BCS title game? High ratings, sure, but low expectations

As everybody knows, the 34 bowls leading up to the BCS championship game are a mere prologue to the turf battle between LSU and Alabama.

But where's the buzz for the big game?

I don't hear it or feel it. What about you?

It's a fine match-up that could turn into a titanic struggle, but the game between talented SEC rivals smacks of an intramural skirmish, not an attraction meant to electrify football fans.

The nature of the first game - a 9-6 LSU overtime victory in which no touchdowns were scored - is not a great advertisement for the rematch.

Memories of Nov. 5 worry people who prefer football spectacles that don't produce baseball scores.

The first LSU-Alabama game fell short for me, though I received email from readers objecting to criticism of the play. They argued that the low-scoring defensive struggle was nothing less than "real" football.

To satisfy them, then, maybe college football should return to leather helmets, drop-kicks and raccoon coats.

In any case, we'll be watching. That's what America does: watch football on TV.

The game will get the hard sell from the media, of course. After ESPN cranks up the hype machine to 11, people will pay attention.

But that's my point, I guess. For a game of this magnitude, the excitement should grow organically. And it doesn't appear as if that's what is happening.

Regionalism works against this game. If not for Mississippi getting in the way, the national title bout would be a border war. Can't blame the rest of the country for feeling a little left out.

Not that the SEC rivals don't deserve to meet again. They do. Regardless of records, I haven't seen anything in the other bowls that would lead me to believe anybody but Alabama could topple LSU.

Third-ranked Oklahoma State? Not from what we saw in the Fiesta Bowl. Not with that defense and one-dimensional offense.

It's interesting to imagine Stanford's relentless running attack, combined with the cool leadership and passing of Andrew Luck, trying to unlock LSU's defense, but if the contest came down to field goals.... well, we saw what happened to Stanford's poor placekicker Monday night.

If the Superdome finale is decided by a late field goal - made or missed - the championship game, like Tim Tebow, will be forgiven for three quarters of patience-sapping football.

Although some would prefer a game with at least one team not so Bubba-friendly, you can't make an argument against the SEC schools.

Another fun fantasy is that Oregon's slippery skill players would present challenges for LSU's defense. You couldn't prove it, though, from LSU's season-opening 40-27 victory over the Rose Bowl winner.

LSU deserves extra credit for its schedule and taking the road less traveled to an unbeaten season. In addition to beating Rose Bowl winner Oregon, Les Miles' team won 47-21 at West Virginia, which meets Clemson in tonight's Orange Bowl.

And, of course, the Tigers won at Alabama.

I wonder about the psychological approach of the LSU players; if their subconscious isn't asking, "What more do we have to do?"

This is the college championship game we are given.

Excited yet?

Bob Molinaro, (757) 446-2373, bob.molinaro@pilotonline.com Twitter@BobMolinaro