Remember Carly Fiorina’s demon sheep? Of course you do. We all love the demon sheep. No more than the Playoff PAC, a political group lobbying Congress to destroy the Bowl Championship Series. So, they took Fiorina’s ad and did their own play on it (h/t Dr. Saturday).

If you’ve thought we’ve moved on from Alabama winning the national championship, you’ve got another thing coming. After 17 years in the wilderness, we’re enjoying the hell out of this one, and will milk it for as long as possible. Hopefully, that will only be until next year’s BCS National Championship Game, considering that the Crimson Tide has a wealth of talent returning.

It had been 17 years. The fan base was hungry. The players were hungry. Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram was hungry. It had to happen. Alabama beat Texas 37-21 to win the national championship.

Sure, the haters were out. It was expected. But they weren’t on the field. Texas quarterback Colt McCoy couldn’t handle a tough, physical defense and had his shoulder injured early. Too bad for him. He plays in a weak conference against weak defenses. When you play against the Southeastern Conference, you have to show up to do battle, son.

Ingram had to check out, too, with cramps. Thing is, his replacement, freshman Trent Richardson, would start for most teams in the country. At halftime, it looked like a walk. 24-6 Alabama. But the Longhorns didn’t quit. They played hard, and cut the lead to three. Wide receiver Jordan Shipley played out of his mind.

Regardless, never discount the Crimson Tide defense. Huffman High School graduate Marcell Dareus, a mid-season replacement, intercepted a pass by the Texas backup to score late in the first half. The big win was solidified when a hit came from Eryk Anders and Bama recovered the ball inside the 10-yard-line, followed by a touchdown run by Richardson.

It’s been a rough few years. Certainly, 1994 and 1996 had Alabama in the mix to win it all, but it didn’t happen. Then came the long, dark tea time of the Tide. Sure, there were decent teams, but none legitimately challenged for the national title.

Then there was 2009. The 13th national championship for Alabama. Feels good.

As we sit here, watching the Fiesta Bowl between two undefeated teams, that’s not the national championship game, a gentleman’s thoughts turn to playoffs for major college football. How interesting those playoffs would be is debatable. We lose all interest in the NCAA basketball tournament before the Elite Eight, unless we have a team in the mix. In 2004, when Alabama went to the round of eight and UAB made the Sweet 16 was the last time we cared after the second round. Why? It’s the reason any casual fan watches — upsets and tournament pools.

A 16-team football playoff will not generate the same amount of upset drama. Sure, they could happen, but by this point in the season, you would be less likely to see Troy knock off Alabama. Big upsets are more likely to occur early in the season, when the talent-rich teams are still figuring themselves out. The 1999 Crimson Tide team that won the SEC and went to the Orange Bowl was bested by Louisiana Tech. These things happen.

But, the Playoff PAC is working to get the big boys in a playoff system, and is running commercials now to sway opinion. It features none other than an interview taken from the brilliant “Dan Patrick Show.” Which you can watch on DirecTV channel 101 (inside jokes).

We’re on record defending the Bowl Championship Series, probably because we’ve read too much Slate and went into a David Plotz-ian contrarian frenzy. Or maybe Jack Shafer would be more appropriate. Whatever. Anyway, like Warren Zevon sang, “I appreciate the best, but I’m settling for less, so I’m looking for the next best thing.” The BCS is the next best thing. Remember college football before the BCS? And before the zombie precursor to the BCS? REMEMBER THE UPI POLL? Shit was crazy. But, it seems we’ve found the perfect compromise.

Enter the Stick Jockey at gaming blog Kotaku. Not only did they come up with a brilliant idea for a 16-team playoff, it was done with the bowl system intact. The idea is rather lengthy and involved, but it can be boiled down to a manageable level.

First, you start off with the champions of each of the FBS conferences. Win your conference, get in the playoff. Not bad, when you’re Troy. Instant shot, albeit a long one for some teams, to win the national championship. It’s the ultimate leveling of the playing field. Then, there’s at-large teams, picked in much a way as the NCAA basketball tournament. LSU gets in. As a result, the SEC is the only conference with three teams in the bunch (joining Alabama and Florida). Some jagoff in Los Angeles or New York City gets their panties in a wad about it. Yay, the new drama-free college football postseason! It’s valid, though, because it maintains the importance of the regular season. LSU beats in Penn State because the Tigers played, and beat, tougher teams. Logic prevails.

