Click here for link AUBURN, Ala. -- First, the good news for those suffering from an acute case of SEC fatigue: An SEC team is finally going to lose in the BCS title game.
Now for the bad news: An SEC team is also going to win the BCS title game.
Barring a revolt from voters in the Coaches' and Harris polls, Alabama rendered next week entirely meaningless by whipping Auburn, 42-14, in Saturday's Iron Bowl. The Crimson Tide set the (re)matchup for the BCS title game by suffocating the Tigers to the tune of 44 yards and two first downs through the first three quarters. Now, prepare to be suffocated for a week by arguments from the SEC side for Alabama-LSU, Part Deux and from the anti-SEC side for an LSU-Anybody Else matchup.
Alabama players and coaches cannot control what happens now. They can only wait eight days to find out whether they'll play a second game against LSU, which beat the Tide, 9-6, in overtime on Nov. 5 in Tuscaloosa. "We really want that next shot now," Alabama offensive tackle Barrett Jones said. "We're excited about what we did tonight. We hope what we did was enough."
As one of 59 voters in the Coaches' poll, Alabama coach Nick Saban is one of a handful of people who will help decide whether Alabama gets its rematch. Saban feels his team has done enough. Asked whether he believes the Crimson Tide are the nation's second-best team, Saban said, "I do." So chalk up at least one No. 2 vote for Alabama.
Alabama played Saturday exactly as it has all season. The defense dominated, and the offense mostly stuck to the basics. Tailback Trent Richardson ran for 203 yards on 27 carries, and quarterback AJ McCarron found tight end Brad Smelley six times. Alabama got fancy once, when McCarron handed off to Richardson, who pitched back to McCarron, who threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Bell for the Tide's first touchdown.
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