THIS BCS MESS MIGHT NOT BE SO BAD.

Byline: JIM THOMAS

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

This is great. The seeds for the BCS' destruction have been sown.

OK, so maybe there is nothing that can happen that will guarantee the end of a system run by the closed minds who think the BCS format is better for college football than a playoff system. Still, there's no way the crazy 2007 season can end happily for the BCS now.

Missouri's victory over previously unbeaten Kansas, OhioState's loss to Illinois, Oklahoma's second loss, LSU's second overtime defeat, Oregon's collapse after losing Dennis Dixon and USC's late arrival to the party have created a healthy dose of chaos.

Who's No.1? Heck, nobody's No. 1 this year. Or No. 2, for that matter.

We're now two wins away from a national championship game absolutely no one foresaw back in August. Forget USC-LSU or even the more recently envisioned and attractive Oregon-LSU/Ohio State showdowns. Forget even the appeal of an unbeaten Kansas team against any of those teams.

If No. 1 Missouri (11-1) avenges its loss to No. 9 Oklahoma (10-2) in the Big 12 title game and No. 2 West Virginia (10-1) pounds Pitt (6-6) as expected Saturday, they'll face each other in the BCS championship game Jan. 6 in NewOrleans.

Missouri-West Virginia. Now there's an Ultimate Showdown created in TV ratings hell.

Outside of Missouri's long-suffering fans and those who reside in Jerry West's old state, is anyone going to care who wins that game? Might there be some repercussions if the ratings hit rock bottom for college football's national championship game?

Beyond that, does anyone really believe that Missouri and West Virginia are the two best teams in the country? Don't get me wrong. If they both win Saturday, they are the most deserving under the current system to play for the national championship.

But the two best teams? No way.

Want proof? The bookies in Vegas have made Oklahoma a three-point favorite. Yes, that's right. The team that the system says is No. 1 in the nation is a three-point underdog to a team that has two losses on its record (but also a win over Missouri).

Wonder how many of the top-10 teams would be favored to beat West Virginia? Many of them, I suspect. Yet the Mountaineers have survived this season of attrition by emerging from the Big East, a conference that does not ranks with the SEC, Big 12 and Pac-10.

At this point, BCS haters should be praying for two scenarios to play out on Championship Saturday. The first, of course, calls for Missouri to upset Oklahoma and West Virginia to pound Pitt, creating the nobody-cares BCS title game. In that scenario -- probably the best one for L.A. fans -- No. 3 Ohio State faces No. 8 USC (assuming it beats UCLA) in a Rose Bowl game that is more appealing than the BCS title game.

The second calls for both Missouri and West Virginia to lose. Then it's a free-for-all melee of two-loss teams trying to make the case that their school is most deserving of facing Ohio State, which doesn't play this week and is certain to move up if either of the top two teams loses.

In that scenario, it's possible for No. 4 Georgia (10-2) to play for the national title even though it didn't even win its SEC division. USC, assuming it continues its impressive late-season surge, could make the case it belongs in the BCS title game, even though it's hard to overlook that loss to Stanford.

In between USC and Georgia sit Kansas (11-1), Virginia Tech (10-2) and No. 7 LSU (10-2), which could still win the SEC title game against Tennessee (9-3) and improve to 11-2. In that scenario, LSU might move all the way back to No. 2, although it would be a defanged version of the Tigers in the BCS title game.

Regardless of who makes it to the title game in that scenario, the BCS championship will be stripped of its usual glamour. And the BCS powerbrokers will once again be asked to explain why a playoff system doesn't make more sense.

As for me, I'll be rooting hard for Missouri with the expectation West Virginia will destroy Pitt and USC will beat UCLA. I want to see USC-Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.

Half true

Back in August, I was asked by my wise boss to write a piece on the impact of last year upset by UCLA over USC on the 2007 season and beyond. I speculated, as did many others, that the game could be a springboard for UCLA, which would mature into a top-10 team and set up that rare rivalry game in which both teams are national powers and playing for a Pac-10 title.

One out of two ain't bad, I guess.

For different reasons, this has been a disappointing season for both UCLA (6-5) and USC (9-2). And yet here we are days away from their regular- season finale and the Pac-10 title is at stake for both teams. Amazing.

Prior to the advent of the BCS system, which has diminished the appeal of all bowl games except The Big One, this game still would have qualified as huge because a Pac-10 title is on the line. But UCLA's strange season and the fact USC is now on a mission to win a national title every year has made the Rose Bowl reward just a little less exciting.

The game too could be a disappointment, especially compared to last year's stunner. Last season, the Trojans were coming off three emotional games in three weeks, while the Bruins were coming off a bye week. The circumstances are completely different this year, and that justifies the 20-point spread.

It could be a depressing end to the Karl Dorrell era at UCLA.

Musical chair

Across the country, athletic directors have wasted no time firing coaches nanoseconds after their seasons came to end -- disappointing or not.

Through Monday, 10 coaches had been fired, forced to resign or chosen to retire. Of the 10, seven were over .500 at their respective schools.

By Tuesday, one had already been hired at another school. Arkansas' Houston Nutt resigned Monday and had moved on to Mississippi. Nutt wasn't forced to leave Arkansas, but he felt the pressure and decided the move was best for all.

Dennis Franchione's Texas A&M job immediately went to former Green Bay Packers coach Mike Sherman, another example of ADs recycling rather than reinventing. At a time when African-Americans rightly are annoyed that there are only six black head coaches in Division I football, Texas A&M doesn't even make the pretense of seeing who might be available.

Heisman update

So who is the Heisman winner now? Boston College's Matt Ryan has been disqualified by his team's failure and Oregon's Dennis Dixon got hurt too soon to remain the leading candidate.

That leaves Florida quarterback Tim Tebow with a legitimate shot at winning the Heisman as a sophomore. It's hard to dismiss his 20-20 achievement (touchdowns on the ground and in the air).

On the other hand, Missouri's Chase Daniel was spectacular against Kansas and has been consistent all season. West Virginia's Pat White and Hawaii's Colt Brennan also have had Heismanesque seasons and Arkansas running back Darren McFadden still looks like the best future pro.

At this point, my money's on Daniel because his team has outperformed Tebow-led Florida.

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Pat White, center, and No. 2 West Virginia will be in the BCS title game as long as they can avoid being tripped up at home Saturday by lowly Pittsburgh.

Jeff Gentner/Associated Press

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