A thought experiment

The Crimson Tide defense that deserved to win a national championship finally tasted a loss Saturday thanks to the perfect storm of Alabama's inexperienced offensive line, questionable clock management, and several dropped or overthrown passes, along with the requisite few bad officiating calls, the College GameDay curse, and most importantly, a damn good LSU team.

Still, it's a much better season than almost any Tide fan expected back in August, and it's one that, in theory if not in fact, still could end with a national title. The odds of all of these things happening in tandem over the next three weeks are astronomical, but just for fun, let's see how it could happen.

1) Alabama wins the Iron Bowl.
2) LSU loses to Ole Miss or Arkansas, allowing Alabama to win the SEC West and the SEC title game. In the alternative, LSU beats the Rebs and Hogs, and Georgia (or South Carolina if Kentucky pulls a miracle against the Bulldogs) tops the Tigers to win the SEC.
3) USC loses to Fresno State and UCLA.
4) Texas loses to Texas A&M and the Big 12 North champion.
5) Penn State loses to Michigan State.
6) Miami loses to Georgia Tech, Virginia, or Florida State.
7) Virginia Tech loses to Virginia, North Carolina, or Florida State.
8) Notre Dame loses to Syracuse or Stanford.
Optional: Oregon loses to Oregon State; Georgia loses to Georgia Tech; West Virginia loses to Pittsburgh or South Florida; Fresno State loses to Louisiana Tech.

The fallout after that improbable chaos: Alabama and UCLA playing for all the marbles on Jan. 4 in the Bruins' home stadium.

It won't all happen. But it's fun to dream.