by Steven Fernandez
Daily Lobo
The 2007 college football season was undoubtedly one of the most entertaining campaigns in recent memory.
And it has to end like this?
Unfortunately, Ohio State vs. LSU in the national championship is not the kind of matchup most fans would be giddy about.
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Ohio State played its last game of the season ranked No. 5 in the country, while LSU lost to SEC-rival Arkansas and has two losses on the season. A couple weeks later, they're playing in the most important game of the season?
The sad thing is, those are probably the teams that should be playing after the madness that ensued in the last couple weeks. West Virginia, Missouri and Kansas were all in control of their destiny but suffered a failure more miserable than when Emmitt Smith tries to speak coherently.
I personally love when there is parity in sports, but this year was absurd. For some reason, the top programs in the nation decided it was a bad idea to show any kind of dominance.
For instance, Kansas, West Virginia, Boston College, Cal and Oregon were all ranked No. 2 at some point this season but plummeted faster than the Cleveland Cavaliers' production without
LeBron James.
It really seemed liked every team had a chance to compete for the BCS Championship this season. Well, every team besides
Notre Dame.
The one team that got left out of the national championship without a single blemish on its record is Hawaii. Just like Boise State last year, Hawaii's undefeated season was not rewarded with a shot at the national championship, but LSU got in with two losses.
That's where the biggest argument for a playoff system comes into play.
Sure, the SEC looked like the toughest conference in the nation, so the Tigers' two losses were forgiven. On the other hand, Western Athletic Conference schools such as Hawaii and Boise State can have perfect seasons but just barely sneak into a lower BCS bowl.
It's easy for BCS backers to say Hawaii would absolutely not go undefeated in the SEC and that LSU would roll through the WAC but, to me, that's not good enough.
Hawaii played the teams on its schedule and won every game. They even tried to set a harder nonconference schedule but were turned down by some big-name programs.
That's why the BCS system is unfair. If LSU can lose to Kentucky and seven-win Arkansas, can we really say it's impossible for Hawaii to beat LSU? Remember, no one gave Boise State a chance last year against Oklahoma.
There may never be a perfect system that will satisfy everyone. But with the excitement this season provided, why not continue it with a playoff? I don't think it would hurt to see the likes of USC and West Virgina try to bounce back the way LSU and Ohio State have been given the chance to do.
Unfortunately, if this season doesn't force college football into a playoff system, I don't know
what will.
