Perhaps all the critics of the Bowl Championship Series can take a deep breath and a few months off in their criticism of the system. Texas and USC will very likely wind up undefeated, earning the right to meet for the ugly crystal trophy emblematic of the national championship. That's going to bother a lot of people who believe no system is complete without a playoff, people who, too often, miss the point of what makes college football unique from any other competitive sport.

The college game doesn't need a playoff, it already has one built into the regular season. Miami and Virginia Tech a few weeks ago? Playoff game. Miami and Florida State way back on Labor Day? Playoff game. Texas and Ohio St in September, and SC and Notre Dame in October? Same thing.

The problem with so many sports is that the regular season is nothing but false drama. It's okay to lose, just lose too many games that you miss out on the post-season. The Monday Nighter between the Colts and Patriots had no sense of urgency. The only issue was whether Indianapolis could finally break through against New England. Both teams will be in the playoffs so the result from this game is meaningless.

College football has managed to survive for 135 years without a playoff. For years, college football and its fans were okay with a regular season that led to a handful of bowl games that served as rewards for conference champions and near-champions. The national championship sometimes led to controversy. So what? That only served to keep the game on the front burner even after the season.

Of course, that wasn