The Unofficial RBR Guide to Rooting for Other Teams

As you may know, we have ourselves quite the cluster atop the BCS poll, where it appears that with a few upsets, anyone in the Top 10 is currently still in the chase (don't take that comment too seriously; it was meant to create drama).

Now, you also may be aware that out beloved Tide needs some help in order to have our hopes of a BCS and/or SEC Championship resurrected.  So without further adieu, I present to you the Unofficial RBR Guide to Rooting for Other Teams (for the next few weeks anyway).

*Disclaimer:  These are the scenarios that each team alone would provide, at least what I think they would provide based on my knowledge of the SEC Tie breaker and my opinion about any BCS shakedown.  Correct me if necessary.

Ole Miss (Plays LSU Week 12):  Stop laughing.  Seriously, stop it.  I'll wait...  OK, more times than not in the past decade, Ole Miss has either won this game or come within one score of winning (including last year).  Houston Nutt is a lame duck who is trying to write his resume right now.  He may throw out 17 trickplays during this game, but he's going to give it his damnedest anyway.

How this benefits Bama:  Simply put, an LSU loss here would drop LSU enough that even an SEC Championship may not revive BCS hopes.  This alone would not put Bama in the SEC Championship, as we still have the head to head loss to LSU.  But this alone would have huge implications in the BCS.

Arkansas (Plays LSU Week 13):  An LSU loss here would have the biggest impact for Bama's sake, not only in the BCS but in the SEC as well.

How this benefits Bama:  Assuming that Arkansas can win this week at home against MSU (which is key to this scenario), a win against LSU would put LSU, Bama, and Arkansas in a 3-way (haha) tie for the SEC West.  The 3-way tie is broken by using the BCS rankings.  We'll ignore the tie breaker that says the highest ranked team moves on, because that only applies if there is a separation of more than 5 spots between the top 2 teams. 

That's not going to happen, so the tie is then broken between the 3 teams simply by taking the top 2 BCS teams and doing a head-to-head comparison.  We would now have to hope that LSU's loss to Arkansas drops them enough such that Alabama and Arkansas are the top 2 BCS teams in the 3 way tie.  And since Bama beat Arkansas, as you may recall, Bama would be dubbed the SEC West Champ.  Arkansas essentially has two wishes at this point: to hope that Bama is not in the 3-way tie (e.g. loss to *uburn), as a Bama loss and beating LSU would put them in the SEC Championship with possible BCS implications; or they would have to hope that beating LSU left themselves and LSU as the top 2 BCS teams in the 3-way tie.  Confused?  Good.

Iowa St. (Plays Oklahoma St. Week 12): No better opportunity for the Cyclones than to catch the Cowboys a week before Bedlam.  ISU has been an upset specialist of late, and one here would be more than welcome.

How this benefits Bama:  With OSU being one of the two teams who control their own destiny, getting them out of the way would obviously prove beneficial.  Not only that, but with the loss of the Big 12 Championship, OSU only has two games standing in the way from their ticket to The Big Nasty Easy.  We need to hope on hope that ISU can go ahead and get this done for us.

Oklahoma (Plays Oklahoma St Week 13):  Bedlam is utter pandalerium in the state of Oklahoma.  It's a non football fan's dream: No defense and 137 points.

How this benefits Bama:  Here's where it can get a bit hairy, as she would say.  An OSU loss here would obviously knock them from the top 2 ranks in the BCS, but too much of a win by OU could mean a simple switcheroo in the polls.  What I mean is: if Oklahoma beats Oklahoma State handily, the polls may just put Oklahoma right into the No.2 position.  The computers love OSU, and the humans likely don't want to see any sort of rematch, so this is not outside the realm of possibility.  So, we need to cheer for the Sooners to win, but only by a TD or so.

Georgia (likely plays LSU in the SEC Championship Week 14):  Why not, let's pull out all the stops, shall we?

How this benefits Bama:  Could it be possible that an LSU loss in the SEC Championship could pave the way for Bama in the BCS Championship?  I say yes!  It would take a rather significant loss, but it's very likely that a 14+ point loss here would drop LSU out of the top 2.  Based on Oklahoma in 2004, where even a blowout loss to Kansas State in the B12 Championship still allowed OU to play LSU in the championship, I think it's possible that LSU doesn't fall at all in the event of an SECC loss, but these fingers ain't crossed for nothing!

Honerable Mentions:

USCw: Because they play Oregon in Week 12, and after a big win against Stanford, they just need to get the hell on back.  We don't need any threats from folks behind us.

SMU or Tulsa:  WTF, you may ask.  Well, at this rate, and with no further shakeups it looks as though the Houston Cougars may be meeting us in New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl.  Does anyone remember what happened last time we faced a mid-major in the Sugar Bowl?  It's a no-win freakin situation.  Ask Georgia what kind of accolades they got for beating the hell out of Hawaii.  Nothing!  People almost hated Georgia for beating them so bad.  But don't let those sons-of-mothers beat you.  Then all hell breaks lose.  I just don't want it.  Please SMU or Tulsa please beat Houston.

Boise St:  Again, WTF, you may ask.  Well, if they win their remaining 3 games and stay within the top 10 in the BCS, they are likely to get an at large BCS bid.  If they do, they may go to the Sugar Bowl.  I would like to see this matchup.  I would like to see THE CRIMSON TIDE ANNIHILATE THE F- OUT OF THESE CLOWNS!  That is all...

Samford:  What?  I just like Samford...

As always, if I got anything wrong, please correct me in the harshest way possible.  Otherwise, feel free to opine.  Cheers!