Does either Oregon or Alabama deserve a rematch versus the LSU Tigers?

A	The Oregon Ducks deserve a rematch.

B	The Alabama Crimson Tide deserve a rematch.

C	Neither deserves a rematch. They both got their chance at LSU and lost. Somebody else should get a shot at the Tigers.

In week 12 of the BCS standings, the LSU Tigers were ranked #1, the Alabama Crimson Tide were ranked #3, and the Oregon Ducks were ranked #4. Of these teams, only LSU controls its destiny after having defeated both the Ducks in week 1 at a neutral site in Dallas, TX, and then defeating the Crimson Tide in week 10 in Tuscaloosa, AL. The ONLY purpose of the BCS rankings system is to decide which two teams should play each other in the BCS National Championship Game.

Though neither Alabama nor Oregon are currently ranked #2 in the polls, there is a good chance one of them will take that spot if the current #2 Oklahoma State Cowboys lose a game. The Cowboys still have to play the #5 Oklahoma Sooners in the last game of the season, and many experts seem to believe the Sooners are going to win that game.

One of the biggest obstacles facing the Ducks and the Tide is the fact they both have already faced LSU and lost. Historically, the voters in the BCS have frowned upon the idea of a rematch. This is one of the beauties of college football...you only get one shot at a team each year and each week of the season is a de facto playoff. If you win, then you are still in the hunt for a shot at the 2012 BCS National Championship Game. A loss, on the other hand, eliminates or comes close to eliminating your team from getting that shot. Therefore, under this logic, Oregon and Alabama's loss to LSU should have eliminated both of them from being able to go to the title game.

If LSU remains undefeated and wins the SEC Championship Game, Oklahoma State loses to Oklahoma, and who plays in the national championship versus LSU comes down to a decision between Oregon and Alabama (assuming Oklahoma doesn't jump them to grab the #2 slot), who deserves a shot for a rematch?

Here is my breakdown of each side's argument...

Alabama's argument for why they should get the rematch with LSU

The Tide is undefeated in regulation, but Oregon is not.
Bama lost the game to LSU, while Oregon was defeated by the Tigers. Bama lost nine to six in overtime, but the game should have been put away by Bama in regulation. The Tide, however, missed 3 field goals which would have given them the win 15-6. Had the Tide made only one of those three missed attempts, then they would have won the game. The Ducks, on the other hand, were clearly outmatched as even their Coach Chip Kelly stated they neither have nor face the type of athletes LSU has on their team. The Ducks were dominated 40 to 27, scoring 7 junk points at the end of the game versus LSU's backups on defense.
The Bama defense completely shut down LSU's offense allowing them to gain only 239 total yards (148 rushing and 91 passing) and a total of six points in regulation. As previously noted, the Tigers were able to hang 40 points on Oregon.
Alabama has a tougher schedule than the Ducks: the Tide has already played against two current top ten teams and two other ranked teams. They still have to face at least one more ranked opponent, and could face its 3rd top ten opponent if they make it to the SEC Championship. The combined record of Bama's opponents is 71-49 and Oregon's is 62-58.

Oregon's argument for why they should get the rematch with LSU

The Ducks will win the PAC 12 Championship, but Alabama will not if LSU remains undefeated because they won't be allowed to even play in the SEC Championship game in Atlanta, GA. Winning your conference should be a prerequisite for getting into the BCS Championship Game. Though it currently is not required by rule, it will be on the mind's of voters and they should take into account that it makes no sense to win a National Title but not your Conference's title in the same season.
The Ducks were able to actually score a descent amount of points, including three touchdowns, against LSU. The Ducks scored a total of 27 points, but Bama was only able to put up six points with the extra opportunity in overtime.
Alabama lost at home and the Ducks lost on the road. Technically, the LSU vs Oregon game was a "neutral" site, however, Baton Rouge is only 443 miles or a six and a half hour drive away from Dallas. Eugene, in contrast, is 2,047 miles and a 33 hour drive away from Dallas by car. The game was in actuality a de facto home game for LSU, which was clearly reflected in the 70% to 30% pro-LSU crowd
The Ducks played LSU in the first week of the season and have improved dramatically since that game. Alabama, on the other hand, got to play them in the tenth week. It is universally accepted that teams do not play their best football in the first couple of weeks in a season, and that the most improvement a team makes between two weeks of a college football season occurs between the first and the second week. The Ducks didn't get the chance to "season" before playing LSU, and the Tide did. By the time Bama played LSU in week 10, they should have been playing the best football they will this season. The Ducks had a lot of first time starters and would have benefited immensely if those guys were able to get nine games under their belt before playing the #1 team in the nation.

This is how I see the argument breaking down between both sides. One other major factor to be considered by voters is who they think is the better team between the Ducks and the Tide. Personally, I think Oregon and the PAC 12 would once again be embarrassed if the Ducks were to play the Tide. Alabama's defense is currently on pace to set a record for having the best total defense in the entire history of college football. Not only are they on pace to set the record, but they are on pace to destroy it by only giving up an average of 181 yards per game, approximately 40 yards less than the greatest total defense in history.

Well, that's my opinion. If you have anything you would like me to add to either argument, please leave me a comment below. If I agree with your argument/point, then I'll add it to the blog.

Brian Johnson

Does either Oregon or Alabama deserve a rematch versus the LSU Tigers?

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