Super-extra bonus: Some bowls can’t exist because a lack of teams. That means six bowls, including Birmingham’s Papajohns.com Bowl get the can. Being at the bottom sucks, bowl committeemen. There are still 27 bowls, which are way, way more than enough for everybody not in the playoffs. Sure, the big bowls are still there, and they may bitch about not getting better teams (Ole Miss ends up in the Sugar Bowl), but the bowl is still viable as a stand-alone entity (instead of being included in a playoff scenario) and the trip from Oxford to New Orleans isn’t that far.

The games are all simulated in NCAA Football 2010. The playoff games are at the stadium of the higher-seeded team, except for the championship game, which is in San Diego, because it’s warm and none of the larger bowls are run out of Qualcomm Stadium.

Carolina loses. But you knew that already.

at Memphis, Tenn.
Liberty Bowl:
Houston (Conference USA, 10-3) vs. South Carolina (SEC, 7-5)
South Carolina’s defense gets Houston down 17-0 early, but Case Keenum and the high-powered Cougars come storming back for a 45-34 win that isn’t that close. Keenum tosses five touchdowns, two to Tyron Carrier, who also has 175 yards.

Clemson wins.

at Miami
Orange Bowl:
Clemson (ACC, 8-5) vs. No. 20 Nebraska (Big XII, 9-4)
By virtue of its tie-in with the ACC, the Orange has been the de facto Kids’ Table of the BCS for much of this decade, including a Wake Forest-Louisville matchup in 2007 that should have been broadcast by Raycom. But here the Orange returns to its old Big Eight roots to invite Nebraska, pairing the Cornhuskers with Clemson in a matchup recalling 1982, Tom Osborne and Danny Ford, and the Tigers’ only national championship.

Clemson’s C.J. Spiller starts the game with an Orange Bowl record 82-yard run from scrimmage for a touchdown as the Tigers sprint to a 21-7 lead by the half. Nebraska rallies to a 28-28 tie, then goes for it on 4th and 1 from their own 35 with 6 minutes left in the fourth – and fumbles. Spiller’s ensuing 7-yard touchdown grab out of the backfield from Kyle Parker provides the final margin, 35-28.

The playoffs turn out thusly:

First Round
(16) Troy 27, (1) Alabama 52
(15) East Carolina 0, (2) Texas 52
(14) Central Michigan 24, (3) Cincinnati 45
(13) LSU 52, (4) TCU 55
(12) BYU 41, (5) Boise State 39
(11) Iowa 15, (6) Oregon 41
(10) Virginia Tech 27, (7) Ohio State 29
(9) Florida 43, (8) Georgia Tech 3

Second Round
(12) BYU 21, (4) TCU 24
(9) Florida 34, (1) Alabama 35
(7) Ohio State 17, (2) Texas 45
(6) Oregon 27, (3) Cincinnati 24

Semifinals
(4) TCU 17, (1) Alabama 30
(6) Oregon 31, (2) Texas 24

National Championship
(6) Oregon 35, (1) Alabama 23

Wait, did we say this was a great idea? No, no, no. This idea is total bullshit. Bama didn’t go all that way to lose to some garishly-dressed Ducks from Nike U. In all seriousness, though, while half the nation is spitballing ideas on how to improve the system, this one looks the best.

Bart Starr. Joe Namath. Kenny Stabler. Lee Roy Jordan. Cornelius Bennett. Derrick Thomas. David Palmer. Shaun Alexander. None of these heroes of Alabama football won the Heisman Trophy. For a program that has 12 national championships and 22 Southeastern Conference titles, the other major accomplishment in college football was something that had been lacking from the Tide trophy case for years. No longer.

Crimson Tide running back Mark Ingram added one of the more incredible accomplishments of the team this year, becoming Bama’s first-ever Heisman winner, and the third consecutive sophomore to take home the award. The win was the closest in the history of the award, 75-Heismans deep. For the first time in years, stiffarmtrophy.com got the final lineup wrong. It had Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh in third, ahead of Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, but in fact the two flipped positions in the final results.

