leave no doubt

Friday, January 02, 2004, at 04:19AM

By Eric Richardson

I haven't mentioned football very often here, which is a bit odd, since each fall the college game comes very close to being atop the list of things taking my time.

Yesterday USC capped off the college football season with a win against Michigan. Everyone knows that. Anyone who watched the game or has read the articles realizes that Michigan had given up 5 passing touchdowns all year. Yesterday they gave up four. Everyone knows that Michigan had given up 15 sacks all year. Yesterday they gave up nine.

I don't know what can or should be done to fix the BCS system. What cannot be denied is that this system does not pick the two best teams in the country as participants for its national championship game. It didn't a couple years ago when Florida St went over Miami, it didn't when Nebraska went over Oregon, and it didn't this year. In my mind, no system at all is better than a system that so consistently fails at the explicit goal for which it was created.

I loved the Rose Bowl. I loved the matchup. I would rather have had USC play Michigan than either of the two teams that will line up Sunday night in New Orleans. I have no problem with the old system that produced occasional split national championships. If USC this year proves the catalyst for the dramatic change or removal of the BCS, I will be pleased.

Speaking of USC football, I have to mention right now the one site that got me through the football season. Garry and the rest of the staff of WeAreSC have done an amazing job all year, and I don't know what I would have done this summer without their daily practice reports.