Crimson Red Sports

AUBURN, Ala. — In the dim light outside the visitors’ locker room under Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday night, the politicians in Crimson wondered why there should even be a debate about whether they were fit to play for a national championship.

The Alabama players, understandably biased, did not hesitate when asked about getting into the Bowl Championship Series title game, presumably against No. 1 Louisiana State, a Southeastern Conference rival.

Asked to reveal his vote in the coaches’ poll and whether he would have Alabama (11-1, 7-1 SEC) ranked No. 2 behind L.S.U. (12-0, 8-0), Alabama Coach Nick Saban said simply, “Yeah.”

“They deserve the best opportunity that’s out there for them,” Saban said of his players, whose only loss was to No. 1 L.S.U., 9-6 in overtime on Nov. 5.

Alabama brushed aside Auburn (7-5, 4-4), 42-14, but even this rivalry game was background noise to the business of whether the Crimson Tide should play in New Orleans on Jan. 9. There are still two more B.C.S. polls to be conducted, and Alabama has a good chance of staying ahead of other one-loss teams like Oklahoma State, Stanford and Virginia Tech.

But an unlikely wrinkle could develop in the SEC championship game in Atlanta next Saturday, when L.S.U. plays the Eastern Division winner Georgia (10-2, 7-1). L.S.U. is all but assured of a spot in the title game in the Superdome, but a Georgia victory could have an adverse impact on Alabama’s chances of making it, according to the B.C.S. expert Jerry Palm, who publishes CollegeBCS.com.

An L.S.U. defeat would hurt Alabama’s strength of schedule.

L.S.U. won national championships in 2003 and 2007 in the Superdome, which is 81 miles from its campus.

Barring a revolt by voters in the coaches’ and Harris polls who do not believe the national championship should be settled in a rematch, the Southeastern Conference will win its sixth consecutive title.