After another weekend of college football, I just have to ask. Seriously, does anyone want to play in the BCS championship game? Week after week, the top teams are dropping games, with Oregon and Oklahoma the latest to fall.

With the latest BCS rankings now available, West Virginia has moved up to #3, behind LSU and undefeated Kansas. The KU/Missouri game could determine who has a shot at the championship game. Clearly, if Kansas wins out, they’ll be there.

I don’t know how the numbers will work out, but I have to think that if Missouri beats Kansas this week and then Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game, they would surely vault West Virginia and end up in the top 2 as well. Question is, will LSU finish out with only 1 loss? With Friday’s game against occasionally-dangerous Arkansas and a date with Tennessee or Georgia in the SEC title game, they aren’t a guarantee to remain #1.

Ohio State’s best hope seems to be for Oklahoma to beat the KU/Missouri winner in the Big 12 game, and West Virignia or LSU to drop one as well. Arizona State may not out of the picture, either, as a win over USC would help their case somewhat, but I’m not certain if that would be enough unless everyone ahead of them lost (excluding OSU, whose season is complete.)

Yes, I could go on and on, and yes, it’s really pointless until the games are all done. Still, it’s interesting to watch how this flawed system unfolds every year.

Here’s what I think could help get rid of this nonsense: a BCS title game featuring West Virginia vs the KU/Missouri winner. If this happens, a lot of people will be complaining. Nobody believes these are the two best teams. That’s not to say they’re unworthy - they would have done all that is asked of them, all they could do, and by the system itself, be deserving of the shot at the title. But if they are the last 2 standing, people will (once again) suggest that the BCS is a failure. No LSU, no Oregon, no Oklahoma, no Ohio State. Two teams that nobody believes are the best, and frankly, nobody is going to be that interested in watching.

In other words, nobody will believe that, if there were a playoff in place, that these would be the two teams that would reach the title game. Regardless of whether or not it’s true, people would find it highly unlikely. This could very possibly cause more of an outcry than having 3 undefeated teams did a few years ago.

So, as one who despises the BCS system, I’m pulling for KU and West Virginia. No, I don’t really believe it will happen, but if it does, I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Nutt

The news here is that Houston Nutt may be on his way out. Stories are circulating that Nutt will be gone at the end of the season, and there are many people rejoicing at this possibility. Question is, if this comes to pass, who’s next? Who will replace him? I have no idea. I don’t even know where to start. But I have to think there search will be more difficult than it was in basketball. With the Michigan job apparently about to open up, and the Nebraska job most certainly to be open as well, I have to think UA has it’s work cut out for them. Particularly if Les Miles leaves LSU for Michigan. Which SEC job would you take - LSU or Arkansas? Yeah, me, too.

Perhaps I was a bit premature in claiming Alabama had hired themselves a real coach. If the Tide loses to Auburn (again) this week, they will have spent a whole lot of money and ended up with a very Shula-esque 6-6 record (worse than Arkansas, even.) Will the folks laying down palm branches last December be shouting “crucify him” next weekend?

I jest, of course. Saban will certainly be no Shula in Tuscaloosa as time moves on. But I’m sure a lot of Tide fans whose expectations were much higher are disappointed in how the season has unfolded thus far. (We feel their pain. Our season was supposed to be significantly different as well.) I’ve never been convinced of Saban’s genius the way some have (probably only because I don’t like him), but I do expect him to right the ship in time (and probably a very short time.) And, the season’s not quite done yet. A win this weekend would certainly make the Tide nation feel much better.

And, hopes of a Duke win at Notre Dame were dashed late in the first half yesterday, when the Irish broke a 0-0 tie with two touchdowns in the final 2:00 of the half. You know just how far Notre Dame has fallen when Duke fans are disappointed they didn’t pull off the win. Most years that was unthinkable. This year it was almost expected. Well, I guess Notre Dame isn’t the worst team in the country after all. Only the second worst.

And next year, they’ll probably be right back in the top 10 in the preseason poll.