As promised, this weeks post predicts how last years National Championship would have panned out, had my Winter Madness playoff system been used. If you didn't catch last weeks post click here for an explanation as to how the playoff is set up and how each team was selected to have gained the right to play in it.

After watching last years bowl games it's obvious to point out that a few teams lived up to the hype they had received all year while others didn't. For those of you that have forgotten, both highly over ranked Ohio State and Michigan were only a few votes short of playing each other for the National Championship. Only after Urban Meyers Florida Gators had won the SEC Championship had voters changed their minds about a possible Ohio State vs. Michigan rematch, catapulting the Gators into the National Title game. It was only then, that voters had realized what a colossal mistake they had almost made. We learned that the real teams that deserved all the praise and glory weren't from the Big Ten but rather USC, UF, LSU, Boise State and other big bowl game winners. With all of this in mind I was able to come up with the team that I truly felt had sported the best team in the land last year.

Despite the loss to the Gators I decided that team was the LSU Tigers. As a true Gator fan I can happily admit that last year the Tigers beat themselves when the faced off against the Gators in the Swamp. It wasn't due to the outstanding play of the Gators and I was thrilled that we didn't have to play them again in the SEC Championship game. If the Tigers had received a more favorable SEC road schedule there is no doubt in my mind they would have gone undefeated. A playoff would have proven that and that's why I have the LSU Tigers as the 2006 Winter Madness National Champions. Feel free to see below how the Tigers would have made it to the final game.

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Final Four

USC

vs. (Played at a rotating Bowl Game)

Notre Dame

USC

vs. (Fiesta, Orange, Rose or Sugar Bowl)

LSU

Louisville

vs. (Played at a rotating Bowl Game)

LSU

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Western Conference

Rose Bowl Division

Big 10 Champion -Ohio State

vs. (Played at a rotating Bowl Game)

MWC Champion - BYU

Ohio State

vs. (Played at the Rose Bowl)

USC

PAC 10 Champion - USC

vs. (Played at a rotating Bowl Game)

At large opponent - Michigan

Fiesta Bowl Division

Big 12 Champion - Oklahoma

vs. (Played at a rotating Bowl Game)

WAC Champion - Boise State

Boise State

vs. (Played at the Fiesta Bowl)

Notre Dame

MAC Champion - Central Michigan

vs. (Played at a rotating Bowl Game)

At large opponent - Notre Dame

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Eastern Conference

Orange Bowl Division

Big East Champion - Louisville

vs. (Played at a rotating Bowl Game)

At large opponent - West Virginia

West Virginia

vs. (Played at the Orange Bowl)

Virginia Tech

ACC Champion - Wake Forest

vs. (Played at a rotating Bowl Game)

At large opponent - Virginia Tech

Sugar Bowl Division

SEC Champion - Florida

vs. (Played at a rotating Bowl Game)

Conference USA Champion - Houston

Florida

vs. (Played at the Sugar Bowl)

LSU

Southern Belt Champion - Troy

vs. (Played at a rotating Bowl Game)

At large opponent - LSU

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Above photos and images are courtesy of http://dynamic.si.cnn.com, http://www.nonbot.com, http://www.home-team-sports.com/