When the SEC went to divisional play, critics contended that the playoff game would make it more difficult for a conference team to win a national championship.

Their argument made sense. Force the SEC's best team to play an extra game in a conference as competitive as this one and you risk elimination from the national-title chase.

That's assuming the SEC's best team lost the conference playoff game.

But when the SEC implemented its championship game in 1992, do you think anyone with conference ties imagined a scenario like this weekend's? Auburn didn't lose Saturday night in the Georgia Dome. It defeated Tennessee 38-28, upped its record to 12-0 and celebrated one of the greatest seasons in school history.

And that still wasn't good enough.

Auburn got the bad news Sunday. It's the third-best unbeaten team in the country.

Southern Cal is No. 1 and Oklahoma is No. 2 in the Bowl Championship Series standings. They will play for the national championship in the Orange Bowl.

No. 3 Auburn will play Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl. And if all goes well, it could finish No. 2. Excuse the Tigers if they don't celebrate their possible good fortune.

Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said repeatedly down the stretch that he "couldn't fathom" an SEC team going through the regular season unbeaten, winning the SEC championship game and not getting to play for the national title. That was more than wishful thinking. That was a matter of history.

The SEC has won four national championships since it went to divisional play. Two of those teams -- Florida in 1996 and LSU last season -- played for the national championship despite having a regular-season loss.

The four national champions had something in common besides their SEC affiliation. All four were underdogs in their bowl game.

Alabama shocked heavily favored Miami in the 1993 Sugar Bowl. Florida routed Florida State in the Sugar Bowl after losing to it during the 1996 regular season. UT upset Florida State in the Fiesta Bowl to win the national title in 1998. And last year, LSU knocked off favored Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl.

Once again, the SEC team's best team is underrated. But this time, it won't get the opportunity to prove oddsmakers wrong.

That's an indictment of the SEC as much as Auburn.

The general perception: This is a down year in the SEC.

Compared to what?

The Big 12 North is a veritable wasteland. Nebraska and Kansas State, which had a combined 12 top-10 finishes and 18 top-25 finishes in the previous 10 years, both had losing seasons. And has there ever been a worse Big 12 playoff entry than 7-5 Colorado?

The Pac-10 has USC and Cal in the top 10 and Arizona State in the top 25. Washington, Washington State, Oregon, Oregon State and UCLA -- all of whom have finished in the top 10 in the past seven years -- are a combined 23-33.

No. 1 USC has beaten two teams currently ranked in the top 20. No. 2 Oklahoma has beaten one. But No. 3 Auburn has four victories against teams currently ranked in the top 15.

Doesn't that tell you something?

USC had five games decided by 16 or fewer points. Oklahoma had six games decided by 16 or fewer points. Auburn had three.

Doesn't that tell you something?

USC was outplayed by California in a 23-17 victory. It had to come from behind to edge 4-7 Stanford by three points and 6-5 Oregon State by eight.

Oklahoma had a three-point win over 7-4 Oklahoma State and a seven-point win over 7-4 Texas A&M. It beat 4-7 Kansas State by 10 points.

Auburn has won nine of its 12 games by at least 18 points. Only two of its games -- a one-point victory over LSU and a 10-point victory over UT in the SEC championship game -- were really in doubt in the fourth quarter.

Doesn't that tell you something?

"It kind of hurts," Auburn quarterback Jason Campbell said on Sunday's teleconference. "We were prepared for it.

"When we (beat) Alabama (21-13), people dropped us in the BCS points. I didn't think that was fair."

Fair? There's no "F" in BCS.

And there's nothing fair about it.

Top 25: My AP ballot: 1. Auburn, 2. Southern California, 3. Oklahoma, 4. California, 5. Utah, 6. Texas, 7. Louisville, 8. Boise State, 9. Virginia Tech, 10. Georgia, 11. Michigan, 12. LSU, 13. Iowa, 14. Tennessee, 15. Miami, 16. Florida State, 17. Wisconsin, 18. Arizona State, 19. Texas A&M, 20. Virginia, 21. Pittsburgh, 22. Boston College, 23. West Virginia, 24. Florida, 25. Fresno State.

Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.