Paramore Column: Tide a step closer

Just when you thought this wild college football season couldn’t possibly bring us another unforgettable weekend, it happened again.

Alabama’s nail-biter of a win over LSU had the residents of at least two states on the edges of their respective seats, and Texas Tech continued to amaze onlookers with its scoring onslaught, lighting up Top 10 foe Oklahoma State for seven consecutive touchdowns.

The Tide’s victory in concert with Florida’s rout of Vanderbilt assured the Gators and Alabama will meet in the SEC title game in what may amount to the equivalent of a national semifinal game. Texas Tech and Oklahoma play in two weeks and the Big 12 championship game is still hanging in the balance, so there’s a chance the long-awaited Big 12-SEC clash for all the marbles may not develop, but it’s looking more likely by the week.

I thought the difference in Alabama’s escape in Baton Rouge was freshman wide receiver Julio Jones and the immaturity of LSU’s redshirt freshman quarterback Jarrett Lee. Jones was an obvious mismatch for the LSU secondary, and he torched them for 128 yards on seven critical catches. Meanwhile, Lee hurled four interceptions, three of which were hauled in by the best defensive back in the league, Rashad Johnson.

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Auburn goes into Georgia week still searching for a way to envision an upset. Frankly, I was surprised to see oddsmakers install the Bulldogs as only eight-point favorites. I thought it would be closer to two touchdowns.

Kodi Burns played better in the Tigers’ 37-20 win over Tennessee-Martin, but the speed the Bulldogs and Alabama possess will not allow him to roam for 158 rushing yards. In fact, he’s accounted for 73 percent of the Tigers’ combined offensive production the last two games, a loss at Ole Miss and Saturday’s homecoming triumph.

Does Auburn have a chance the last two games? Anytime you play a game involving college kids, anything can happen. But from where I sit, an upset in either game would be among the most unlikely I can recall.

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With most people preoccupied with who will make the BCS title game, a couple of other bowls could produce opposite ends of the spectrum as far as interest-level. The Big 12 runner-up will almost certainly go to the Fiesta Bowl, meaning Oklahoma, Texas or Texas Tech. Their opponent? Could be Southern Cal. That would be a barn burner. Why not the Rose Bowl for the Trojans? They don’t control their own destiny.

Remember Sept. 25? That’s when Oregon State beat the Trojans 27-21. The Beavers are tied atop the Pac 10 standings with the Trojans, but if OSU beats Cal, Arizona and Oregon, they’ll get the conference crown by virtue of the head-to-head victory over USC. In all probability, that would mean a Rose Bowl rematch of Oregon State and Penn State. The Nittany Lions won the Sept. 6 clash 45-14.

How’s that working out for the “Grandaddy of ’em all?“

Phil Paramore’s column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday in The Dothan Eagle. He can be heard weekday mornings from 6-9 on AM 560 WOOF. He can be reached at http://www.woofradio.com.