Stooly massively more important than it turned out to be under the current system. Trade a possible Fiesta Bowl for a playoff spot? You betcha!

[rekamrettuB]

A team currently going to the Helicopter Bowl would still go the Helicopter Bowl and it would still be as (un)important.

Good example: OU losing against Baylor would not have been as devastating because there still was a chance to end up Top 8 for a playoff, but it would have made the game in Stooly massively more important than it turned out to be under the current system. Trade a possible Fiesta Bowl for a playoff spot? You betcha!
First I should have said I really don't care much about the "bowl system" and tune in to very few games. It's funny how they are the exact opposite.

Second, you bring the point home when you mention the OU/Baylor game. That game and the Tech game and really every game prior to that critical mass point of 2 losses would be far less important feeling to us fans. OU lost...ahhh no big deal. Yes the game vs Ok State would have been much bigger/more meaningful this year as do games for other regular seasons that have playoffs. Those games feel more important in the playoff race than game 1, 8, 99, or whatever but they're all equally as important. That feeling is what you lose when implementing a playoff...do or die. It's the feeling I love when watching OU football that could be lost for 75% of the season with a playoff in place.

[Lott's Bandana]

I see your point but after 45 years, sometimes the absolute gut-tearing angst of not meeting expectations by losing takes the lustre off the rest of the games we play.

However, I think that leaving the playoffs to 8 would keep the pot boiling because another loss after Baylor would have eliminated OU in this scenario...the tension and stress and therefore, interest and yea, enjoyment of the season would have elevated even more.

There is little difference between stressing over not going undefeated and stressing over losing that second game and missing the playoff entirely. There is no way anyone that is a fan would shrug their shoulders at a loss because of a playoff system. Conference titles would still be extremely important.

[Football Jim]

From what I've heard it seems that the national sports media are ready to proclaim the SEC champion as the national champion from now to eternity no matter what happens or who they face during bowl matchups.
I am getting sick of this. The SEC is average as a body. Their top two teams are awesome, their bottom two are pathetic. Everything goes in cycles, the SEC will go back to 2nd or 3rd in time but the media can't conceive of it.
If LSU loses, screw em. They cannot be crowned national champs. Why even play the friggin game if they are going to be crowned win or lose?

[mdklatt]

An AP championship and a dollar will get you a candy bar.

[Caboose]

BS, the winner of that game is the champ, that's the system we have, like it or not.

Words. What do they mean?

[Sabanball]

As long we get the BCS crystal ball, I could care less who the AP gives their award to.

[sooneron]

I have always been good with an 8 team playoff. I think 16 is too many.

The AP can suck it for all I care. They want to change things? Well, they could have stuck it out in the bcs system and remained relevant trying to create change from within. Instead, they took their toys and went home. **** em.