What conference did you expect would top the first release of the Bowl Championship Series standings Sunday . . . the Sun Belt?
It seemed fitting that the Southeastern Conference, which has won the last five national titles and seven of the 13 BCS title games played, should boast this season’s first BCS No. 1.
In fact, the SEC opens with the top two schools.
Louisiana State, which won national titles in 2003 and 2007, is No. 1 with a total of .9522, followed by conference-mate Alabama at .9519 and Oklahoma of the Big 12 at .9301.
Oklahoma State, also of the Big 12, is fourth at .8568, followed by Boise State at .8027.
Rounding out the first BCS top 10 are Wisconsin, Clemson, Stanford, Arkansas and Oregon.
There are 10 undefeated schools remaining, although half of those will be involved in “knock-off” games.
LSU plays Alabama in Tuscaloosa on Nov. 5 in a game that has been anticipated for months.
Kansas State, which debuted at BCS No. 11, still has Oklahoma and Oklahoma State to play, while Oklahoma closes the season at Oklahoma State on Dec. 3.
The BCS is a rankings system introduced in 1998 as a way to pair two teams for a “national title” game while preserving the decades-old bowl system. College presidents have long opposed a more traditional playoff format in the major division.
Before 1998, national champions were crowned independently by the Associated Press and coaches’ polls. In 1998, the Rose Bowl agreed to join an alliance that would release the Pacific 10 or Big Ten champion to a title game if it finished No. 1 or No. 2 in a BCS rankings system that incorporated polls and a computer component.
--Chris Dufresne
Photo: Running back Spencer Ware and LSU came out on top in the first BCS standings released Sunday. Ware, fending off Tennessee's Curt Maggitt, had two touchdowns in a 38-7 win over the Vols on Saturday. Credit: Wade Payne / Associated Press
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