Graham Harrell's lack of invite a flaw of Heisman Trophy system

ON FOOTBALL

For those of you disgusted with the 925 members of the media, and maybe even the past Heisman Trophy winners, for not allowing Graham Harrell a free trip to New York, I'm with you.

But understand this — it's not the voters' fault that Texas Tech's super-sensational quarterback won't be on stage alongside fellow brilliant QBs Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow Saturday night.

Rather, it's the system's fault. (A college-football theme, right?)

As it stands now, the number of Heisman Trophy candidates invited to the Big Apple is determined by the number of points players get from voting. Unfortunately for Harrell, voters only choose their top three candidates.

And according to Heisman coordinator Tim Henning (Lubbock Avalanche-Journal): "We have had as little as three finalists and as many as six finalists in the past. The finalists are determined by the natural breaking point in the voting."

In other words, Harrell may easily be the fourth-best player in the country. But unless a good portion of voters thought he was better than at least one of the aforementioned invited players, he wasn't going to receive the plane ticket, hotel room and chance to meet past winners.

If I had a vote, I'd take Tebow, Bradford, then McCoy. So I don't blame the voters one bit for Harrell not getting the opportunity in the spotlight. They had to pick their top three, and most college-football analysts are in agreement when it comes to the sport's trio of most-deserving players.

Harrell had a great season, but he wasn't quite on the level — just barely — of the trio of finalists. And his team's loss, unlike theirs, was an embarrassing blowout at the hands of the Sooners. So if only three of the nation's four premier signal-callers could go to New York, the correct players are packing their bags.

Of course, it shouldn't have to be this way.

There needs to be a rule stipulating that there should be four finalists each season. Not three, not five — four. That's been the case most of the years I've watched the presentation.

And it's the right number. Big enough that no player as notable as Harrell is left off. Small enough to avoid turning the ceremony into a three-hour affair when you know three of the candidates are simply there for the handshakes with former winners and free food.

In truth, a trip for Harrell would have been just that. Even before being voted off the island, no one believed the senior had a chance. In fact, the Red Raiders became an afterthought following the No-Show in Norman. They had a phenomenal season, won the greatest game of the year, surprised a whole bunch of people who couldn't locate Lubbock on a map and were always fun to watch.

But, unfortunately, schools like Texas Tech have a very slim margin for error and can't afford a loss, especially a 65-21 beatdown on primetime TV. Once that happened, the Red Raiders' national-title hopes were dashed along with Harrell's Heisman campaign. Fair or not, it's reality.

His numbers, however, can't be ignored (and, no, he wasn't just a "product" of Mike Leach's system). Normal quarterbacks, regardless of where they play, don't throw for 4,747 yards and 41 touchdowns. Yes, the Big 12 defenses weren't exactly SEC-tough. But they were still challenging to play against, particularly on the road, and Harrell passed every test but that one in Norman.

And, it should be mentioned, he threw for the second-most yards (15,429) of any major-college player. And that player, Hawaii's Timmy Chang, faced far worse defenses.

So just because he won't dress up in a fancy suit and shake hands with Archie Griffin, let's not forget Graham Harrell. Let's not forget the memorable last-second drive he engineered in Texas Tech's thrilling win over Texas, which culminated with Harrell throwing a perfect timing patter on the sideline to the nation's best wide receiver, Michael Crabtree.

Let's remember the great season, and career, Harrell had while we watch the three finalists smile for the cameras at the presentation.

And let's hope that the BCS isn't the only college-football system that is modified in the years to come.

Don't forget about USC

ON FOOTBALL

If you love college football, folks, this Thursday through Saturday is the time to grab a turkey leg and a slice of chocolate pie and sit yourself down in front of the idiot box.

Because for all the insanity that's transpired the past 13 weeks, for all the annual dissing and hissing and pissing about the BCS, now is when things get really interesting.

The final two weekends of the college football season are the best — hands down. Of course, the bowls usually leave much to be desired (USC-Texas in January of '06 was an exception), and that's why a four- or eight-team playoff would add a thrilling ending to the season.

But that doesn't mean college football isn't still great the way it is. Consider this — since USC lost to Oregon State way back in September, no one has said a thing about the Trojans except to mention that if the Beavers win out, culminating in a victory Saturday over Oregon, they'll play Penn State in the Rose Bowl instead of USC.

But here's the kicker. Even if the Beavers silence the quacking Ducks, the Trojans could end up in the national-title game. That's how bizarre, and fun to watch, this sport is.

