Alabama goes. The other three are no argument. Really, neither is Bama. It's the classic example of the guy who has to work a lot harder to prove himself, over the other guy with the natural gifts and charisma. Despite what some feel was a pro-OSU bias in the TV media, the overall consensus and often half-informed belief among media people is that the Tide are God. The SEC is the Seventh level of Heaven. When Saban speaks, there is fucking thunder in the clouds. Merited or not, that's the way it is.
Some of it is true. Think of it this way: as a football fan, which of the two would you want to see go up against versus the best in the nation? Last season, the Bucks proved without a doubt that they didn't belong. My hats of to Barrett. He may not be a Heisman contender, but he has moxie. Plus, the advertisers want to see a Clemson-'Bama rematch almost as much as they want you to buy a Buick. Look...to Big 10 fans in general: the tough truth is that the SEC IS a better conference year in and year round. Not 100 points better, but then, apparently, they don't have to be.
I'm not arguing that Bama doesn't deserve it more than OSU. The Bucks had
2 losses, Bama had 1, and OSU's loss to Iowa was beyond embarrassing.
As for the bias thing, it's not a feeling, it's a fact. There is bias against Alabama. The only question is if you think it's deserved.
Personally, I think most if it is Saban's fault. He is a well-known asshole control freak that treats his assistants like dog shit. If you don't agree, ask the parade of assistants that have left him at every job he's had. And, there are other issues that I won't go into...
Also, you can't watch Kirk Herb-
shit on a consistent basis and think he's
not biased. He is the most unobjective commentator on ESPN!
As for the delusion that Saban is some type of messianic icon, why did the rules committee slap him back into place a few years ago, when he snuck into the committee's annual meeting and tried a backhanded move of forcing the committee to change the rules about hurry-up offenses? Because, the committee wanted to make it clear that they don't bend over for Saban when he barks.
This isn't college basketball where a team with a losing record can go to the playoffs as long as they win their conference championship. So, as much as it pains me to say it, the committe picked the 4 most deserving teams this year.