If UO win out and if Oklahoma beats Oklahoma State, we're in pretty good shape. Let's assume LSU wins out. Alabama won't make it to the NC game as they will have not even won their division, let alone the SEC conference championship game. Although that's enough, they will lose SOS without playing the the SEC title game. If Oklahoma beats Oklahoma State, they greatly increase their SOS, but we'll be beating a top 20 team so our SOS will stay strong- and we're currently ahead of Oklahoma in SOS. Add to that, we get to play in a conference title game and they don't. Again, it increases our SOS. Who else can possibly jump over us? Not Clemson. It's very possible.
I said right after our LSU loss that the NT was not out of the question. All it takes is for everyone else but 1 team to lose 1 game....and people acted like I was being ridiculous.
A final game against Oregon State will hurt our SOS though as well. Hopefully the Big-12 not having a conference championship hurts them in the computers. I actually think our best shot might be if LSU loses to Arkansas or in their conference championship and Oklahoma State beats the Sooners.
I think the OU/Okie Light winner will play in the championship game. They will win the Big IIX and they wouldn't of played LSU.
Yep--winner of OU-OSU gets one spot. SEC team gets the other. We're out IMO, this is the SEC's worst-case scenario: Arkansas beats LSU Auburn beats Alabama Arkansas loses to UGA And EVEN IF that happens, I bet LSU gets a title game berth over us. Our chances of a NCG shot basically hinge on OU losing to Baylor then trouncing OSU. Outside of that, it's not happening.
Yeah, I get that. The problem with us getting there is that we've already lost to LSU and people don't like rematches. OK will have the advantage of not playing them and they have a lot of support on the east coast.
How far have we come where some fans are like, "Darn just the Rose Bowl." Not saying that anyone here does that, it's just great to be a national power after so many years of being terrible. I've seen crazier things happen, so I'm just going to sit back and let the chips fall where they may.
Actually, I'm annoyed by that sentiment. The kvetching over us not having much shot at the national title game, as though it is something that we somehow deserve, feels so early-90s-Husky-esque that it turns my stomach. We should be THRILLED that we're in a position to play in the Rose Bowl for the second time in three years, and that we're the preeminent program in the west; why do we need more than that?
I said the same thing in here right after the game and NateBishop ripped on me pretty good for saying such a thing, lol.
Mississippi State beats Arkansas. Arkansas beats LSU. Alabama loses to Georgia in the SEC championship game. Would LSU slip below Oregon? It'd be close... Ed O.
In my hypothetical, Arkansas loses to MSU so they've got two losses... looking at it, though, I am not sure that LSU wouldn't go to the championship, anyway, since they beat Alabama head-to-head. Too many possibilities to keep straight Ed O.