For seven years, the Southeastern Conference has had a run of dominance in football. Six years, six national titles. It peaked last season when a pair of SEC teams —Alabama and Louisiana State— faced off in the Bowl Championship Series championship game.

But after six years, it appears someone else is going to get a chance.

“It’s great for college football,” ESPN college football analyst Desmond Howard said. “I think this is what most of the fans have been — outside of the SEC obviously — have wanted to see.”

Last Saturday, Texas A&M knocked off the previously unbeaten and top-ranked Crimson Tide. All hell broke loose in the BCS.

The only certainty heading down the home stretch of the season, it seemed, was that Alabama would be playing for the national championship once again. Instead, freshman sensation Johnny Manziel shredded the Crimson Tide for 345 all-purpose yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 29-24 victory.

What once appeared to be a certainty suddenly was no more. Three teams that were previously fighting for one spot opposite Alabama in the national championship game now had two spots to occupy. And there truly are no guarantees of what those teams will be.

Oregon and its high-powered, top-ranked scoring offense boast the top spot in the Associated Press Top 25. The Ducks haven’t won a game by fewer than 11 points all year and are now the popular pick to win the national championship.

Notre Dame appears to be the long shot, ranked No. 3 in all major polls. But still, the Fighting Irish can’t be counted out. It’s tough to envision an unbeaten Irish team being held out of the national championship.

But the biggest winner in Alabama’s loss is Kansas State. One of the biggest surprises in the country this year, it was difficult to imagine the Wildcats reaching the national championship before the start of the season. Now they’re No. 1 in the BCS standings and have the inside track to one of the two spots in the championship game.

“I’m honored and just pleased that we are (No. 1), but today hasn’t been any different, and yesterday wasn’t any different either,” K-State head coach Bill Snyder said during the Big 12 Conference coaches’ teleconference on Monday. “It’s not anything that we’re paying a lot of attention to, just honored to be here.”

Still, KSU is staying humble and keeping the same game-by-game mentality that has helped it to a 10-0 start.

“Nothing, or at least hopefully nothing, has changed,” Snyder said. “We like to be as consistent as we possibly can. … I’m just going to encourage our guys to not change the way we approach things and just stay grounded.”

Oregon is no stranger to the national spotlight. Just two seasons ago, it played Auburn for the national championship, so life in the national spotlight hasn’t been as much of a challenge for the Ducks.

The most interesting case remains UND.

Not much was expected of traditional power Notre Dame coming into the season, but behind one of the top defenses in the country, the Fighting Irish have done nothing but win. They’ve had some close calls, including a double-overtime victory over Pittsburgh, but at least so far, the Irish’s resume is spotless.

It may not rack up the style points that OU or Kansas State do, but that’s because Notre Dame plays a different style.

“I think if you want style points, look at our defense, look at the schedule that we played, 10 (Football Bowl Subdivision) teams,” Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly said during a conference call Sunday. “I think it’s pretty clear that this football team has been built around its defense, and we’ve lived up to that each and every week. We’ll just keep working on one at a time and let other people figure out where that puts us.”

Each team has two regular-season games left, and each has at least one test left against a ranked team. Notre Dame still travels Southern California to face the No. 21 Trojans in what many consider the toughest test any team has left, and a win would be huge.

But Kansas State and Oregon each have the advantage of Dec. 1 games. The Wildcats have a marquee matchup against No. 18 Texas, but the Ducks have an even greater advantage with a conference championship game against either USC or No. 17 UCLA to go along with games against No. 14 Stanford and No. 15 Oregon State.

Each coach did echo one similar sentiment: They need to keep their players focused on the game in front of them. Not that that means they won’t let their players enjoy the moment.

“You can’t keep it from them and it’s not my intent to keep it from them,” Snyder said. “It’s my intent, which has been from day one, to get our young guys focused on the appropriate thing.”

Game of the Week

No. 21 Southern Californiavs. No. 17 UCLA

Oregon-Stanford is the game in the Pac-12 Conference this weekend with national championship implications, but there’s no reason to think the top-ranked Ducks are at risk of an upset, even against the No. 14 Cardinal. The toughest test OU will face could ultimately be the winner of this game in the Pac-12 championship.

The Trojans gave Oregon its toughest test of the season with an 11-point loss on Nov. 3. Should USC get a second shot, it could knock off the Ducks as sophomore wide receiver Marqise Lee just keeps playing better and better. But first it has to get past the Bruins. UCLA has slowed since a hot start to the season, but if defensive end Datone Jones and the Bruins defense can rush some passes and limit Lee and Robert Woods’ effect, then it becomes anyone’s game.

Published on November 15, 2012 at 12:04 am

Contact David: dbwilson@syr.edu | @DBWilson2