Here are a few things that could happen to propel USC back into the title game, although nobody outside of L.A. thinks it deserves the honor considering the anemic Pac-10 schedule it's played:

— First off, let me set the stage: USC trails Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma and Florida (in that order) in the BCS standings.

OK, here's what could happen in the next two weeks.

Scenario 1: Alabama (13-0) vs. USC (11-1) — Obviously, the Trojans win out against hapless Notre Dame and UCLA. Alabama beats Auburn and then disposes of Florida in the SEC title game, leaving the Gators with two losses (see ya!). Either Texas or Oklahoma loses this week — the Sooners being the mostly likely victim when they travel to play Oklahoma State; Texas hosts Texas A&M — and the team that wins falls to Missouri in the Big 12 title game.

That would leave Florida, Texas and Oklahoma all with two losses. Sure, Texas Tech would finish with a single loss, but the Red Raiders stand seventh in the BCS standings and surely won't get a boost from their final game against Baylor. USC, meanwhile, won't fall in the standings with two more wins despite the morbidness of its remaining opponents.

Just like that, the Trojans would be back competing for a national title. (Hey, at least the Buckeyes aren't returning.)

Scenario 2: Texas/Oklahoma vs. USC (11-1) — This is much less likely to happen, but after the craziness that dominated the college-football world at the end of last year, I'm not ruling anything out. Florida and Alabama both have losable rivalry games Saturday. The Gators travel to Tallahassee to take on Florida State. The Crimson Tide, meanwhile, host Auburn, which has won six consecutive games in the series. If both teams lose, followed by a Florida win in the SEC title game, both SEC teams would effectively be out of the title game with two losses.

That would leave the door open for USC ... Or, and I just thought of this, how about a Texas-Oklahoma rematch in the title game? Yep, it could happen. If both teams win this week and the team with the higher BCS ranking — mostly likely the Sooners — wins the Big 12 title game, the one-loss squads could face off in a rematch of the high-scoring thriller back in October. (USC, of course, would need one of them to lose to climb the ladder to No. 2 in the BCS.)

Got all that? I know, it all sounds so unlikely, but with Thanksgiving just a day away and my stomach grumbling, my mind shifts back to the absolute bedlam that overtook the college-football universe a year ago.

On the Friday after Thanksgiving, I was sitting in my aunt and uncle's den, having decided to watch No. 1 LSU take on huge underdog Alabama instead of accompanying the boys to see "American Gangster." (As I'll always tell people, you can watch a movie anytime; DVRs, TiVos, all that mess doesn't do live sports justice.) Anyway, I watched in awe as the Razorbacks, led by super human Darren McFadden, came back to defeat the Tigers on their home field in triple overtime. Having suffered their second loss, I was positive the Tigers were out of the national-title picture. So were all the TV heads, radio heads, print pundits.

Then, just a week later, I watched in amazement as No. 1 Missouri was rolled over by Oklahoma, ending the Tigers' chances, and West Virginia — a huge favorite at home against Pittsburgh — pulled a choke job that won't be forgotten anytime soon in bitter Morgantown.

All of a sudden, in a matter of an hour, LSU was back in the title game thanks to two improbable losses. Ohio State, its season having ended two weeks earlier, was already a lock to play in its second consecutive championship game. The Buckeyes, I'm sure, just didn't expect another SEC opponent (and we all know what happened).

But that's beside the point. What should be learned from 2007 is that all this talk of SEC vs. Big 12 is, simply, premature. Sure, it's very likely. Heck, I'm sure the BCS head honchos want it, so they can call those two conference title games "semifinals" — although the Big 12 game wouldn't be one, since two-loss Missouri is in it.

Just don't count out the Trojans. We'll know after this weekend if we can do that, and we'll have everything sorted out in just over two weeks.

Until then, however, enjoy the madness, because in the BCS era these are the two greatest, most dramatic weekends of college football.

And they give people like myself, with too much time on my hands, a chance to think up all the possible scenarios that could be the result of Upset City.

These upcoming games, folks, are the current college-football playoffs.

Please, Texas, make me your Game Management Director

ON FOOTBALL

In Lubbock's postgame bedlam, surrounded by delirious fans and admirers, Graham Harrell hit it on the head.

"They left us too much time," Texas Tech's quarterback said.

Harrell was referring to the Red Raiders' game-winning drive, completed by his 28-yard touchdown pass to absolute stud Michael Crabtree, that gave Texas Tech a thrilling 39-33 upset of No. 1 Texas.

