LSU spoils more than just undefeated SEC for Razorbacks

Posted 12:54AM on Saturday 25th November 2006 ( 18 years ago )

LITTLE ROCK - LSU's win against Arkansas not only denied the Razorbacks their first undefeated conference season since the Southwest Conference days, it virtually placed them in a must-win situation at next week's Southeastern Conference title game if they want a BCS bid. If Arkansas defeats Florida next Saturday at Atlanta, the Razorbacks will win the SEC's berth in the Sugar Bowl at New Orleans. If Florida wins, BCS bowls will be torn between Arkansas and LSU when considering an SEC team for an at-large berth. Bowl scouts wouldn't declare Arkansas' chances dead, but LSU's best argument is that it beat the Razorbacks. ``There's a lot of football yet to be played,'' Matt Morrall of the Orange Bowl committee said as No. 9 LSU was defeating No. 5 Arkansas 31-26 on Friday at War Memorial Stadium. ``We've got a list of about eight or nine teams who can come to our game.'' While it has been argued that the SEC is the toughest conference in the country from top to bottom, the SEC can still place only two teams in BCS bowls. ``LSU has a lot of talent. We would certainly consider LSU as well as Arkansas,'' Morrall said. ``You have to look and see who gets it done on the field.'' LSU coach Les Miles said that while Arkansas won the SEC's Western Division and will play in the league title game at Atlanta next weekend, he could argue that the Tigers are the best team. Arkansas coach Houston Nutt still gets to make his case with one more game. Bowls are interested in having the highest-ranked team possible and it's entirely possible that Arkansas won't drop far in the polls after fighting to the wire with LSU. Florida was ranked No. 4 entering Saturday's game against Florida State. ``Typically, you want a team coming in winning games,'' said Morrall, whose bowl takes the winner of the Atlantic Coast Conference. ``They're excited. Their fans are excited, and they're higher ranked than they would be if they lose.'' And he held out hope for Arkansas that, despite its loss, no one knows what will happen in other games Saturday or in conference championship games next weekend. Jay Fields of the Fiesta Bowl, also attending Friday's game at Little Rock, agreed that Arkansas could still take an at-large berth to the BCS though he noted that the Razorbacks could take the easier way by defeating Florida. ``It's hard to say whether a team has to win their last game because there are so many other things that could happen. We'll try to get the best two teams we can,'' Fields said. If Arkansas loses in the SEC title game next Saturday, the Razorbacks can still make the case that they won 10 games and lost only to top 10 teams. It came within a game of its first undefeated league season since winning the Southwest Conference with a 7-0 mark in 1988. LSU, though, can make a similar argument. It lost only to Florida and Auburn, which is ranked 14th. Its best argument is that it beat Arkansas. ``Arkansas has had a great run. I don't think that anyone had them pegged to be undefeated in the SEC coming into this game,'' Morrall said. ``You never know who's going to be here at the end of the season. Look at the ACC,'' where neither Miami nor Florida State will make the league title game. If Arkansas loses the SEC title game and LSU wins an at-large berth instead of Arkansas, the Razorbacks could end up at the Capitol One Bowl in Orlando, Fla., though with Texas' loss to Texas A on Friday there might be interest in another sentimental matchup with the Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. A week before the end of the regular season, Fields wouldn't predict where anybody is going except for Ohio State's bid in the national championship game. ``The way this football season is going, your guess is as good as mine,'' he said.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2006/11/99974