1. MARK INGRAM, RUNNING BACK, ALABAMA
Votes: 1,304 (227)
2. TOBY GERHART, RUNNING BACK, STANFORD
Votes: 1,276 (222)
3. COLT MCCOY, QUARTERBACK, TEXAS
Votes: 1,145 (203)
4. NDAMUKONG SUH, DEFENSIVE TACKLE, NEBRASKA
Votes: 815 (161)
5. TIM TEBOW, QUARTERBACK, FLORIDA
Votes: 390 (43)

Perhaps the most memorable part of the ceremony was Ingram totally losing it when he went on the dais, having to take a few seconds to compose himself. It was only about a minute or two into the acceptance speech that the 2009 winner was able to get himself together enough to roll through the rest of his thank-yous.

“I’m a little overwhelmed right now,” Ingram said at the podium. “I’m just so excited to bring Alabama their first Heisman winner.” Afterward, the super sophomore told the assembled media, “I was overwhelmed, really excited, just the fact that I’m the first Heisman Trophy winner at the University of Alabama and doing this for my family. It hasn’t been easy for us.”

Alabama football is an emotional endeavor, so most of us who slagged on Tebow for crying during the SEC Championship Game gave Ingram a pass. Double standards are the spice of life in sports.

This season, Ingram put up 1,542 rushing yards on 249 attempts for 6.2 yards-per-carry and 15 touchdowns, despite being extremely limited in action against the patsies of the Tide schedule. He also has 30 receptions for 322 yards, for 10.7 yards-per-catch and three touchdowns.

Ingram wins

Ingram’s interview with ESPN’s Chris Fowler

There’s only one step left: beating Texas in Pasadena in the BCS National Championship Game. If Alabama can do that, and there is significant thought to believe that it’s possible, 2009 could go down as one of the greatest years in the 117-year history of Crimson Tide football.

This week, the University of Alabama announced it was canceling classes between Jan. 6 and Jan. 8 for the BCS National Championship Game between the Crimson Tide and Texas. For the kids in public school in Tuscaloosa County, they don’t get the same consideration. It was announced today that the local school district will be operating as usual.

“We are thrilled and excited that one of our partners [the University of Alabama] has made it to a national level, but that does not affect a K through 12 institution,” Joyce Levey, superintendent of the city school system, said during a work session.

Levey said 37 of the system’s faculty and staff members asked her to cancel school for the football game on Jan. 7, which is the first day that students return to school from Christmas break.

The request was considered and placed on the school board meeting’s agenda, but the board rejected the request.

For shame! But, the game is at night, so there’s that. When we were in fifth grade in North Carolina, they wheeled a TV into the classroom so the ACC basketball tournament could be in the background while we went about our normal business. And in seventh grade when most major bowl games were played on Jan. 2, we got to have the games playing in the background all day. Maybe some T-Town teachers will do the same.

Regardless, we feel for you, Tuscaloosa County students. Of course, you just could get a sick note and stay home. Who can concentrate on class when your favorite team is playing for all the marbles?

You could see this coming from a mile away. Members of the University of Alabama faculty senate have expressed their displeasure at the university canceling classes from Jan. 6-Jan. 8 for the BCS National Championship Game, when the No. 1 Crimson Tide faces off against No. 2 Texas for the football program’s 13th national title. Fucking academics.

The group passed a motion Tuesday stating that members were “profoundly disappointed” in the university’s decision to cancel classes for a football game. Professor John Vincent said the situation is a “true embarrassment” for the university because it sacrifices 95 percent of students for the 5 percent who will be at the game.

Waah. Don’t they know that a profound amount of students go to Tuscaloosa just because of football? And furthermore, don’t they realize that the tuition these kids pay goes directly to their salaries? At least not everyone is getting their white-columned panties in a bunch. The senate president and vice president both came out in favor of the cancellation.

Maybe they got to see this video before making their positions known.

If it weren’t for football, Alabama would just be a public school version of Samford. And nobody wants that. Except Auburn. And Tennessee. And Florida. And LSU….

There are 34 bowl games this year, and we’re picking every damn one of them (probably with 60-70 percent success). You can follow the progress or join up and do battle with us through ESPN College Bowl Mania. We’re in “The League” and “The War Against Tebow.” TWAT (jokes!) is the brainchild of decamped S.C. blogger and good time Johnny, Micah Snead, so go there. But beware — Snead’s dad is a total ringer and will probably take the title by 20 points.

