College Football Week 14, in which Oregon sacrifices Rick Neuheisel at the altar

The over/under for the NCG is 40? Surprised that high. I'd still bet the over.

 

Anytime you have a one-loss team --- ANY one-loss team --- playing for the title, it can be argued that the game in which they lost was "rendered meaningless." This year is not some far-fetched exception, except that everyone is hung up on the "rematch" aspect (as if we've never seen such a thing in the NFL or NBA or NHL or college hoops, where, say, Duke can beat UNC three times and still lose to them when they meet a fourth time for the title).

And if you hate rematches, a playoff system increases them substantially. Put Oregon, Stanford, LSU and Alabama in a playoff, and there's an excellent chance of a rematch, or two, or three.

Alabama's loss would have been monumentally meaningful had Oklahoma State been able to beat an unranked team.

 

That was one of the curiosities of the 2003 AP vote for USC as No. 1 (which, clearly, had many other factors involved, including rebellion against the BCS, for one). Based on AP's own final poll, the one that had the Trojans first:

USC

Ranked teams defeated (2)
6. Michigan (Rose Bowl)
9. Washington State (Coliseum)

Worst loss (and only loss)
at unranked Cal in three overtimes

LSU

Ranked teams defeated (4)
3. Oklahoma (Sugar Bowl, BCS title game)
7. Georgia (in Baton Rouge)
7. Georgia (in Atlanta)
13. at Ole Miss

Worst loss (only loss)
24. Florida (in Baton Rouge)

USC had tougher nonconference games, so it seemed the worst parts of the schedules held a lot of sway -- perhaps more than the toughest parts of the schedules. That LSU had twice as many wins over ranked teams -- and did not lose to an unranked team, as USC did -- did not seem to matter as much as the "USC played a true round-robin schedule" talk and "USC played Notre Dame" as compared to LSU's weaker nonconference schedule. LSU losing at home was considered worse than USC losing on the road, despite Florida being ranked and Cal being unranked.

The list of quality wins above left LSU fans to say, "Hey, AP, do you have access to your own poll?" I think this speaks directly to your point, LTL.