The college football season ends tonight. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the arguing, complaining, pontificating, whining and pining for a playoff.

The winner of the Ohio State-LSU matchup in the BCS National Championship Game gets to celebrate at the Superdome. The winner gets to don freshly screened championship caps and t-shirts, kiss the crystal trophy, dance the night away and watch their fans and boosters take over the French Quarter.

For the loser, closure is the consolation prize. Nobody wearing the colors of the losing side will stake a claim to a piece of the title. They'll just sit back and watch the national debate.

No matter how things go on the field, the winning team will be put in the unusual position of having to defend its position as the No. 1 team in the land. Fans from USC, Georgia and Kansas will argue that they deserve a shot at the title.

That's the way the BCS is set up, and it's not going to change soon. The Big 10 and Pac-10 agreement with the Rose Bowl and ABC last through 2014. Administrators are petrified to even try a playoff system, citing travel and academic concerns.

Reasonable folks posit that the problem could be solved with a "plus one" system. There are a few ways to accomplish this: seed the top four teams and let the winners square off; or, play the bowls as scheduled and let voters pick the top two teams to play one extra game for the championship.

The people in charge don't like either system; mostly because of a fear that bowl games will be diminished and that it will eventually lead to a full-scale playoff. The argument, and it has some merit, is that teams that are left out of the playoff picture will complain just as loudly as teams that are left out of the championship game.

The anti-playoff crowd needs an impressive game tonight, because the battlefield is tilted uphill. LSU is the first two-loss team in the BCS finale. The Tigers needed the planets to align and it happened. They beat Tennessee for the SEC championship; Oklahoma clobbered top-ranked Missouri in the Big 12 championship game and Pittsburgh upended then-No. 2 West Virginia.

Ohio State, which is making its third title appearance in six years, also is flawed. The Buckeyes, who were drilled by Florida in the final last year, 41-14, lost a regular-season game to Illinois, which was pounded by USC in the Rose Bowl.

Add in the fact that there is no Heisman Trophy winner in the title game for the first time since 2002 and you can see why skeptics are licking their chops.

Strip away the BCS element and you are left with a typical game between an SEC school, which is billed as being fast, and the Big 10, which is known for strength and smarts.

As in most big games, the quarterbacks will decide this one. Ohio State's Todd Boeckman is 6 feet 5 inches, 235 pounds and not a threat to run like many SEC quarterbacks. He has solid receivers in Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline, but LSU's core is more dynamic. LSU quarterback Matt Flynn is a clutch player, but he will be spelled by backup Ryan Perrilloux.

With Jim Tressel manning the sideline, Ohio State may have an edge in coaching even though LSU's Les Miles has a 33-6 record at LSU and a strong staff. LSU has the advantage of playing close to home, but the Buckeyes are reveling in being the underdog.

These are accomplished teams from powerhouse conferences with great tradition and fervent fans. The ingredients are in place for a terrific game.

For a lot of interested parties, that's exactly what is needed. The 2007 college football regular season was one of the more exciting in recent memory.

It deserves a compelling, fulfilling finish.