This season has been one of the greatest ever. Week after week of upsets and twists and turns. Scoreboard watching has taken on a whole new dimension.
But as entertaining as it has been, the conclusion is going to be sorely lacking. A team will be chosen No. 1 on Jan. 2 by default as much as anything else.It will feel like reading a great mystery, only to have the ending make no sense. Agatha Christie for 340 pages, and then Dr. Seuss for the last 20.
The grumbling already has begun:
Colorado can't be the national champ because of that fifth-down game. Miami lost twice, once to Notre Dame. Georgia Tech and Brigham Young play in weak conferences. Notre Dame doesn't deserve it because it lost at home to Stanford and Penn State.
And so on.
For the record, this voter in the Associated Press poll had Colorado ranked first, followed by Georgia Tech, Brigham Young, Texas, Penn State and Notre Dame. Miami, by the way, was eighth on this ballot.
The other voters obviously don't agree, because the Hurricanes have moved up to second behind Colorado in the AP poll. Their ranking rankles the folks in South Bend and Provo. It also shows how this process can border on the ridiculous.
Miami lost its opener to Brigham Young. In fact, Ty Detmer made the Hurricanes look like Utah State. Then on Oct. 20, Notre Dame totally dominated Miami in the second half en route to a 29-20 victory.
Yet Miami is on the threshold of another national championship and Athletic Director Sam Jankovich shamelessly is campaigning for the national title.
But consider the facts: The Hurricanes (7-2) are 3-2 against teams with winning records. Their biggest victory came against Florida State, which has yet to beat a team with a winning record.
Is that the stuff of a national champion?
Furthermore, how can Brigham Young, with only one loss, be ranked behind Miami in the fourth spot? How can Notre Dame, which also has two defeats, be placed eighth, barely within shouting distance of the Hurricanes?
If Colorado loses to Notre Dame and Georgia Tech (9-0-1) beats Nebraska in the Citrus Bowl, the Yellow Jackets should be No. 1. They would be the lone unbeaten.
If Colorado and Georgia Tech lose, the national championship should go to Brigham Young or Penn State, regardless of what Miami does. After all, Penn State (8-2) beat Notre Dame and the Hurricanes didn't.