With the title game over a month away, I thought I'd start a little thought experiment. Suppose the following scenarios play out after Jan. 7: 1. LSU wins a close one over OSU (say 7 points or less) 2. OU takes WVU to the woodshed (17 points or more) 3. USC destroys Illinois (20 points or more) IMO, the first is 50-50, the 2nd not very likely, and the 3rd pretty likely. Does the AP give the #1 ranking to either OU or USC? OU had a much stronger claim to the NC slot than USC due to the Stanford loss, so I could definitely see a split NC situation. Now that I've stirred the hornet's nest, discuss. :lol:
It seems highly unlikely. THe conditions surrounding the last "split title" happened because the AP #1 rated team was not in the NCG. This year, OSU and LSU are #1 and #2 in every poll. They cannot be jumped if they beat each other. Not even if it were to end in triple overtime with a score of 3-0. These are the top 2 teams in every poll. They will not be jumped.
History tells the story and there is no reason for anyone to worry about a split NC. Never in the history of the polls has the winner of the NC game been jumped from behind. I got this fact from Ott yesterday. Remember USC was ranked #1 in the AP poll before the BCSNC game in 2003 and did not drop after their Rose Victory over UM.
Since the advent of the BCS there can be no split national championship. The winner of the National Championship game is the National Champion. Period. That's who the crystal football goes to and that is where the MacArthur Trophy goes as well. If the AP . . . or People Magazine . . . or the newspaper in Opelika, Alabama issues a poll with someone else at number one then it is just a number-one poll position, not a National Championship.
I see your point, but a number of highly unlikely things have already happened this season. And this is the first BCS (that I know of) where both #1 and #2 lost during the final week, which made both spots a tossup with voters and computers alike and no "clear" #1. A poor showing by LSU and strong performance by OU could give AP voters (though not part of the BCS) enough buyers' remorse to jump ship.
There'll only be one team with the BCS trophy... the rest will just be saying "it should have been us"...
Taking a slam out of an airplane and then letting the local writer of the newspapers city that it lands on vote for a nc has as much relevance as the AP. And I am not exaggerating.
I'm not trying to be combative, but my understanding of the situation is that until the NCAA officially sanctions a national champion in Div. I-A football (whether it be the BCS champion, AP champion, whatever) then the AP champ has every much of a claim to a NC as the BCS champ. While we don't pay much mind to the AP poll, there are still a lot of people (especially in Bristol) who put a lot of stock in an AP #1, hence the USC "dynasty".
I don't agree that the "AP champ" has the same influence as the BCS Champ. If it did back in '03, it certainly doesn't now. Even so, we are ranked #2 in every poll, and OSU is ranked #1 in every poll. Yes, this has been a crazy year, but not in regards to voters. Only in regards to play on the field. USC should spank Illinois, and OU should spank W. Va. However, that just won't matter. Not from a mathematical point of view or from a subjective, voter's point of view. USC(#6 AP) beats Illinois(#12 AP) or OU(#3 AP) beats W.Va.(#11) but they cannot and will not jump LSU(#2 AP) if they beat OSU(#1 AP). It cannot happen.
