In case New Orleans didn’t have enough damn LSU fans in town, they’ll be out in full force for the BCS title game against Ohio State on January 7th, when thankfully I will be far, far away from the Crescent City.

Who could hate this outcome more than a Michigan fan? Not only does their archrival tOSU play for a national title, but now there’s no way Les Miles backs out of his commitment to stay at LSU instead of going to coach the Wolverines. At least my loyalties will be less conflicted than a Michigander’s: go Buckeyes!

Today’s “big sports news” is that Texas is #1 and ahead of Southern Cal by a few billionths of a point in this week’s release of the BCS rankings, thus reigniting the BCS doom-and-gloom scenarios.

The bottom-line facts are as follows:

• USC has done nothing more impressive this season than any of the other major undefeated teams (Texas, Alabama, Georgia, and UCLA). Bama and Georgia are both undefeated in the only conference where every team has a defense; Texas just demolished a Texas Tech squad who themselves were demolishing all comers; UCLA has beaten up on the same weak conference opponents as USC with identical results.
• The only reason we think USC is entitled to be ”#1” is because the AP and coaches ranked them #1 in August before a single game was played—back when they also thought Tennessee was the third-best team in the country (instead of the third-best team in the SEC East) and UCLA was in the “others receiving votes” category in both polls.
• It doesn’t matter who’s ranked #1, as long as you don’t drop out of the top two.

So, guys, can we put the controversy on hold until Thanksgiving, at least?

þ: OTB and others.