Before the SC game the Dunkel Index had LSU rated Number 2 in the nation behind only Miami. While I don't put a lot of stock in the Dunkel at this point in the season the Tigers have made tremendous improvements from week to week. Miami and Oklahoma are clearly # 1 and # 2 right now but I have to think that LSU is better right now than any of the other teams rated higher, including V Tech who was lucky to play LSU the first game of the season. I have seen Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame and Texas on TV and LSU could beat any of them right now. The LSU defense is better than the defenses of either Miami or Oklahoma and the offense is not too far behind the Oklahoma offense but a good ways behind the Canes offense. It would be very interesting to see LSU play either one of them whether it would be in Tiger Stadium, Norman OK or the Orange Bowl The first BCS rankings of the season come out Monday and it will be interesting to see if the computers think the Tigers are better than the poll voters think I may be biased but the way that Saban has them playing I really believe that the Tigers are no worse right now than being the 3rd best team in the country
Good post Bengal. I agree with you that the Sooners and the Canes are slightly better than we are at this time, but we are as good if not better than the others ranked above us. While the Sooner defense is very good, they have also managed to put together a "working" offense under Hybl, using RB, Quentin Griffin as the main weapon. Early on in the season, with the loss of their starting QB, Jason White, I had thought that their offense would be their Achilles heel. Credit must go the coaching staff for improving that. This Canes team is definitely not as good as the one that won the NC last year. As we are finding out, the big win against the Gators may be a wee bit over-rated. In the game against the Noles, they did display a few defensive chinks. If we keep winning, we stand an outside chance of making it to the Fiesta Bowl.
If we keep winning, we stand an outside chance of making it to the Fiesta Bowl. [/B][/QUOTE] Thats the whole problem with the BCS. If we keep winning and end up with a 12-1 record after the SEC Championship game and if it works out that neither Miami or Oklahoma loses a game or if either one does lose and Notre Dame dosen't the Tigers could end up rated as high as #3 by the BCS and still be denied a shot at the National Championship. How many Tiger fans would be happy if LSU ended up as the 3rd or 4th ranked team by the BCS after the SEC Title game and ended up in the Sugar Bowl playing Ohio State or Michigan? and the Fiesta Bowl had whoever ended up ranked # 1 & 2 Lets say that Miami and Oklahoma are # 1 and # 2 and LSU & Ohio State end up # 3 & # 4 and play each other in the Sugar Bowl What if the Fiesta Bowl is a blowout and LSU wins the Sugar Bowl game convincingly The Tigers would end up ranked # 2 in the final post bowl polls without ever having a chance to play for it all on the field. Every division of every sport from the high school to the professional level has a playoff system to determine the champion Every level of every sport EXCEPT FOR DIVISION 1-A OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL!! Look at what happened last year. Even though Nebraska got blown out by Colorado in the last game of the year and Colorado won the Big 12 Championship game, the BCS computers said that the Cornhuskers were better than Colorado, Oregon, Texas and everybody else. A team with early season losses that puts it all together and by the end of the season is playing as well as anybody and just might be the best team in college football will be shut out of any Championship aspirations Last year LSU had 3 losses before the team gelled and by the end of the season were playing as good as anybody but the BCS computers don't take that into consideration. Had there been a playoff system last year LSU as the SEC Champ would have at least been one of the teams in the playoffs. Even though the bowls as it is set up now produce a ton or revenue for the NCAA, a true playoff system would make even more money and the teams that didn't make the playoffs could still play in the lesser bowls like the Weedeater, Galleryfurniture.com and even the Humanitarian Bowl played on the "Frozen Artificial Blue Tundra" in Boise, Idaho Last year the New England Patriots were lightly regarded and were lucky to make the playoffs, but once they got in they got in they put it all together and won the Superbowl. In Division 1-A of college football that can't happen. ITS TIME FOR THE NCAA AND THE BCS TO ENTER THE 21ST CENTURY!
Agree with others in this thread, that LSU is as good as others ranked higher than us. In the preseason, the pollsters decided to jump teams like Ohip State and Michigan over LSU, even though LSU finished higher than both of these schools last year in the polls, and even though LSU destroyed the Big 10 champion in a bowl (Illinois). FSU also got bumped ahead of LSU, even though FSU finished the season very poorly last year. Even this year, FSU had lost 2 games (one to an unranked team) and until last week was still ranked higher than LSU, who arguably has the best loss in the country. That's complete nonsense. LSU, and all teams, should enter the season exactly the way they finished ranked in the last poll from the year before. It shouldn't be a case of pollsters ranking teams where thery feel like it, based on their own predictions. If teams graduate players, who cares. It shouldn't be assumed a team may not play as well as they did to conclude the previous season. If they come out of the gate and don't play as well, then they'll get dropped appropriately as the new season rolls on. When LSU lost to Virginia Tech, LSU dropped to # 24, and that's an outright sham. It's a big reason LSU is still battling its way up in the polls. Thankfully we've gotten back to # 10. Fortunately some of these ratings systems have it right, like the Massey ratings, where LSU is # 5. LSU should be no lower than # 7 in any of the voting polls. LSU has won 12 of its last 13 games, has arguably played better than any team in the country over the last 13 games, but took a hit in the rankings coming into the season because the pollsters used their bias in ranking teams, turning to "history" among other things when they jacked up FSU and others over LSU. If LSU wins out (and granted that will be a very hard task), the Tigers will have as good an argument as anyone that they are deserving of playing for the national championship. Let's hope that happens. Of course Saban will take each game one game at a time, starting with this week.
