BCS teams to love, hate and utterly despise...

Before I begin this post, I would just like to say that I don't want to hear/read any crap about "not looking ahead."

I'm not on the LSU football team and neither are any of you, therefore we're fans and have the luxury of looking ahead. That's why rankings are released every week starting in July.

Anyway, I've looked at the schedules of USC, Ohio State and LSU. We might as well forget about Oklahoma at this point, because the Sooners would have to lose twice to slide behind LSU.

LSU's major shortcoming in the BCS is strength of schedule. It affects almost every computer poll and it has its own damn category in the thing. LSU's strength of schedule should land around 25th by year's end. However, the Tigers need to see some lowering of the Buckeyes and Trojans' SOS.

SO, ASSUMING the LSU runs the table (otherwise this is all fruitless), here are some teams to root for and against, which should make watching the average college football game a little more fun over the next few weeks....

Become die-hard fans of....

1. Florida: The Gators are LSU's best chance at an emphatic ratings boost in the BCS. Florida has Top 10 rankings in two of the BCS computer polls. If it comes to that hated three-way tie in the SEC East, it's extremely important for the Gators to pass up Tennessee in the standings and waltz by Georgia into the SEC Championship Game.

2. Georgia: The best case scenario for LSU is for Georgia to win out, but miss out on the SEC Championship Game to Florida. That way, the Dawgs don't have to lose to LSU and can provide the Tigers with a little quality win ratings kick. It wouldn't be a disaster, but LSU doesn't want to see UGA drop a game and allow Tennessee to become the worst SEC East champion in history.

3. California: Yes Cal is the only team to beat USC, but they also have important match-up's remaining with Stanford and Washington, two teams LSU needs to root against. A sweep by the Golden Bears would hurt both USC and Ohio State (both played Washington).

4. Minnesota, Illinois and Oregon: Since the Big Ten and Pac Ten don't have championship games, there are teams that don't meet in-conference. Ohio State doesn't play Minnesota or Illinois this year. USC misses out on Oregon. This means that any conference win by the Gophers, Illini or Ducks hurts the SOS of the Trojans and Buckeyes.

5. Arkansas and Ole Miss: The Hogs and Rebs have more common opponents with LSU (5 and 6, respectively) than anyone else. Both Florida and South Carolina had LSU, Ole Miss and Arkansas as their three SEC West opponents. It's not stretching to think that both teams will defeat Mississippi State and Arkansas will pummel New Mexico State.

6. Alabama: Other than their match-up with LSU, the Tide can play a little bit of Santa Claus for the Tigers with wins at Auburn and at Hawaii (both opponents of USC).


Teams to learn to hate...

1. Washington: The Huskies are the only opponent Ohio State and USC have in common. Every loss for U-Dub is a double whammy for LSU's competitors. Even lowly Arizona has come through and beaten the Huskies.

2. Stanford: The Cardinal share 7 opponents with USC (6 Pac Teams and Notre Dame). Will it really be that hard to root against Buddy Teevans?

3. Auburn: This one should be easy. Not only is Auburn on USC's schedule, but they play against Georgia, the only LSU win yielding BCS bonus points.

4. The ACC: LSU will rely on some SEC teams to beat up on the ACC to boost their SOS. South Carolina faces Clemson. Florida faces Florida State. Georgia faces Georgia Tech. What team should be the most hated in the ACC? NC State, an Ohio State opponent.

5. TCU, Miami (Ohio) and Northern Illinios: Put these guys into the "utterly despise" category. These "mid-majors" are being major blockades for LSU in some of the computer polls. It would be nice for TCU to drop a game and sink like the Titanic. Also, it would be great to avoid a Miami/NIU match-up in the MAC Championship Game.

 

great post. now i wont have to do the research. thanks.

 

I vote for Tennessee

That is quite an analysis there, but I think it would be better for LSU to play Tennessee in SEC Championship. Tennessee is ranked higher than Georgia in every computer poll and the computer rankings are one of LSU's biggest weakness. Even tho we would lose quality points if Ga. lost what we would make up in the computer rankings for beating Tennessee would more than offset that. Our SOS is also bad and Tennessee has a better SOS than Ga. so beating Tenn. would be better here too. Don't you agree????

 

Yeah, LSU just doesn't want to play UGA in the SECCG

Florida or Tennessee, not Georgia

BUT, it would be nice for UGA to continue winning

 

Georgia must lose

BUT, if UGA wins out Tennessee cannot make SECCG. Forget about UGA's quality points we will more than make that up in computer points by beating Tennessee.

 

Nobranalific posting here:
ok, people a national title is what LSU deserves, but they are obviously getting raped of it. LSU fans should look forward to a more elite bowl than last year's cotton bowl, and be thankful. Saban still has work to do at LSU, and im not doubting that a national title will be in LSU's immediate future, if not this year.


Whichever bowl LSU gets into, they will win, unless the BCS gives LSU what it rightfully deserves, which is a shot to play with the untouchable (by any other team than LSU) OU.

 

ok, im posting again, after reviewing other posts:
why wouldnt LSU want to play UGA!?!?!?!?

 

really? Yall could not beat us and could beat UGAy. Why would you want to play a team that really kick your Offence's butt?

 

You really think your team is just plain better than ours? We win 4 of 5 times. You got your 1 chance.

 

In addition Purple Jungle's original post... become fans of Purdue this week, and Michigan the next week. Cos they play OSU. Become fans of Arizona, UCLA, and Oregon State cos they play USC.

That and we take care of our business, everything is gravy!!!!