#1 vs #2

Hypothetically, is it possible that the two best teams in the country are in the same conference?

Yes.

In the eleven BCS National Championship Games, there has never been a intra-conference title game. But could there be? And should there be?

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In the case of 2009, the top two ranked teams are Florida and Alabama. They have been ranked this way for most of the season. Are they the two best teams in the country? The people who are in charge of voting for the top teams seem to think so. So why is it impossible for them to play for the National Championship?

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There exists a belief that when one team loses, it must fall in the rankings. But since there must be a victor between Florida and Alabama, does that necessarily mean that both teams are not the two best teams in the country? I say no. Logic dictates that if you pair the two best teams against each other, just because one wins, that doesn't mean that these are not the two best teams.

And yet Texas is licking it's chops at #3 because it is confident that there will not be an all-SEC title game.

My argument is not based on these teams specifically, but rather on the concept that losing in a #1 vs #2 matchup means that you are not worthy of keeping that ranking.

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Of course, that doesn't mean you should automatically keep that ranking either. Obviously, if either Florida or Alabama wins by three touchdowns, it's fair to say the loser cannot hang with the top teams in the country. But I don't think it requires a 7OT game to say that the two teams we thought were the best before are still the best.

I am aware that there are other factors at work when selecting the title game participants. There is the belief that in lieu of an actual playoff, that the schedule is a de facto playoff. While seemingly convenient, this is ridiculous. Some conferences play conference title games, some don't. You're rewarded more for losing early instead of losing late. And a team like Texas gets rewarded because they don't have a team like Alabama to play against in their Big 12 title game. If this is a de facto playoff system, it stinks.

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What about a couple years ago when Michigan and Ohio State were #1 and #2. If they weren't scheduled to play each other in the regular season, were they not supposed to meet in the Nat'l Championship? Or what if the SEC didn't have a Conference Championship this year?

Furthermore, the Saints could very well lose to the Patriots this upcoming Monday night. Does that mean that the Saints are not the #1 or #2 team in the league? Are they still not deserving of a Super Bowl spot?

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Chances are Alabama will lose to Florida by 17 and this will all be moot. But if we think these are the two best teams now, I don't see why they might not be the two best teams even after the SEC title game.