After ‘Bama squeaked by LSU in overtime and Tech ran ramped over Oklahoma State on Saturday night, the hottest debate in college football centers around which team deserves to be ranked No. 1. The polls say Crimson Tide, but many pundits and college football fans alike believe the Red Raiders are easily the best team in the nation.
It’s hard to say unequivocally that neither team deserves to be ranked in the top spot. ‘Bama has disposed of some of the best teams in the SEC including LSU and Georgia, but college football enthusiasts will be quick to note that the conference is down on a whole this year so those victories don’t hold as much water.
Conversely, Tech has run through the best the Big 12 has to offer including Texas and Oklahoma State, and still has to face Oklahoma two weeks from now. And unlike the SEC, nobody is saying the Big 12 is down this year.
Assuming Tech gets past the Sooners (which won’t be a picnic by any means) and ‘Bama holds off Mississippi State and Auburn, than the battle for No. 1 will most likely come down to championship weekend. If the Tide beat Florida, than it’s hard to say ‘Bama should be ranked any lower than the top spot, especially considering Tech’s opponent in the Big 12 championship won’t be as tough. (I think we can essentially say that Oklahoma will be Tech’s Big 12 Championship Game.)
Don’t count out the Gators either. They’re playing about as well as any team in the nation right now and are making a case for being ranked No. 1 themselves. This is going to be a great finish to a wild college football season.
