12:01PM EDT November 3. 2012 - No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Oregon face their stiffest tests of the 2012 regular season on Saturday night, with the Crimson Tide heading to LSU and the Ducks to USC.
These are the defining games of both teams' regular season. For Alabama, a win is the final hurdle to 12-0. For Oregon, a win should do enough to bump the Ducks up a notch in this week's BCS rankings.
But how crippling would a loss be for either team? With Kansas State and Notre Dame still undefeated, a loss by Alabama or Oregon would essentially eliminate it from the national championship race.
Of course, few think that LSU has what it takes on offense to beat Alabama. And the sloppy, error-prone USC team that lost to Arizona last Saturday would have no shot at hanging with the high-powered Ducks. There's a reason why Alabama and Oregon top the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
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But Kansas State and Notre Dame hope that LSU and USC have what it takes, of course. Unfortunately, history is not on their side: Only five times since the start of the 1991 season have the Coaches Poll's No. 1 and No. 2 lost on the same day.
The rundown:
Jan. 1, 1994 – Nebraska entered the postseason No. 1 but lost 18-16 to Florida State in the Orange Bowl; West Virginia entered the postseason No. 2 but lost 41-7 to Florida in the Sugar Bowl. Florida State, which had been No. 3, moved to No. 1.
Sept. 21, 1996 – No. 1 Nebraska lost 19-0 to Arizona State; No. 2 Tennessee lost 35-29 to Florida. Florida, which had been No. 4, moved to No. 1.
Dec. 1, 2007 – No. 1 West Virginia lost 13-9 to Pitt; No. 2 Missouri lost 38-17 to Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game. Ohio State, which was idle that week and ranked No. 3, moved to No. 1.
Oct. 13, 2007 – No. 1 LSU lost 43-37 to Kentucky; No. 2 California lost 31-28 to Oregon State. Ohio State, which had been No. 3, moved to No. 1 off a 48-3 win against Kent State.
Oct. 11, 2008 – No. 1 Oklahoma lost 45-35 to Texas; No. 2 Missouri lost 28-23 to Oklahoma State. Texas, which had been No. 5, moved to No. 1. That leap by Texas, from fifth to the top, is biggest jump to No. 1 by anyone since 1991.
There are also two instances since 1991 of No. 1 and No. 2 losing on consecutive days:
Jan. 1-2, 1997 – No. 1 Florida State lost 52-20 to Florida in the Sugar Bowl on the 2nd; No. 2 Arizona State lost 20-17 to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl on the 1st. Florida, which had been No. 3, moved to No. 1.
Nov. 23-24, 2007 – No. 1 LSU lost 50-48 in triple overtime to Arkansas on the 23rd; No. 2 Kansas lost 36-28 to Missouri on the 24th. West Virginia, which had been No. 3, moved to No. 1 after a 66-21 win against UConn on the 24th.
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