Morgan: Wild season, BCS now even more of a mess

One week ago, I was a sage college football writer preaching patience. In spite of the endless turns in this season, I wrote, the BCS system was driving its way toward a reasonable national championship matchup.

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With credit to Phil Mickelson I now offer this updated admission: I’m such an idiot.

Somehow, I missed the weekly lessons playing out before me and assumed that reason would prevail.

Somehow, I believed this season could end in something other than utter chaos.

Just one of two things had to happen Saturday for the nation to have a clear-cut decision.

No. 1 Missouri had to beat Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game or No. 2 West Virginia had to beat 4-7 Pittsburgh in Morgantown, W. Va.

Of course, neither did.

West Virginia lost quarterback Pat White for most of the game with a thumb injury, and Missouri fell to Oklahoma for the second time this season.

On the final night of the 2007 regular season, I finally saw the light.

And it is blindingly confusing.

Here’s all we know.

Ohio State will (cringe) play for the national championship despite a thoroughly unimpressive résumé.

The Buckeyes’ opponent?

I have no idea.

At least six teams can stake a legitimate claim to that honor.

Given the flavor of this season, I’d find it hard to refute them.

Logic would dictate that No. 4 Georgia would join Ohio State in New Orleans on Jan. 7.

But who’s to say the voters won’t penalize the Bulldogs today because they didn’t even make it to the SEC title game?

Remember the flap when Nebraska made it to the 2002 Rose Bowl minus a Big 12 title?

Then there’s Kansas, one of two remaining teams in the BCS top 10 with just one loss. But the Jayhawks didn’t make it to the Big 12 title game.

Do voters decide that ACC champ Virginia Tech, Pac-10 champ USC, SEC champ LSU or Big 12 champ Oklahoma are more deserving, despite their two losses?

And the madness doesn’t stop at the national championship game.

Following its 20-17 win over Arizona Saturday at Sun Devil Stadium, the 10-2 Sun Devils were lobbying for a BCS bowl berth.

“I think we deserve to go to the Fiesta Bowl,” ASU quarterback Rudy Carpenter said.

The Sun Devils had a good shot if Hawaii fell to Washington in Saturday’s late game.

But why sell yourself short, Rudy?

If by some strange turn USC ends up in the BCS championship game, the Sun Devils could be Rose Bowl bound.

Unlikely, but so are a pair of weekends in which the No. 1 and No. 2 teams lose.

The BCS is in a no-win situation today.

No matter what resolution it reaches, there will be widespread cries of discontent.

The call for a playoff will resume — and when has the basis for that argument ever been stronger?

With AP voters no longer a part of the BCS equation, we have the very real possibility of a split national championship.

A travesty you say?

Maybe so.

But has there ever been a more remarkable college football season?