Bring on Alabama-Florida State. Week 11 was about separation at the top, and for all of the flaws of the current BCS system, its finding a way of working itself out yet again. With Stanfords 26-20 upset of Oregon on Thursday night and Alabamas 38-17 win over LSU, the gap between No. 2 Florida State and the rest of country became much more distinguishable. No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Florida State should maintain their positions when the latest BCS standings are released Sunday, and fans should only hope it stays that way through the end of the season. Its a matchup filled with potential and storylines. Jimbo Fisher versus Nick Saban. Jameis Winston versus the Alabama defense. ACC versus SEC. Fisher served as offensive coordinator under Saban at LSU. Winston is the front-runner to win the Heisman trophy, and Alabamas defense has allowed more than 10 points just twice this season -- on Saturday to LSU and in its 49-42 win over Texas A&M in Week 3. The ACC has played in the shadow of the SEC seemingly forever, but Fisher will be the first to dispute that his program has played in anyones shadow. Could he prove it against one of his mentors? Could Baylor? What an offense! Against Wofford. Buffalo. Louisiana-Monroe. OK, and Oklahoma -- after trailing 5-3 early in the game. The Bears can still pad their résumés the next two weeks with games against No. 25 Texas Tech, which lost its third straight game to Kansas State on Saturday, and No. 14 Oklahoma State. Ohio States best wins are against Wisconsin and Northwestern, a team that isnt even ranked anymore. But hey, it still has that big game against Michigan, a team thats lost three of its past four. For Alabama and Florida State, the rest of the season is about not screwing it up and earning some style points in the process. The toughest games remaining on the Tides schedule are the regular-season finale against Auburn, and the potential SEC championship game. (Read: Bama shouldnt lose again.) Florida States biggest challenge will be winning at Florida, which just capped an abysmal four-game losing streak with a home loss to Vanderbilt, and the ACC title game (Read: FSU shouldnt lose again.) What Baylor and Ohio State have done this fall is impressive, sure, but a win over No. 10 Oklahoma just doesnt carry as much weight as a win at then-No. 3 Clemson, or a win at then-No. 6 Texas A&M. Alabama and Florida State have looked flat-out dominant. The Tide scored the final 21 points against LSU to break loose from a tied game in the third quarter. Florida State beat Wake Forest 59-3, and the defense forced seven turnovers. That defense is run by first-year defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt, who spent the past three seasons as the secondary coach at ... Alabama. Its time for a reunion.
Posted on: Sun, 10 Nov 2013 21:27:50 +0000
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