At least we know now what BCS really stands for.

BigCrap Shoot.

We’re down to the final pre-bowl weekend of the college footballseason, and we’re down to three teams for the national championship.Oklahoma, as the only undefeated team in the nation, is thefront-runner. One-loss Florida State and Miami are nipping at theSooners’ heels.

The Seminoles have clinched a spot in the Orange Bowl, the site ofthis year’s national championship game. Assuming Oklahoma defeatsKansas State in this Saturday’s Big XII Title game (the Sooners aretwo-point favorites), they and Florida State would meet for thetitle. A Kansas State upset sets up a rematch of Miami’s 27-24 winover the Seminoles on Oct. 7.

Let the arguments begin.

With five one-loss teams trailing No. 1 Oklahoma in both the ESPNand Associated Press polls, there is (as usual) controversy aboutwhich one should face Oklahoma, or which two should play if Oklahomaloses. The BCS, a computerized system that takes into accountstrength of schedule, margin of victory and both polls’ rankings,says that Florida State is the best one-loss team.

AP and ESPN have Miami No. 2 based on their Oct. 7 victory overFSU. The logic is that since the Hurricanes beat the Seminoles, theyshould be considered the second-best team in the country, and meetthe Sooners Jan. 3.

Don’t forget Washington has a legitimate argument — the team isranked fourth by all three outlets — because it has one loss, andshould go to the Orange Bowl since they beat Miami.

That is already enough for a reasonable debate, but the truth is,all five one-loss teams have a valid argument.

Virginia Tech’s only loss was to Miami, and without starquarterback Michael Vick. Oregon State’s lone loss was to the Huskiesby three points. Washington’s only loss came early to two-lossOregon, and they beat both the Beavers and the ‘Canes. Miami’s losswas to the Huskies, and they beat both the Hokies and the Seminoles.Finally, Florida State’s only loss was a three-pointer to Miami, andthey had blowout wins over Florida, Clemson and North Carolina State.

So, who goes to the Orange Bowl?

I know that most of you have figured out that this is going to bean argument for why we should have a national playoff instead of theantiquated bowl system — why an eight-team tournament to decide thenational champion is the only fair way.

Well, guess what?

You’re wrong.

The BCS stinks. Just like the Bowl Coalition and Bowl Alliancestunk before it. A national playoff would stink as bad.

There will always be debate over who should be the nationalchampion. What we need is a return to the bowl system that existedbefore playoffs, series, and coalitions. The bowl system where thenational champion is decided by pollsters, not computers. The bowlsystem that once gave us a champion out of the Holiday Bowl.

We need to get back to basics.

The biggest complaint that doomed the bowl system was no absoluteway of determining the national champion.

So what?

Just three years ago, after Michigan had won the Rose Bowl andNebraska the Orange Bowl, I remember staying up into the middle ofthe night to find out who the AP poll had named national champion.There was something special about that, and how the experience wasunique to college football. In no other major sport was the championdetermined so arbitrarily, and that was part of the system’s charm.

Until 1991, teams got to bowl games through conferenceaffiliations. The Rose Bowl always pitted the Big-10 and Pac-10champions, no matter their rankings or records. The Sugar Bowl hadthe SEC Champion. The winner of the Big-8 played in the Orange Bowl.The now-defunct Southwest Conference winner went to the Cotton Bowl.Thus, the two best teams in the nation usually played in separatebowl games, with coaches and writers left to sort it out.

Those sorts of constants are what make college football special. Aplayoff would make the sport just like every other one. And what wehave now has the worst of both worlds: the non-traditional matchupsof a playoff and the uncertainty of the bowl system.

Let’s go back to the old system, where tradition and rivalriesmattered more than producing a champion. That’s what makes collegefootball great.

Sean is a journalism freshman and staff writer for The DailyAztec. He can be reached at theduck@mail.com.