In fact the fight for #1 this year is the most important it's ever been for teams. This is because the #1 team will not have to face Clemson this year as they've pretty much written us off with any chance for #1. I won't get tired of hearing it, every CFB media member talking about how dangerous Clemson is this time of the year after bashing us for the first half of the season, it's a tale that's becoming repetitive. But the inevitable looks to be coming again, and that's Clemson in a showdown vs the rest of the nation.
I read an article last night that was written by one of the national writers, and he stated that same thing. He wrote that the importance of LSU or OSU being #1 was not having to play Clemson in the first round. The media is finally getting what we Tiger fans already knew.