Ohio State vs. LSU: Is BCS matchup the residue of destiny?

NEW ORLEANS — Drama? Destiny? Or dumb luck?

Ohio State and LSU will answer those questions in addition to deciding who gets to hoist the crystal football tonight at 8:15 in the Superdome on WTAT (Fox).

The Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game will be determined when the 11-1 Buckeyes face the 11-2 Tigers. It's the second consecutive year Ohio State, as Big Ten champion, has faced the Southeastern Conference champion.

The 10th BCS title game will produce its first multiple winner. The previous nine championships went to nine different schools; Ohio State won in 2002 and LSU the following year.

Both participants can claim they were destined to reach this year's ultimate game. The facts say it's more like luck being the residue of destiny.

In the last nine seasons of the BCS, the lowest a team had been ranked and still reached the title game was No. 7. In 2003, the Tigers were ranked No. 7 in Week Three.

This season, both Ohio State and LSU matched that ranking, but on later dates.

After losing to Illinois on Nov. 10, Ohio State dropped to No. 7 in Week Four of the BCS standings.

After losing to Arkansas on Nov. 23, LSU dropped to seventh in the next-to-last week of the standings.

No truth to the rumors that both teams petitioned to change their mascots to Lazarus.

To reach the Big Easy, Ohio State and LSU needed losses by six teams — Oregon, West Virginia, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Arizona State. All six lost.

"In all honesty, I thought we would end up in the Rose Bowl playing (Southern Cal)," Ohio State free safety Anderson Russell. "And I honestly didn't think we'd be playing LSU after they lost to Arkansas."

LSU is favored to win tonight. The Tigers started the season ranked No. 2 behind Southern Cal. A season the writers from "Lost" couldn't script involved heroic victories over Florida, Auburn and Alabama plus triple-overtime losses to Kentucky and Arkansas.

Playing in the Superdome is almost a home game for the Tigers. Most of their top players, including dominant defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, have had time to heal injuries.

"We feel like people are saying we really don't deserve to be here," LSU linebacker Ali Highsmith said. "We feel like we have a point to prove, too.

"And just because it's our hometown, you've still got to go out and play. It's a national championship game. Anything can happen whether you're home or not home."

All the signs point to LSU becoming the first team with two losses to win college football's "national championship."

And when all the signs point in favor of one team, beware. If fans have paid any attention to this Year of the Upset, that should be the lesson learned.

"For about a month straight all you hear is not only how you can't win but how you don't deserve to be in the game," Ohio State defensive back Malcolm Jenkins said. "So in the back of your mind it's a flame that's going off, an added flame to your fire when everybody doesn't think you're going be able to even have a chance to win."

Ohio State is the underdog, the same role it played in 2002 when it shocked Miami in the Fiesta Bowl.

The Buckeyes have had a month hearing about how they're too slow afoot and how LSU will whip 'em good, just like Florida did last year.

For the Buckeyes and the Tigers, the BCS' flawed system worked. But no matter who wins tonight, Southern Cal (11-2), Georgia (11-2), Kansas (12-1) and Missouri (12-2) will consider the national champion more lucky than good.