LSU dials up an upset of Alabama, and injects drama into BCS race

They play college football these days on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, yet four Saturday games affecting this season’s national title chase all kicked off at the same time?

It was as if Louisiana State Coach Les Miles had been put in charge of televised-game management — a better joke before the “Mad Hatter” scrambled the national championship picture with his brilliant (say what?) down-and-distance call to outdistance Alabama.

You needed four TV sets (and sets of eyes) to keep up.

CBS handled the SEC-slanted Alabama-Louisiana State coverage from Baton Rouge, and also sublet the non-AQ public service announcement — Texas Christian at Utah — on three-digit, basement-cable CBS (College).

Hawaii at Boise State was broadcast in living blue color by ESPNU, while ABC was put in charge of babysitting Washington at No. 1 Oregon.

The best news for your remote finger was that three of the games involving contenders ended in blowout wins for TCU, Boise State and Oregon — rerouting attention to the outcome that may alter the course of BCS history (cue dramatic music).

LSU’s 24-21 win over Alabama was the potential game-changer, as it effectively knocked the defending champions out the title race.

Y’all may have heard the mantra: BCS No. 6 Alabama was the only one-loss team that controlled its destiny on the road to the BCS title game. The Crimson Tide would, in a drumbeat, jump any of the undefeated baby chicks — Boise State, TCU, Utah — if it ran the table to win the SEC because it would have included a Nov. 26 victory over Auburn.

Now, if Alabama beats Auburn in Tuscaloosa, or Oregon loses once, this year’s national title game might feature TCU or Boise State.

If Auburn and Oregon lose, both TCU and Boise State could be headed to the BCS championship on Jan. 10.

That’s right, we’re a couple of results from the impossible possibly happening — and there are still four weeks left.

You want to argue one-loss LSU?

The Tigers can’t even win the SEC West if Auburn beats Georgia next week. LSU also nearly lost to Tennessee, won another Miles-hanger over three-loss Florida and trailed McNeese State at home.

You want to argue one-loss Auburn?

Those Tigers would have lost to two-loss Alabama and then defeated a multi-loss team in the SEC championship.

Auburn did itself no favors — or harm — Saturday with a 62-24 victory against lower-division Chattanooga. It was all part of the SEC’s “take a mid-major to work” weekend as Georgia toiled against Idaho State and Kentucky joked around with Charleston Southern.

But when Auburn quarterback Cam Newton said after Saturday’s win, “I haven’t done anything wrong,” he wasn’t talking about his stellar play this season. He was addressing reports that, as a junior college player, he was shopped to Mississippi State for a price — allegations that so far have not remotely reached Reggie Bush territory.

Auburn as a feel-good story, though, isn’t feeling so good.

It took more than LSU’s upset to keep all these dreams alive, although there is no sideline coach livelier than Miles. Trailing Alabama by one in the fourth quarter, Miles shunned the go-ahead field-goal attempt on fourth and one and approved a dipsy-doodle reverse that led to the go-ahead touchdown.

It was Miles working by the seat of his pants again — and no one in football has bigger britches.

Meanwhile, in the other key games broadcast at the same time:

•TCU 47, Utah 7: What was billed as a showdown between BCS No. 3 and No. 5 was nearly a shutout. TCU’s victory in Salt Lake City ended all doubt about the Mountain West race and kept the Horned Frogs croaking in the national-title discussion.

TCU, only last week, passed Boise State for the third spot in the BCS standings and should only strengthen that grip. The Horned Frogs are now 10-0 and, with remaining games against San Diego State and New Mexico, almost a cinch to finish 12-0.

•Boise State 42, Hawaii 7: Boise State was almost equally impressive, amassing a school-record 737 total yards while holding the nation’s No. 7 offense to 196 yards and a touchdown. As a comparison, Hawaii’s offense totaled 588 yards and 36 points against USC’s defense.

Broncos quarterback Kellen Moore threw for 507 yards and three touchdowns and sat out the fourth quarter.

Boise State is 8-0, with remaining work to do against Idaho, Fresno State, Nevada and Utah State. Whether sweeping those four games will be good enough for the Broncos to catch TCU in the BCS standings remains to be seen — but everyone will be watching.

•Oregon 53, Washington 16: It was nervous time for a while — really — as the Ducks held only an 18-6 halftime advantage at home against the Huskies, playing without injured quarterback Jake Locker. Oregon, though, as it has done to everyone this year, wore Washington out in the second half and scored 50 or more points for the sixth time this season.

Oregon (9-0) should remain at No. 1 in the BCS on Sunday, with closing games at California, at home against Arizona and at Oregon State.

Unlike Saturday, the theme for the rest of the way should be: Don’t change that dial.

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