Harrell took the snap with 8 seconds showing on the clock. Crabtree caught the pass with 5 seconds remaining. He danced into the end zone with 1 tick left.

If Texas had managed the clock correctly, none of the mentioned acts could have been made by the pair of Heisman Trophy candidates. The Longhorns might just be 9-0, still No. 1 in the country and four victories from the national title game.

This might be overlooked, but it shouldn't be. Here's what happened:

With just over a minute and a half remaining, the Longhorns ran a great play. From the Texas Tech 4-yard line, the amazing Colt McCoy handed the pigskin to Vondrell McGee on a draw play, and McGee burst up the middle, through a gigantic opening and into the end zone.

The touchdown, plus the extra point, gave the Longhorns their first lead of the night 33-32.

But on the touchdown play, McCoy, a seasoned junior, made a grave mistake. Or maybe his coaches committed the error by not relaying the message to him. That's for them to know and me to ponder.

McCoy took the snap with about 22 seconds left on the play clock. It was the ultimate sin that could have simply been avoided by ... waiting! I mean, c'mon 'Horns. I know you were eager to finally snatch the lead. But you couldn't wait 20 more seconds?

The situation, at the moment, was dire for the Red Raiders. They had led 19-0 and 29-13, only to lose every ounce of momentum they had built up. Not only that, but they featured zero proven field-goal kickers. AND they had just a single timeout remaining.

They needed help, and McCoy and Company obliged. By snapping the ball so early, McCoy saved the Red Raiders about 20 seconds that they certainly appreciated on their game-winning drive.

(Did I mention that the winning score occurred with 1 second remaining?)

I really am tired of writing these columns, but every season a team makes such a bone-headed move that my blood starts boiling. But, at the same time, I don't want to "diss" Texas, because I think it should hire me. Seriously, I would ditch my current employment situation to become the Longhorns' Game Management Director.

I've got friends in Austin, I heard the weather's nice and the girls are pretty.

And I'd probably save the boys in Orange a game here, a game there.

Hook 'em Horns!

As it was, as Harrell said, the Longhorns left just too much time for the Red Raiders' deadly efficient offense. There was a big kickoff return. There were four consecutive completions that pushed the ball from the Texas Tech 38 to the Texas 28.

And then there were the two plays that ultimately decided the game, although — imagine this — it's possible neither would have existed in a game missing 20 seconds.

Before Texas Tech could bring down Big Bad No. 1, Texas had to give the Men in Black a lifeline. Harrell rolled out to his left and threw a ball that hit Edward Britton's hands and deflected softly up in the air...

The ball bounced, almost in slow motion, to waiting Texas safety Blake Gideon. All he had to do was secure the slowly falling ball and the game would be over, Lubbock would be silenced, and it'd make for one happy trip back east to Austin.

As my cousin J-bo opined, our grandma, who's pretty old and doesn't move too well, could have made the interception. No joke.

But the ball slipped right through Gideon's hands and somehow, someway found the field turf. Considering the circumstances, it was the most unbelievable drop I've ever seen. Now, I feel bad for the freshman, who will have a very difficult time living down The Drop. It'll likely be in his nightmares for years to come.

And we all know what happened next. Harrell dropped back and gunned a perfect spiral to the right sideline, where Crabtree reeled the ball in, threw off a hapless defender and tight-roped the sideline into pay dirt.

The play sent the rabid fans into such a tizzy, they charged the field not once but twice ... prematurely. Their lack of patience cost the Red Raiders 22 and a half yards in penalties, pushing the ensuing kickoff back to the 7-and-a-half-yard line.

However, this lack of patience wasn't the least bit costly (just humorous, really). The game was over a play later, and the fans worked on their running form one more time, swarming the field and covering it in black in all of 3 seconds.

Texas was outplayed for most of the game, but it could have prevented Tech's one comeback of the night by looking ahead a bit. Instead, the Longhorns got caught up in the moment of taking the lead and did their defense no favors.

In the process, they probably cost themselves a berth in the national-title game. Although you just never know these days.

If only they had a Game Management Director.

Again, I'm available for employment and I could help prevent such occasions from occurring in the future.

Please e-mail me at jakeblloyd@gmail.com.

Wolverines looked good ... minus the fumbles

ON FOOTBALL

If you're able to judge a football team without considering wins and losses, you're taking away many good things from Michigan's game against Notre Dame Saturday.

