Thanks, Alabama.

Thanks for laying a gargantuan egg in the Sugar Bowl. Thanks for not showing up until the second quarter. Yeah, thanks a lot.

Now we have to listen to these Utah people.

Good Lord, they actually think they should be number one. The coach even says he's voting for them. Yes, they're undefeated and all, improving to 13-0 after their 31-17 victory, but whatever happened to common sense? They have one-and-a-half, maybe one-and-three-quarters worth of big Ws this season (Alabama and Oregon State), and that's not enough, not this year.

Yes, they beat Alabama, and who's to say the Tide really came to play after losing to Florida? Yes, they're very good. Yes, they're a Top 10 and maybe even be a Top 5 team. Yes, they are good enough to beat anyone on that proverbial Given Day, but so are Oregon State and Ole Miss, as we've discovered. Yes, if this were basketball they'd have their shot at toppling the Big Boys in the Big Games.

But it's not basketball, is it? No, it's football, specifically Big-Time, Bowl Championship Series football (I'd refuse to use that new designation even if I knew what it was), and it's a ridiculously flawed system, one that does not include a proper playoff. We are dependent on common sense to help designate a champion, and no one with an ounce of common sense -- we are clearly exempting all citizens of Utah in this discussion -- can possibly believe there is any reason to think Utah would defeat Oklahoma, Florida, or Southern Cal today, tomorrow, next month, or ever.

They could, sure. Could, could, could. Anything is possible. This is why we play the game. Etc. Etc. Etc. I could give you as many cliches as you like .

But "could" is not "would." Find me a savvy bettor anywhere in America who'd take the Utes straight-up on a neutral field against Oklahoma, Florida, or Southern Cal. Hey, and let's throw in Texas.

That's what I'm talking about.