It’s Ohio State, and then, it’s anyone’s guess.

Looks like another year where a playoff system could have come in handy. Six teams from the so-called “power conferences” sit near the end of the season with just one loss.

In order of their Bowl Championship Series standings, the list includes USC, Michigan, Florida, Louisville, Wisconsin and Rutgers.

Top-ranked Ohio State, still brimming from its 42-39 win over then second-ranked Michigan, awaits its opponent in the National Championship game. Originally, it seemed the logical choice would indeed be Michigan, setting up a rematch between these hated rivals. After all, Michigan’s only loss this season was with the No. 1 ranked team and they have two wins against the BCS Top 10 (Notre Dame and Wisconsin).

Unfortunately for the Wolverines, they were leapfrogged in the standings by USC after the Trojans stomped Notre Dame. Since Michigan’s regular season is over, they have no more chances to earn their spot. Now USC holds that coveted No. 2 spot.

Since USC’s loss to UCLA on Saturday, however, the picture got a little bit cloudier.

But who’s to say Florida isn’t more deserving? Who’s to say that only losing once in the country’s toughest conference, the SEC, isn’t a tougher feat than losing once in USC’s Pac-10?

And who’s to say the two teams from the Big East, Louisville and Rutgers and their high-scoring offenses, don’t deserve a shot against Ohio State?

And what about the Badgers? Bucky was the only team to go into Ann Arbor and give Michigan a game, before eventually losing 27-13. The game was played in September, and who’s to say Wisconsin wouldn’t beat them if that game would have been played later in the season when the young Badgers had found their way?

On a similar note, don’t we deserve a chance to play Ohio State, whom the Badgers virtually own by beating them four of the last five meetings? (Due to scheduling, the two did not meet this season in Big Ten play.)

In fact, the Badgers will be shut out of the other four BCS bowls altogether due to a rule that states that only two teams from the same league are allowed to play in the BCS bowls system. Michigan will fill that second Big Ten slot, as they will likely be sent to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl.

All of this could be avoided if the NCAA had an eight-team playoff system in place. Why can’t the NCAA just let the players decide it all on the field?

The answer, of course, is money. School presidents don’t want the bowl system to go away because of the revenue it brings in from TV contracts.

However, TV networks would jump at the chance to show these games. After all, the other three levels of college football, Divisions I-AA, II and III, all have a playoff system similar to the NCAA basketball tournament.

For the second consecutive season, the Wisconsin Badgers are headed to the Capital One Bowl. It was a fitting accomplishment for last year’s team, which was 8-3 and 5-3 in the Big Ten, and went on to rout favored Auburn 24-10 in Barry Alvarez’s final game as the Badgers’ head coach.

But this year, Bret Bielema’s group deserved more. Not to take anything away from a New Year’s Day bowl in sunny Orlando, but as Alvarez said on the “NFL on Fox” post-game show last Sunday night, going 11-1 and playing in the Big Ten Conference usually sends you off to the Rose Bowl.

Or maybe, someday it will be at least good enough to send the team to a playoff. But until then, the NCAA will continue to line its pockets with fool’s gold.

> Comments