Topping this list is that the offense, for the first time under Rich Rodriguez, actually looked coherent for most of the afternoon.

Steven Threet, clearly the better of Michigan's quarterback duo, was in control of the offense. He looked like he knew what he was doing, getting his 10 friends to the line of scrimmage early and setting up the play. Add to that the many pretty throws he made, including an absolute beautiful rainbow toss for a completion in the monsoon that engulfed South Bend, Ind.

Threet completed 16 of 23 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown. He didn't throw an interception. It should be noted, too, that a few of his incompletions were drops.

And he wasn't the only offensive bright spot. Freshman Sam McGuffie is living up to his Youtube-created hype. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound running back darted left and right, spun off tackles, rushed for 131 yards on 25 carries and caught a 40-yard touchdown pass.

McGuffie has established himself as Michigan's starting man in the backfield, but when he tires there is plenty of depth behind him. That's not a bad thing.

Yeah, yeah, I'll get to the bad. Michigan absolutely killed itself Saturday, which is why it lost 35-17. Give Notre Dame credit for turning Michigan's miscues into points.

Here's what happened before I evened turned the TV on: Michigan fumble, Irish touchdown; Michigan fumble, Irish touchdown. It was 14-0 Notre Dame in the game's initial 4 minutes. Then a Michigan drive stalled and the Irish scored again. Make that 21-0.

So much for all those 13-12 and 14-10 predictions.

But when the Wolverines held onto the ball, they were clearly the better team. That's how they got back into the contest, cutting the score to 28-17 at halftime and driving deep into Notre Dame territory — and the heavy rainstorm — late in the third quarter.

Of course, that's when Kevin Grady coughed up the football, making it quite clear that it simply wasn't Michigan's turn to win. The Irish had suffered back-to-back dismal defeats in the historic rivalry. Charlie Weis had his left leg busted by one of his own players in the first half, relegating him to crutches the rest of the afternoon.

Yep, Notre Dame needed the win more than Michigan. And the Irish sowed up the victory when Threet cemented Michigan's "Fumbleroosky" day by fumbling away the pigskin, which ended up in an Irish defender's hands as he raced toward the end zone. Game over. Go home soaked.

But anyone who thinks Notre Dame outplayed Michigan is just kidding around. Yes, it did a better job of stripping the ball from weak-armed Michigan ball carriers. But the Wolverines outgained the Irish in total yards, 387-260. That's not very close.

If not for six giveaways — compared to two by Notre Dame — and a few missed tackles here and there, Michigan would have won Saturday.

But enough about winning, because that's not what this season should be about for this team. It's about progress, especially in learning Rodriguez's offensive system. And for the first time in three games, real progress was evident on the field. Threet threw accurately. A plethora of receivers made the catches they were supposed to make. McGuffie was a spark.

The defense was solid. Not great, but solid. That's the grade for a unit that missed too many tackles, but didn't allow 300 yards.

It was an effort deserving of a victory ... except for the fumbles.

Moral victories aren't accepted in Ann Arbor — and they shouldn't be — but the Wolverines might as well take one from their second loss of the season. And they can feel good about this: Their 1-2 record this season isn't any worse than last year's 1-2 mark put up with Chad Henne, Mike Hart, Jake Long and Mario Manningham.

Plus, with next weekend off, they've got plenty of time to figure out how to hold onto the pigskin.

I suggest having every player who lost one Saturday sleep with a ball for the two weeks.

A much easier loss to swallow

ON FOOTBALL

The differences are very, very stark.

A year ago, the Michigan football team suffered perhaps the biggest upset in college football history. You know the story. Ranked No. 5 in the nation. National-title expectations. Three explosive offensive playmakers. And playing against a Division I-AA team.

The Wolverines' loss to Appalachian State was a shocker, a stunner, a dumbfounding defeat to any Michigan football fan. It — one loss — almost ruined the season single-handedly. And afterward, all this was evident on the faces of the devastated Wolverines.

Fast forward to Saturday afternoon at the Big House. There were some similarities: It was the first game of the season; it was at home; and it was against a non-BCS school. And Michigan lost, marking the first time since the 1951 and '52 seasons that it dropped opening games in back-to-back seasons.

But the circumstances weren't even close to comparable to those of a year ago. For one, the Wolverines were playing a very difficult opponent in Utah. (Appalachian State was good last year, but I wouldn't put it on Utah's level.) The Utes are being talked about as a BCS bowl-crasher. There's no question they're legitimate.

