BCS Chaos -- Nick Saban evil genius

[kmspeaks]

Weird scenario - if Arkansas beats LSU and Alabama beats Auburn, you now have the following in the SEC West:
Three one loss teams.
Alabama lost to LSU, who lost to Arkansas, who lost to Alabama.

So who plays in the SEC Championship game? My understanding is that it would be the team with the highest BCS ranking. Since those three teams are 1,2, and 3 in the BCS this week, it's anybody's guess. However, I think it is entirely possible that Alabama would now be playing for the CC instead of LSU in that scenario. So now LSU gets to sit back and coast into the NC and watch Bama sweat out a trap game vs. the "other" Georgia.

If I heard correctly when they explained this on ESPN, you're close but not completely correct. The team that is ranked the lowest of the 3 in the BCS is eliminated. Then between the top 2, the team that won the head to head matchup will play in the SEC championship game. So if Arkansas does beat LSU and both teams somehow end up ranked higher than Alabama, it would be Arkansas playing Georgia.

[gcashwell]

If the rankings were:
1.Alabama
2. LSU
3. Arkansas
Arkansas drops out and LSU goes because of beating Bama

If it's:
1. Bama
2. Arkansas
3. LSU
LSU drops out and Bama goes by having beat Arkansas

or if somehow it's
1. Arkansas
2. Bama
3. LSU

Bama would still go. Of course, Bama has to beat Auburn.

[Wander]

I always like looking at what a football playoff would look like, if it existed. As it stands now:

16 Northern Illinois @ 1 LSU
9 Oklahoma @ 8 Houston

12 Michigan State @ 5 Virginia Tech
13 Louisville @ 4 Oklahoma State

14 Arkansas State @ 3 Arkansas
11 Kansas State @ 6 Stanford

10 Oregon @ 7 Boise State
15 Louisiana Tech @ 2 Alabama

This would be completely awesome. F the BCS and these loser college presidents and coaches who support it.

[arnie]

I thought that only two teams from a conference could play in BCS bowls. So if Georgia wins the SEC championship, that would lock out two of the three SEC west teams. Or have the rules changed (again.)

Excellent point and I'm not aware of any changes allowing 3 teams. Surely the LSU faction has thought of this scenario and can answer.

[CDu]

I thought that only two teams from a conference could play in BCS bowls. So if Georgia wins the SEC championship, that would lock out two of the three SEC west teams. Or have the rules changed (again.)

There is a loophole in place to protect the #1 vs #2 championship game. In the typically unlikely scenario that the BCS #1 and #2 come from the same conference and neither has won the conference championship, that conference gets 3 bids. Since the BCS national championship game is always #1 vs #2, this loophole had to be put in place. It's a pretty unlikely scenario that could basically only happen in a season like this (where at least the two top BCS teams are in the same division).

If UGa wins the title and two of LSU/Alabama/Arkansas are #1 and #2, then the #1 and #2 teams will play for the title and UGa would get the Sugar Bowl bid. If UGa wins and two of the SEC West teams fall to #3 and #4, then only two SEC teams would get a BCS bid.