What an exciting story! The two top ranked teams proving which is the best in the country; one of the oldest and most bitter rivalries in college football; Ohio State versus Michigan; on November 18, 2006, this historic match-up took place.

Ohio State won. That story is over; the excitement is gone.

There are 119 Division 1-A teams in NCAA football. There's no playoff system to decide who wins the championship. There's only a BS computer system (BCS). For two teams to play each other the last game of the regular season game, and allow the loser to play the winner again in the National Championship, instead of one of the 117 other teams, is an absolutely ridiculous idea.

The Ohio State Buckeyes prevailed 41-38 against the Michigan Wolverines this past Saturday. Now, many journalists are calling for a replay of the game on January 8, 2007, for the National Championship. This sentiment can be seen by the AP Poll in which Michigan is still ranked second despite the loss.

Michigan lost. They do not deserve this chance.

Closely on the Wolverines tails are the Trojans from the University of Southern California. USC put up a strong 23-9 showing against No. 17 California this past weekend. The Trojans held a Bears offense averaging nearly 35 points a game to one safety, one touchdown, and one extra point. Over the past three weeks, the Trojans have only given up only nineteen points to their opponents in a notoriously offensive conference.

Ahead for the Trojans, this weekend, are the No. 6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. If USC wins against the Irish and beats 6-5 UCLA the following weekend, the Trojans should supplant Michigan in the title game.

Assuming USC wins out, there should be no argument that they deserve to be in Glendale, Arizona with the Buckeyes. To go with the Cal and Notre Dame wins, the Trojans have beat current No. 5 Arkansas and No. 23 Nebraska (both playing in their respective conference championships). They also beat formerly No. 21 Oregon. The Trojans only loss of the season was a two-point road loss at Oregon State (currently third in the Pac-10). In that game the Trojans' rally from a 33-10 deficit late in the third quarter fell short on a failed two-point conversion and USC lost 33-31.

Michigan only beat two ranked teams this season: No. 6 Notre Dame and No. 10 Wisconsin. Sure, their only loss came to No. 1 Ohio State, but the game was farther than the 41-38 score might indicate. Michigan scored with 2:25 left and converted their two-point conversion to close an eleven-point gap to three. Ohio State recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran out the clock. After Ohio State took the lead with 12:47 left in the second quarter, Michigan was never less than 52 yards from a lead changing touchdown. Unlike USC, who out gained Oregon State by 108 yards in their loss, the Wolverines were out rushed, out passed, and out gained by 106 yards against Ohio State.

Ohio State has proven they are better than Michigan once and should not be asked to do it again. January 8 should provide the opportunity for another team to take their shot at the unanimously No. 1 Buckeyes.

USC is the clear favorite, but what if the Trojans drop one of their last two games and instead settle for the Rose Bowl (like Michigan should be forced to do after their loss)?

Behind the Trojans, Florida is the unanimous choice for the fourth seed in every poll. At 10-1, Florida's only loss came to formerly No. 11 Auburn. Florida's out of conference foes, Southern Mississippi, Central Florida, and Western Carolina, are hardly challenging, but Florida State was ranked eleventh in the preseason poll and the Gators get some reprieve for playing in such a difficult conference.

On December 2, Florida will play for the SEC Championship against No. 5 Arkansas. If Arkansas beat No. 9 LSU this weekend, the winner of the Championship Game will emerge with only one loss from a conference with five Top-20 teams.

The Arkansas Razorbacks have been the surprise of the nation this season. After a 50-14 shellacking at home to open the season against the USC Trojans, the Razorbacks have stampeded out ten consecutive wins and have gone undefeated in the nation's toughest conference.

If the Razorbacks win their games and finish 12-1, the only thing holding them back from the National Championship would be the lopsided loss to the No. 3 Trojans. However, if USC loses a game, it would be ludicrous to keep Arkansas out of the National Championship game. They would have beaten four of the other nineteen teams in the Top-20 (more than 20%). Their only loss would have been the opening week of the season, a life changing three months ago, to another one of the top teams in the country.

There is a fair consensus that Michigan is better than some, if not all, three of these one-loss teams. However, for years, there has been a demand for playoff games in college football. These demands have fallen on deaf ears. This year, however, in three successive weeks at the end the regular season, No. 1 Ohio State played No. 2 Michigan, No 3. USC plays No. 6 Notre Dame, and No. 4 Florida plays No. 5 Arkansas. Doesn't this look similar to the playoff system the journalists have been demanding!?! Hypocritically, these same journalists want to disregard these games and instead allow Michigan to play Ohio State again.

If Arkansas loses to LSU, Florida loses to Arkansas, and USC loses to Notre Dame, Notre Dame and Michigan will be the two one-loss teams left with a shot at the National Championship. Based on Michigan's 47-21 beat down of the Irish at Notre Dame, Michigan should finally get the nod over Notre Dame and go to Glendale.

However, if USC, Arkansas, or Florida, emerge unscathed, they should go to the National Championship. Michigan already had their chance to prove they deserved to be there and they lost.

In no other sport does a team get a second shot in an elimination game. There is no second Game 7; there is no second Super Bowl game; there is no second Gold Medal game. Those games aren't replayed just because the first one is exciting. In those games, the winner takes all, the loser gets nothing. Last Saturday, Ohio State took it all. Michigan should be left with nothing.

NOTE: This blog was written as an assignment for the Journalism 499: Sports Commentary class at the University of Southern California, taught by Joshua Adande.