Then, of course, there was unranked Michigan. Chock full of young, inexperienced players who were competing in new coach Rich Rodriguez's spread offense system for the first time. There was an offense with two plebe quarterbacks devoid of its top running back and two wide receivers from a year ago, not to mention its All-America left tackle.

It all added up to Utah's 25-23 victory. And the result wasn't shocking at all. Except, maybe, that it was so close. If not for Michigan's spirited fourth-quarter comeback, the final score could have looked much uglier.

The Michigan defense is what will need to carry this team in September, and it'd be wise to copy what it did in the second half Saturday — not the first half. Sticking with the no comparison theme, the Wolverines' D changed identities at halftime. All of a sudden, its strength — the front four — started getting into the Utah backfield. And middle linebacker Obi Ezeh — coolest name ever, by the way — was a beast, racing all over the field to record 15 tackles.

Utah scored three points in the second half. It managed all of 28 yards.

That is something to build on. I bet that defense wished it could play another half of football after the game, because it didn't really show up the first 30 minutes. It was just warming up when the game clock hit 0:00.

The offense, meanwhile, resembled exactly what I expected — in one word, ugly. Anyone who expected a smooth attack from the young Wolverines was — and probably still is — delusional. Actually, the fact that Nick Sheridan and Steven Threet only threw one interception in 38 attempts and were sacked three times isn't half bad, because many of their throws were off the mark.

Of course, the wayward tosses were the result of nerves, inexperience and playing in a new system. Utah put some serious pressure on the QBs, too. Saturday won't discourage either of the signal-callers, and they'll only get better as the season progresses. The same should be true for the rest of the offense.

And, I'm pretty sure, the rest of the team.

That doesn't translate into wins, though. Next week, the Wolverines should get their first win against a weak Miami (Ohio) team. That would be a nice boost for the youngsters. But then tough games against Notre Dame and Wisconsin await. And after a Toledo reprieve, Illinois visits Ann Arbor.

So temper your expectations, folks. Yes, I'm sticking with my 8-4 prediction, but I won't be surprised if the Wolverines stand 1-3 at the end of September.

Still, that sounds much better than the 0-2 start of a season ago.

With a new coach, new players and tough competition, these Wolverines are ground beef next to last season's Fillet Mignon.

Yes, a loss is a loss. And the close ones, especially, always hurt.

But, I'm sure, the atmosphere in Ann Arbor Saturday evening was much lighter than that of a year ago. No national reporters, I'm positive, we're flying in to interview the morbid Wolverines about what went terribly wrong.

This is, after all, the beginning of a new era. The wins — and higher expectations — will come.

Michigan football preview: It should be interesting

ON FOOTBALL

I can't put my finger on why, but there's something very sexy about low expectations.

Which is why, I surmise, this could be a very sexy season for the Michigan football squad.

What a difference a year makes.

Late last August, the Wolverines were ranked No. 5 in the country and considered national-title contenders. Pundits raved about the offensive trio of Chad Henne, Mike Hart and Mario Manningham. Who cared about the defense? Michigan could simply outscore people!

People, I guess, got caught up in the "sexiness" of Michigan's skill players and forgot about where the real work gets done -- in them trenches. And, of course, they misremembered what won Michigan its last national title -- great defense.

Obviously, nobody in Ann Arbor was feeling sexy after Appalachian State rudely broke up the "we're so great" party. I, for one, took a long shower after witnessing that game in person. And after the second loss -- this one lopsided -- to Oregon, people realized that the high expectations placed on the Wolverines were bogus.

So I'm guessing that being ranked No. 32 by the Associated Press is just fine and dandy in Rich Rodriguez's cubicle. Nobody expects his guys to compete for the Big Ten title. Nobody is talking 10 wins. Heck, Sports Illustrated predicted a 5-7 record for the Maize n' Blue.

There's no pressure on the winged helmets.

And that's one of many reasons this season is so intriguing.

The element of surprise is another. I have no idea what I'll see come Saturday afternoon. Absolutely none. Sure, I watched some West Virginia games while Rodriguez coached there, so I (kind of) know the spread offense he runs. But will he run the same version with the personnel he's inherited this season?

And speaking of personnel, I can't recall a season during the past 10 years when I was unfamiliar with so many of the offensive players -- particularly guys at the skill positions. Usually, without reading a single article, I can name the running backs and receivers. Not this year. Outside of Greg Matthews, I had no clue which WRs would be lining up in the spread offense until I checked out the depth chart.

