TUSCALOOSA, Alabama -- We're spoiled rotten in this state. We know it.

Alabama's undefeated regular season in 2008. Alabama's national title and Mark Ingram's Heisman Trophy in 2009. Auburn's national title and Cam Newton's Heisman in 2010.

And just when it appeared the 2011 Iron Bowl would arrive without one of the participants controlling its national championship fate, Paul Rhoads sent a gift from Ames, Iowa. When we last saw Rhoads as Auburn's talented, one-year defensive coordinator in 2008, he was on the losing end of the last Iron Bowl blowout, which ushered out Tommy Tuberville and brought in Iowa State's Gene Chizik.

Alabama now needs Rhoads' address to send holiday cards. Fruit baskets will be accepted, too, to Baylor and USC after what transpired Saturday night.

"Absolutely mayhem in hotel capstone," Alabama offensive lineman Barrett Jones posted on Twitter on Friday night after Rhoads guided Iowa State to an upset of No. 2 Oklahoma State. "Everyone in the halls hugging each other. Now WE control our destiny."

Jon Solomon is a columnist for The Birmingham News. Join him for live web chats on college sports on Wednesdays at 2 p.m.

Or as safety Vinnie Sunseri put it: "We told everyone to believe!!! Roll Cyclones Roll!!!"

It's not every day an Alabama fan chooses to bring an Iowa State shirt to Bryant-Denny Stadium, much less draw the loudest, in-your-gut, primal scream from the crowd when the man was shown on the scoreboard. But then it's not every day you get second chances in college football's convoluted postseason system.

Now what does Alabama do with theirs?

The Crimson Tide will be No. 2 in today's BCS standings. All that non-stop speculation about an Alabama-LSU rematch isn't a pipe dream. It's extremely close to reality.

God help New Orleans if that insanity descends on the French Quarter.

Alabama's good fortunes continued late Saturday night. It's as if the college football gods have ordained an Alabama-LSU rematch.

Oregon is done from the BCS title race after losing to USC. Forget a rematch with LSU. The Ducks couldn't get past the Trojans at home, thanks to questionable clock management at the end by Chip Kelly. Mike Slive has never cheered so much for Lane Kiffin.

Oklahoma is done after losing to Baylor as Robert Griffin III may have won himself the Heisman Trophy. Remember how Bedlam on Dec. 3 was supposed to be a huge game? Has any game become so meaningless in the national conversation so quickly? That's just another game now.

Three of the top five BCS teams lost on the same weekend, which had happened only one other time, on Oct. 27, 2001. When the BCS standings come out Sunday, the SEC West will likely be 1, 2 and 3 with LSU, Alabama and Arkansas.

It's hard to imagine the SEC not getting both teams in the BCS Championship Game. In related news, the rest of the country feels like Lee Corso shouting out an expletive.

Of course, there's no given LSU will even win out. If Arkansas beats LSU to force a three-way tie in the West, the SEC Championship Game tiebreaker becomes the head-to-head result of the top two SEC teams in the BCS after next week.

If the order has Alabama and LSU as the top two, LSU goes to Atlanta. If it's Arkansas and LSU, then Arkansas goes. If it's Alabama and Arkansas, then Alabama goes.

Wrap your mind around this: Alabama could be No. 1 in the BCS and not play in the SEC Championship Game. Alabama benefits in the BCS race by not going to Atlanta to try to win an SEC title, as counterintuitive as that sounds to the competitive instincts in sports. That's the BCS for you.

Alabama should want LSU to take the chance of losing in the Georgia Dome to Georgia. Either West team will be favored. But the Tigers can probably afford one mulligan. Alabama can't.

With new life, will Alabama now be concerned about margin of victory against Auburn? Don't bet against it. On Saturday against Georgia Southern, AJ McCarron threw a 4-yard touchdown pass with 44 seconds left and Alabama ahead 38-21.

Unless Gus Malzahn can teach wishbone tendencies to Auburn in one week, Alabama need not fret about Georgia Southern's 302 rushing yards. Sure, an upset could happen. But it's unlikely. In the previous 33 Iron Bowls when Alabama and Auburn entered separated by three or more wins, as they are now, the team with the better record won 30.

"We're not worried about the national championship," Alabama coach Nick Saban said, veering into a rant about staying focused. "We're worried about our next game."

For the fourth straight season, that next game isn't just for local bragging rights. The state championship that used to be about counting Tuberville's fingers continues to accumulate national title dreams.

Pinch us. We'll wake up one of these years.

Write Jon at jsolomon@bhamnews.com. Follow him at twitter.com/jonsol.