It seems like every week there is a drastic change in college football.
Last week the “Game of the Century” saw LSU remain at the top of the standings.
This week two more undefeated teams got their first loss of the season (#4 Stanford and #5 Boise State).
Boise State fell to TCU 36-35 in an exciting game that came down to the wire. The blue field did not help Boise, as the Horned Frogs snapped Boise’s 35-game home winning streak.
Stanford also fell at home; a sloppy game by the Cardinal saw Oregon come out on top 53-30, making the Ducks front runners in the PAC-12.
Both Stanford and Boise had shots at making the BCS title game, assuming multiple scenarios played out, but now their chances have drastically diminished.
Stanford had a better shot at making the title game than Boise – because Boise will always be Boise – but even the Cardinal needed some things to happen.
If Stanford would have beaten Oregon and finished the season undefeated then they would have needed Oklahoma State to drop a game somewhere along the way.
That was their only shot, but since they fell to Oregon they have lost their opportunity.
Boise would have needed an Oklahoma State loss, a Stanford loss, and probably an Alabama loss. So their chances were already very slim, now they will be lucky to even get a BCS berth.
And let’s be honest, even if Boise went undefeated, the BCS would have put a one loss Alabama or one loss Oklahoma in the title game over the Broncos. Of course I would like to see Boise in the title game, but in this system they need to go undefeated and hope that all the dominoes fall in the right way.
Now there are only three undefeated teams remaining in the country: LSU, Oklahoma State and Houston – although LSU and OSU are the only two that have a shot at making the title game.
So it currently stands as LSU and Oklahoma State playing in the title game in January if the season were to end this week.
But there are still a few games left on the schedules for both of these teams.
LSU will most likely finish the season out undefeated, although they have to host #8 Arkansas on the last week of the regular season.
And Oklahoma State still has a pretty tough meeting scheduled with their rivals #6 Oklahoma on December 6.
The Cowboys are coming off of an absolute routing of Texas Tech this week, finishing the Red Raiders off 66-6.
Oklahoma State might have the most prolific offense in the country, scoring 30 points or more in every game this season.
While LSU has by far the best defense in the country, making the possible LSU/Oklahoma State national title game ideal.
Let’s see if Oklahoma or Arkansas play spoiler on the last week of the season.
Should the Cowboys fall, don’t be surprised to see the Crimson Tide make their way into the title picture, setting up a thrilling rematch of the “Game of the Century” from last week.
Tyler Rollason is a Winder-Barrow High School graduate and mass communications major at the University of West Georgia. You can e-mail comments about this column to trollason@yahoo.com.