Then I forgot their names a minute later. Players are going to have to establish themselves to make me remember them, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

We still don't even know who will start at quarterback -- or if it'll be a one- or two-man show at the position for the beginning of the season, the first half of the season, the whole season, etc.

Questions, questions, questions.

But sexy questions, at that.

What I do know -- I think -- is that the defense will be solid. Not 1997 great, but solid. The defensive line is the strongest part of the unit, led by upperclassmen Terrance Taylor, Brandon Graham and company. They could cause a little chaos in opponents' backfields.

If they do, they'll make life easier for Obi Ezeh, the sophomore who is the lone returning starting linebacker. Michigan's secondary -- as usual -- should be an adventure. At least there's some leadership back there, though, with senior cornerback Morgan Trent.

Perhaps all we can rely on from these Wolverines are two strong legs. Senior place-kicker K.C. Lopata and junior punter Zoltan Mesko will likely boot the ball just as well as they did a year ago.

So they're no fun!

Seriously, I can't remember the last time I was this intrigued by Michigan's season-opener. Usually, it's a warmup game for a highly regarded Wolverines squad. In other words, the boys better win by 30 or there will be serious questions afterward. Of course, there will be no taking opponents lightly after the debacle a year ago.

But still, the fact that Michigan isn't a convincing favorite aginst Utah inside the Big House is a good headline. Nobody is picking Michigan simply because it's "Michigan." Which, how convenient, fits perfectly this season, because Rodriguez doesn't give a damn about Michigan's tradition or what the block "M" means.

The new sheriff in town is doing things his way, a new way. And this is happening with many new players.

If nothing sexy can be said about the 2008 Wolverines, at least this much is true.

There will be nothing stale and old about this bunch. Unpredictably will reign supreme over a team that might just surprise a few folks (in both good and bad ways).

My prediction: 8-4, 5-3 in Big Ten.

Save your breath -- a college football playoff ain't happening

ON COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Don't waste your time, college football fans.

Instead of arguing with your friends over whether there should be four, eight or 16 teams ... take your kids to the park.

(If you don't have kids, go see an IMAX movie.)

A college football playoff isn't happening now, isn't happening in 2012, and likely won't happen ... ever.

Here's why: The commissioners of the BCS conferences are rather comfortable with the BCS. They say, mistakenly, that it's working the best it ever has. (Put them in front of an angry pack of Georgia Bulldogs fans, and they might change their opinion.)

Here's why Part 2: College football's popularity is at an all-time high. Large stadiums from Ann Arbor to Gainesville are routinely packed full, and even the meaningless spring game garners tens of thousands of fans. More important than the fans, FOX is in the process of negotiating a new, gigantic T.V. contract to televise the BCS -- minus the ABC-shown Rose Bowl -- through, most likely, 2014.

Who knows what the world will resemble in six years? In this fast-changing society, there might be flying cars by then. But not a college football playoff. When SEC commissioner Mike Slive is the lone ranger among a group of 11 conference commishes plus Notre Dame athletics director Kevin White to propose a plus-one format, you know the chances aren't good.

The irony is that Slive's conference has won the past two BCS championship games.

I haven't always been a proponent of a college football playoff. I hear what the fellas are saying when they talk about not cheapening the regular season. Last year's season was absolutely remarkable -- until the bowls began.

I believe a 16-team playoff would be poisonous for the sport. Late September games would be almost worthless, and when would the season end?

But the plus-one format is legitimate, and it would still allow for a full slate of bowl games, which now, by the way, is made up of 34 contests thanks to the additions of the St. Petersburg Bowl and Congressional Bowl. A four-team playoff that takes two weeks could easily work.

There's no point in talking about it, however. At least not for six years. It ain't happening.

As long as fans continue to fill stadiums -- a certainty -- and as long as big-name schools continue to haul in big bucks off meaningless bowl games and jersey sales ... well, nothing's going to change no matter how much fans and "SportsCenter" anchors clamor for it.

Whether the BCS works each year will continue to be based on luck. If there are two zero-loss, major-conference teams, it worked! If there are three, then there will be plenty of bitching by a team's fan base.

When ACC commissioner and BCS chairman John Swofford says, "I believe the BCS has never been healthier in its first decade," I can only give a slight chuckle, because serendipity is the only reason for those words.

