LSU could upset SEC's potential showdown

Nov 4, 2009 - 7:35 PM By RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Football Writer

LSU has a chance to prevent that Alabama-Florida SEC championship game that everyone seems to be looking forward to in December.

The ninth-ranked Tigers will be in Tuscaloosa on Saturday to face the third-ranked Crimson Tide, which can wrap up the SEC West and a trip to Atlanta to face Florida with a victory.

If LSU (7-1, 4-1) upsets Alabama (8-0, 5-0), things get interesting. The Tigers and Tide would be tied for first in the division, but LSU would hold the tiebreaker and be in control of the race to the Georgia Dome.

"It only counts one, but it's a very important one," LSU coach Les Miles said.

And it would open up the possibility of this BCS conundrum: If the SEC champion has one loss, does that team go to the national championship game ahead of an undefeated team from the Big Ten (Iowa), the Big East (Cincinnati) or one of the potential BCS busters (Boise State and TCU)?

An undefeated team from one of the BCS automatic qualifying leagues (SEC, ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-10) has never been left out of the national title game in favor of a team with one loss.

Considering the overwhelming respect the SEC gets these days, after having the last three national champions, this season would make for an interesting test case.

LSU is the toughest team left on Alabama's schedule, but the Tide does play its final two SEC games on the road at Mississippi State and Auburn.

The picks:

Thursday=

No. 22 Virginia Tech (minus 13) at East Carolina=

Hokies coming off home loss AND seeking revenge ... VIRGINIA TECH 31-14.

Friday=

No. 5 Boise State (minus 21) at Louisiana Tech=

Feels like tricky game for Broncos ... BOISE STATE 31-17.

Saturday=

Vanderbilt (plus 35) at No. 1 Florida=

Gators have won 18 straight meetings ... FLORIDA 52-14.

Central Florida (plus 36) at No. 2 Texas=

Longhorns have won last two by combined 82-21 ... TEXAS 51-10.

No. 9 LSU (plus 7 1/2) at No. 3 Alabama=

Which first-year starting QB will step up? ... ALABAMA 20-14.

Connecticut (plus 16 1/2) at No. 4 Cincinnati=

Huskies coming off two straight emotional, close losses ... CINCINNATI 35-14.

No. 6 TCU (minus 24 1/2) at San Diego State=

Aztecs have been competitive at home, but Frogs are rolling ... TCU 45-10.

No. 7 Oregon (minus 6 1/2) at Stanford=

Surprise! Cardinal have better offensive stats than Ducks ... OREGON 34-30.

Northwestern (plus 16 1/2) at No. 8 Iowa=

Is this the week Hawkeyes slip? ... IOWA 28-21.

Wake Forest (plus 16) at No. 10 Georgia Tech=

Yellow Jackets dashing toward ACC title game ... GEORGIA TECH 39-17.

No. 15 Ohio State (plus 3 1/2) at No. 11 Penn State=

Two top-notch defenses, one good offense .... PENN STATE 21-14.

No. 12 Southern California (minus 10 1/2) at Arizona State=

What has happened to Trojans defense? ... USC 27-20.

No. 13 Houston (plus 1) at Tulsa=

Cougars are America's most exciting team ... HOUSTON 45-41.

Syracuse (plus 21) at No. 14 Pittsburgh=

Tough week for Orange with suspensions, best player quitting ... PITT 38-10.

Virginia (plus 13 1/2) at No. 16 Miami=

Cavaliers have won two of last three meetings ... MIAMI 28-17.

New Mexico (plus 27 1/2) at No. 17 Utah=

Lobos still looking for first victory ... UTAH 35-7.

No. 18 Oklahoma State (minus 7 1/2) at Iowa State=

Cowboys QB Zac Robinson top-rated passer in Big 12 ... OKLAHOMA STATE 38-21.

Navy (plus 11 1/2) at No. 19 Notre Dame=

ND WR Michael Floyd, Navy QB Ricky Dobbs back from injury ... NOTRE DAME 42-24.

No. 20 Oklahoma (minus 5) at Nebraska=

Huskers vs. Sooners - and nobody outside of Midwest cares ... OKLAHOMA 28-14.

Washington State (plus 33) at No. 21 Arizona=

Wildcats riding hot passing of QB Nick Foles ... ARIZONA 50-10.

Oregon State (plus 7 1/2) at No. 23 California=

Beavers looking for another strong finish ... OREGON STATE 27-21.

No. 24 Wisconsin (minus 10 1/2) at Indiana=

No Hoosiers lead is safe ... WISCONSIN 33-24.

No. 25 BYU (minus 13) at Wyoming=

BYU has won five straight meetings ... BYU 31-14.

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Last week: 16-4 (straight); 10-10 (vs. points).

Season: 146-35 (straight); 83-80-3 (vs. points).