Bama’s No. 1 obstacle: Iron Bowl at Auburn

At this point in the season every fan should be aware of College Football’s glaring need for a playoff system.  Thankfully it will come next season.  But when it does, will it be enough?

So far this year four unbeatens remain.

Alabama has the toughest remaining schedule of the four.  The Tide plays LSU at home this weekend, but has a tougher test for the last game of the season, Auburn.  Alabama will go on the road for the rivalry matchup.

Prediction:  The Iron Bowl will produce the tightest game of football Alabama has played all year, one in which we could very well see Nick Marshall and the Tigers emerge victorious.

The Ducks will travel to Stanford this Thursday for a game that will define an entire season.  If Oregon is victorious, the Ducks should move through the rest of a weak Pac-12 schedule with ease and play for a BCS title.

Florida State and the freshman phenom Jameis Winston nudged ahead of the Ducks this weekend in the BCS standings after a convincing win over then No. 7 Miami.

But a win by Oregon against Stanford would drop FSU back to 3.  And the remaining schedule offers little hope for a return to No. 2 – and a projected championship berth — as the Seminoles will not face a single ranked team.

Ohio State is not far behind – but maybe too far.  Beating back every challenge the Big 10 has offered, the Buckeyes will conclude the year against unranked opponents until facing Michigan State in the Big 10 championship.

Consider, for a second, the matchups we would have if a four game playoff had been in place for this season.

Game 1: Ohio State vs. Alabama

Game 2: Oregon vs. Florida State

Heisman favorites Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston would clash in a thrilling matchup, while Alabama and Ohio State would duke it out with the running game.

But we will never see this come to fruition.  Ohio State will likely end up in the Rose Bowl against a two or three loss Arizona State team.

Oregon will edge Florida State due to a lack in strength of schedule.  Jameis Winston will be left to pummel poor Fresno State in the Orange Bowl.

The Ducks and the Crimson Tide will match up in what will be an exhilarating national championship.  While that is all fine, the other great performers this season are left with scraps.

So at the end of the season we just grin and bear it.  All we have to do is just grin and bear it one last time.