In 2005, the dream matchup between Texas and USC fell into the system's lap. A year later, Michigan was just as deserving as Florida of the national-title game berth, but because the Gators destroyed Ohio State and Michigan lost to USC, everyone forgot about the controversy. Last season, a handful of two-loss teams had a legitimate beef as to why LSU was chosen to beat OSU.

It's impossible to put together a perfect system, but that doesn't mean the commissioners shouldn't try. A plus-one format would give four very good teams the chance to show the country why they're No. 1. Four, to me, is better than two.

But to powerful men like the Big Ten's Jim Delaney -- who doesn't want to see the "tradition" of a Big Ten-Pac-10 matchup in the Rose Bowl ruined by a new system -- there is nothing to gain from innovation. He'd rather sit back, enjoy his Big Ten Network some more and, probably, play a round of golf a week while it's nice in the North. Beats worrying about a new, complicated postseason format, right?

And when it comes to making progress, the opinions of men like Delany are all that really matter.

No, I'm not watching signing day

ON COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Listen, I love sports as much — and probably even more — as the next guy. Heck, I'll watch a closely contested Rutgers-St. John's matchup over "American Idol."

But I refuse to watch or pay much attention to this media-created phenomenon called "National Signing Day."

And that's coming from a Michigan guy.

No, I don't have my fingers crossed that Terrelle Pryor — who's apparently in Rich Rodriguez's "Fave Five" — will sign with the Wolverines. And, no, I won't jump off my third-story apartment building's balcony if he becomes a Buckeye.

Sorry, but I'm reserving those emotions/bad decisions for the actual college football season, when Pryor might actually play in a college game. Until then, he's just another high school kid who gets way too much attention and probably has a blown-up head because of it.

Letting 17- and 18-year-olds declare their college choices on national TV is one of society's many problems (alongside, you know, poverty, the economy, pollution, etc.). Put yourself in the kid's shoes for a second.

There you are, surrounded by a throng of people sticking out microphones and recording devices in your face. To your right are all your supporters — or people who want some of your money once, as you all believe, you go pro. To your left is your coach, who hopes to get a higher-paying job or at least a raise out of this.

And I didn't even mention the cheerleaders.

I'm not in denial. I know this is the way our over-hyped society works now. I'm just throwing out a caution flag.

Perhaps, in two years, a Florida or Notre Dame will be able to look back at this day and say, "That day is when we built this national title. When 'Joe Schmo' and 'Bill Dill' put on our hat, we instantly became national title contenders."

But no matter who signs where today or in the days to come, the worth of the Class of 2008 won't be determined until at the very earliest September and possibly not until the fall of '09 or 2010. I've never played tackle football — except during recess back in eighth grade — but I've heard whispers that the college game is a bit faster and a bit more complicated than the competition at the high school level.

By all means, correct me if I'm wrong.

So as good as Pryor is, as mesmerizing as his YouTube video is, hold the phone on calling him a future All-American. Michigan fans, you're not competing for the national title next season regardless of which state Pryor plays football in. Ohio State fans, you'd be best suited to stay far away from the national title game — just throwing that out there.

National Signing Day is the second-most over-hyped day in American sports behind — you guessed it — the NFL Draft. Buildup to the draft is absolutely ridiculous. It's a bunch of former NFL players guessing who will be good in the NFL and for what teams college studs will play for. Stay tuned for my "No, I'm not watching 10 straight hours of NFL draft coverage" column coming in April.

For now, however, I think I'll enjoy a beautiful day here in Chapel Hill and leave the TV off until Duke-UNC tonight. Yep, that's right — actual college athletes competing against each other on national TV.

That's something I don't have a problem with.

What a wild, juicy ending

ON COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Caution: The following sentence contains several colorful adjectives, one made up.

This has been the most crazy, nutty, delirious, exciting, stupefying, unpredictable, exceptional, incredulous, rollercoaster-riding college football season.

Ever. Period. I feel confidant saying this, despite the fact that I wasn't on this earth for the first, oh, 100 years of college football.

This year tops them all. I guarantee it.

And now the politicking begins. After No. 1 Missouri and No. 2 West Virginia became the final top teams to have their hearts broken Saturday, we are left with the following.

Barring an uprising by voters, No. 3 Ohio State will be in the national title game for the second consecutive year. People said the Buckeyes didn't have a chance after losing to Illinois three Saturdays ago. I just laughed. There remained plenty of football to be played. The best thing happened to OSU the following week after its win over Michigan. Its season ended.

