The college football national championship has finally arrived, mercifully. Of course, the arguments over who really is the national champion and which system should be used to crown the champion will persist, long after the final whistle blows tonight. But at least for those 60 minutes of football between Florida and Oklahoma, can’t we just enjoy the sport as it is? Then we can start arguing again.
All of the storylines are in place to make this either one of the greatest national championship games of the modern football era or one of the most fantastic letdowns we’ve ever seen. Two coaches fighting for their second title this decade. Two Heisman quarterbacks squaring off. In a moment of panic, will the Gators decide to line up Tim Tebow at middle linebacker?
Arguments aside, I think it should be a great game. Let’s face it, undefeated Utah is not our national champion. Neither is USC, which lost to Oregon State, a team that Utah beat. Texas beat Ohio State and believes it’s number one. But sports columnist Rick Reilly, noting that the Big Ten is 1-6 in bowl games this year, compared the victory to “pinning David Spade.”
Under the current flawed BCS system, this is our national championship and I think we should embrace it. With any luck, it could be a classic. For us Mountain Standard Time dwellers, it begins at 6 p.m. on FOX. Enjoy.