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Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs points to the end zone as Chris Davis races by with the game-winning touchdown in the Iron Bowl. (Vasha Hunt/vhunt@al.com)

-- Auburn athletics director

Jay Jacobs

has wasted no time beginning the drumbeat for a 1-loss SEC champion to make the BCS National Championship Game, regardless of what happens elsewhere.

Echoing thoughts

in the aftermath of the Tigers' 34-28 win over No. 1 Alabama on Saturday night, Jacobs appeared on The Mike Lupica Show on ESPN Radio.

Based on the SEC's streak of seven national titles and the conference's pole position as the nation's strongest league, Jacobs' feelings are clear.

"Whether it's us or Missouri, the winner of the SEC Championship Game belongs in Pasadena," Jacobs said. "A one-loss SEC team belongs in Pasadena."

Auburn is expected to be No. 3 when the national polls are released later this morning -- and the all-important BCS standings tonight -- behind undefeated Florida State and Ohio State as the Tigers head into their SEC title game showdown against Missouri.

"It’s inarguable," Jacobs said in another appearance, on ESPN'S SportsCenter Sunday morning. "It would be, quite frankly, un-American for us not to get a chance to go to Pasadena if we’re able to beat Missouri, and I believe the same about Missouri."

Only a year after failing to win an SEC game,

Gus Malzahn

has the Tigers back in the national title picture, a job that Jacobs believes deserves all the recognition it can get.

In the post-game scrum, with fans all over the field, Malzahn's first words to Jacobs were that Auburn needed to start getting ready for Atlanta.

"Gus Malzahn, who is the best coach in the nation, and should be, without a doubt, the national coach of the year, he will have them on point," Jacobs said.

Standing on the sideline as Alabama lined up for a field goal with one second left, Jacobs lost the ball in the lights.

For a brief moment, Jacobs thought Adam Griffith had knocked it through.

"Then I saw him catch it, he cut it back to the hash mark," Jacobs said. "It was the doggone-st play I've ever seen in my life, and I've been involved in college sports for quite a number of years."