The longer teams played, the more pitfalls they faced. Last season, the Big Ten's Michigan paid for finishing its season early, as Florida continued to impress for two additional weeks and leaped the Wolverines. This year, the Wolverines' hated rival got a pinch of BCS revenge for the Big Ten.

After Ohio State, the volcano explodes. I can make a legitimate case for — let me check — six teams. OK, here goes:

No. 4 Georgia (10-2) — The biggest knock against the Bulldogs is they didn't play in the SEC title game. They were an overthrown pass by Kentucky's Andre' Woodson against Tennessee last week from playing LSU this week in that title game. But, alas, that's how this season's progressed. Georgia can point to six wins to close the season — isn't that the way things work? Whoever is playing best at the end of the year gets the benefit of the voters? — including impressive victories over Florida, Auburn and Kentucky.

No. 5 Kansas (11-1) — Here's what you say if you're a Jayhawks fan: "We played a Big 12 schedule, and we lost only one game. You think our non-conference schedule (Central Michigan, Southeast Louisiana, Toledo, Florida International) is weak? Well, compare it to Ohio State's (Youngstown State, Akron, Washington, Kent State). At least Central Michigan won its conference — the MAC — and is headed to a bowl. None of the Buckeyes' non-conference opponents are going bowling, and only one has a winning record, and that's Football Championship Subdivision YSU." I doubt anyone outside of Kansas believe the Jayhawks are better than the Buckeyes — or LSU, for that matter — but they have just one loss. OSU and Hawaii are the only other teams with less than two L's.

No. 6 Virginia Tech (11-2) — Hey, why not us? The Hokies entered Saturday No. 6 in the BCS, and they beat No. 11 Boston College. Shouldn't that mean anything? Shouldn't three wins over ranked opponents mean something? Plus, after the tragedy that happened last April, how appropriate would it be for the Hokies to play in the national title game, showing the nation what they're made of?

No. 7 LSU (11-2) — The Tigers have the best case to face the Buckeyes. Their two losses both occurred in triple overtime — about as close as you can come to winning ... without winning. Also, they finished the season with a win — not to mention, a win over a ranked team (No. 14 Tennessee). They played in the toughest conference and played six ranked teams, including drubbing Virginia Tech way back in September — when the college football season was still on its axis. Everyone has said since Stanford stunned USC in October that LSU is the best team in the country. So why not now?

No. 8 USC (10-2) — So what if the Trojans beat just two teams that currently have winning records? So what if they lost to 4-8 Stanford ... at home? These are the mighty Trojans, and they come in on roll, having won three straight games — two against ranked teams. Plus, in a season like this, isn't it appropriate that the team which began the season No. 1, end the season No. 1?

No. 9 Oklahoma (11-2) — The Sooners have the second strongest case. They won their conference championship game in dominant fashion, smoking No. 1 Missouri Saturday night — their second win over the Tigers. They also beat Texas when the Longhorns were No. 19. Their losses were a 27-24 meltdown at Colorado and a 34-27 defeat at Texas Tech minus — for most of thee game — their stud freshman quarterback, Sam Bradford. Above everything else, the Sooners were the most impressive team on the final Saturday of the season. Isn't that what's supposed to determine the national champion (see: Florida, last season)?

Stream of consciousness: Um, oh, I think I'm forgetting a team. That's right! The team playing right now. The lone undefeated team — as of this moment — in Division I. The Hawaii Rainbow. They're currently down at halftime to Washington, but if they can come back to finish 12-0, they're hard to ignore. They beat a good — and ranked — Boise State team. They defeated 8-4 Fresno State, which lost by just two points to the Big 12's Texas A&M, which beat Texas...

And so the debates go on late into the night. As for the coaches of the above teams, I'm sure they're preparing their speeches to make for their teams in the hours leading up to Sunday night's announcement. Last season, Florida's Urban Meyer showed off his political side after his Gators won the SEC title game. The voters listened, pushing Florida ahead of Michigan.

So with the presidential election still 11 months away, the candidates' parties may want to listen to the coaches' pitches in the hours to come. Some of them could be positive additions to a candidate's campaign.

No, folks, the BCS system is very flawed. Something needs to be done, that can't be denied. But that shouldn't have kept you from enjoying this college football season. From witnessing Appalachian State's stunner in the Big House first hand, to sprinting back and forth between the kitchen and the TV at the hotel I work at to witness Pittsburgh's stunner of West Virginia, this has been an unforgettable autumn of college football.

A wild 14-week playoff, if you will.