I've heard and read where there are those who want a split National Championship should Alabama beat LSU in the BCS National Title Game, the other half of the split coming from the Associated Press (AP) giving LSU the AP crown in part as recognition of the splendid regular season that the Tigers achieved. The other half of the justification being put forth is resistance to giving it to Alabama because the Tide lost a slugfest on the 5th of November.
I will not detract from LSU's achievement to date, and in fact will emphasize that those achievements have already been rightly rewarded with SEC Divisional and SEC Championship trophies. However, the AP National Champion (to my knowledge) is not awarded in Atlanta to the SEC Champion, but awarded to the eventual national champion. Why else would AP wait until January? AP could change that in the future, but that was not the stated/understood way of doing business when college football kicked off the season.
The more subtle issue in giving LSU the AP title would be the use of a double standard, one best illustrated if we look at AP's own views of the University of Georgia (UGA).
UGA entered the season ranked as #19 by AP. We know the tale of the Dawgs epic stumble, losing to Boise State and South Carolina in weeks one and two. This dropped UGA out of the polls immediately, not to recover until week 10 when they climbed from #22 to #18. As the Dawgs finished the season winning a 10 game run, AP recognized this, took this into consideration, and rewarded them by ranking the boys from Athens as #12 after week 14. The point: AP's choice of actions (i.e. to rank UGA much higher over time) sets an inconvenient precedent should they choose to award the AP title to the loser of the BCS National Title Game.
It was nine weeks between UGA dropping out of the polls after the loss to BSU and when the AP chose to rank the Dawgs higher than they had all season -- 9 weeks to "all is forgiven". During those 9 weeks UGA did lose to the Gamecocks, but won the next 8. However, 5 of those 8 games were against FCS teams or teams that would not go bowling. The take away point to note here is that redemption seems to be a bar set reasonably low.
9 weeks -- had the BCS game been played on January 7th vice the 9th, it would have been exactly 9 weeks since LSU topped Alabama in Tuscaloosa. During those 9 weeks the Tide did not lose to the USC as Georgia did, rather the Tide won every game. Admittedly only three games, but regardless the Tide went 3-for-3 playing great football.
AP's precedent is to reward success on the field. AP chose this standard. AP chose to punish failure on the field. AP chose that standard. AP chose to have Alabama enter New Orleans as the #2 team. AP chose to have LSU enter New Orleans as the #1 Team.
There is no way for AP to crown LSU as National Champion should thet lose without defying numerous precedents that they chose to establish. Categorically, the choice facing AP is this -- Do they apply their own standards fairly, or do they discriminate against a single team and in favor of another team. There is no middle ground.
I will not detract from LSU's achievement to date, and in fact will emphasize that those achievements have already been rightly rewarded with SEC Divisional and SEC Championship trophies. However, the AP National Champion (to my knowledge) is not awarded in Atlanta to the SEC Champion, but awarded to the eventual national champion. Why else would AP wait until January? AP could change that in the future, but that was not the stated/understood way of doing business when college football kicked off the season.
The more subtle issue in giving LSU the AP title would be the use of a double standard, one best illustrated if we look at AP's own views of the University of Georgia (UGA).
UGA entered the season ranked as #19 by AP. We know the tale of the Dawgs epic stumble, losing to Boise State and South Carolina in weeks one and two. This dropped UGA out of the polls immediately, not to recover until week 10 when they climbed from #22 to #18. As the Dawgs finished the season winning a 10 game run, AP recognized this, took this into consideration, and rewarded them by ranking the boys from Athens as #12 after week 14. The point: AP's choice of actions (i.e. to rank UGA much higher over time) sets an inconvenient precedent should they choose to award the AP title to the loser of the BCS National Title Game.
It was nine weeks between UGA dropping out of the polls after the loss to BSU and when the AP chose to rank the Dawgs higher than they had all season -- 9 weeks to "all is forgiven". During those 9 weeks UGA did lose to the Gamecocks, but won the next 8. However, 5 of those 8 games were against FCS teams or teams that would not go bowling. The take away point to note here is that redemption seems to be a bar set reasonably low.
9 weeks -- had the BCS game been played on January 7th vice the 9th, it would have been exactly 9 weeks since LSU topped Alabama in Tuscaloosa. During those 9 weeks the Tide did not lose to the USC as Georgia did, rather the Tide won every game. Admittedly only three games, but regardless the Tide went 3-for-3 playing great football.
AP's precedent is to reward success on the field. AP chose this standard. AP chose to punish failure on the field. AP chose that standard. AP chose to have Alabama enter New Orleans as the #2 team. AP chose to have LSU enter New Orleans as the #1 Team.
There is no way for AP to crown LSU as National Champion should thet lose without defying numerous precedents that they chose to establish. Categorically, the choice facing AP is this -- Do they apply their own standards fairly, or do they discriminate against a single team and in favor of another team. There is no middle ground.
