Alabama's crippling loss to rival LSU on Saturday night no doubt dashed the national championship hopes of the Crimson Tide and their faithful supporters, but may it have made a case for another one-loss team.
The 8-1 Oregon Ducks were LSU's first victim way back on Sept. 3 on a neutral field in Texas.
The Tigers pulled away from Oregon in the second half of that game and won it easily, 40-27.
Alabama, who lost to LSU on its home field in overtime Saturday night, played the Tigers much tougher than the Ducks that's for sure, but offensively the Tide showed absolutely nothing that could remotely be considered national championship caliber.
While Alabama is on a one-game losing streak, the Oregon Ducks have won eight straight football games and have done it with a lethal offense.
Oregon's D is nowhere near as good as Alabama's stoppers, but just one year ago the Ducks' defense held Heisman winner Cam Newton and the Auburn Tigers to just 22 points in the BCS National Championship Game.
Just 10 months later it would be fair to say that Oregon boasts a championship caliber defense as well as offense.
While Alabama ranks 21st in rushing offense in 2011, Oregon ranks fifth. And while the Tide ranks 23rd in scoring offense, Oregon ranks fifth.
Oregon's pass attack is also considerably better than the Tide's.
The bottom line is this: At this point in the season the Oregon Ducks are more deserving of a rematch with LSU than Alabama.
They don't sacrifice offense for defense, they have won every game on their schedule besides LSU and they fell just three points short of claiming the BCS crown less than a year ago.
The 8-1 Oregon Ducks were LSU's first victim way back on Sept. 3 on a neutral field in Texas.
The Tigers pulled away from Oregon in the second half of that game and won it easily, 40-27.
Alabama, who lost to LSU on its home field in overtime Saturday night, played the Tigers much tougher than the Ducks that's for sure, but offensively the Tide showed absolutely nothing that could remotely be considered national championship caliber.
While Alabama is on a one-game losing streak, the Oregon Ducks have won eight straight football games and have done it with a lethal offense.
Oregon's D is nowhere near as good as Alabama's stoppers, but just one year ago the Ducks' defense held Heisman winner Cam Newton and the Auburn Tigers to just 22 points in the BCS National Championship Game.
Just 10 months later it would be fair to say that Oregon boasts a championship caliber defense as well as offense.
While Alabama ranks 21st in rushing offense in 2011, Oregon ranks fifth. And while the Tide ranks 23rd in scoring offense, Oregon ranks fifth.
Oregon's pass attack is also considerably better than the Tide's.
The bottom line is this: At this point in the season the Oregon Ducks are more deserving of a rematch with LSU than Alabama.
They don't sacrifice offense for defense, they have won every game on their schedule besides LSU and they fell just three points short of claiming the BCS crown less than a year ago.