Dec. 19, 4:30 p.m., ESPN
Fresno State v. Wyoming

Dec. 19, 8 p.m., ESPN
Central Florida v. Rutgers

Dec. 20, 8:30 a.m., ESPN
Southern Miss v. Middle Tennessee State

Dec. 22, 8 p.m., ESPN
No. 18 Oregon State v. No. 14 BYU

Dec. 23, 8 p.m., ESPN
No. 23 Utah v. California

Dec. 24, 8 p.m., ESPN
Nevada v. Southern Methodist

Dec. 26, 1 p.m., ESPN
Marshall v. Ohio

Dec. 26, 4:30 p.m., ESPN
No. 17 Pitt v. North Carolina

Dec. 26, 8 p.m., ESPN
Boston College v. No. 24 Southern Cal

Dec. 27, 8:30 p.m., ESPN
Kentucky v. Clemson

Dec. 28, 5 p.m., ESPN2
Texas A&M v. Georgia

Dec. 29, 4:30 p.m., ESPN
UCLA v. Temple

Dec. 29, 8 p.m., ESPN
No. 15 Miami v. No. 25 Wisconsin

Dec. 30, 4:30 p.m., ESPN
Bowling Green v. Idaho

Dec. 30, 8 p.m., ESPN
No. 20 Arizona v. No. 22 Nebraska

Dec. 31, Noon, ESPN
Houston v. Air Force

Dec. 31, 2 p.m., CBS
Oklahoma v. No. 21 Stanford

Dec. 31, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Navy v. Missouri

Dec. 31, 6 p.m., NFL Network
Minnesota v. Iowa State

Dec. 31, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
No. 11 Virginia Tech v. Tennessee

Jan. 1, 11 a.m., ESPN
Northwestern v. Auburn

Jan. 1, 1 p.m., CBS
No. 16 West Virginia v. Florida State

Jan. 1, 1 p.m., ESPN
No. 13 Penn State v. No. 12 LSU

Jan. 1, 4:30 p.m., ABC
No. 8 Ohio State v. No. 7 Oregon

Jan. 1, 8:30 p.m., Fox
No. 5 Florida v. No. 3 Cincinnati

Jan. 2, Noon, ESPN2
South Florida v. Northern Illinois

Jan. 2, 2 p.m., ESPN
South Carolina v. Connecticut

Jan. 2, 2 p.m., Fox
No. 19 Oklahoma State v. Ole Miss

Jan. 2, 5:30 p.m., ESPN
Arkansas v. East Carolina

Jan. 2, 9 p.m., ESPN
Michigan State v. Texas Tech

Jan. 4, 8 p.m., Fox
No. 6 Boise State v. No. 4 TCU

Jan. 5, 8 p.m., Fox
No. 10 Iowa v. No. 9 Georgia Tech

Jan. 6, 7 p.m., Fox
No. 25 Central Michigan v. Troy

Jan. 7, 8 p.m., ABC
No. 2 Texas v. No. 1 Alabama

Here we go. With the conference championship games over, and only Army-Navy left on Dec. 12, bowl bids are going out hot and heavy. There are some things that were expected, some surprises and — oh man — Clemson totally got jobbed.

BCS National Championship Game
No. 1 Alabama v. No. 2 Texas
Sugar Bowl
No. 5 Florida v. No. 3 Cincinnati
Capital One Bowl
No. 12 LSU v. No. 13 Penn State
Cotton Bowl
Ole Miss v. No. 19 Oklahoma State
Outback Bowl
Auburn v. Northwestern
Chick-fil-A Bowl
Tennessee v. No. 11 Virginia Tech
Music City Bowl
Kentucky v. Clemson
Liberty Bowl
Arkansas v. East Carolina
Independence Bowl
Georgia v. Texas A&M
Papajohns.com Bowl
South Carolina v. Connecticut

Definitely some interesting matchups — Georgia and Texas A&M are a couple big name teams for a small bowl, so that should be good. In other bowls, the Gator Bowl gave a big, wet, sloppy kiss to Bobby Bowden by inviting Florida State and West Virginia. Travesty. Though it was technically OK, Miami and Boston College were higher up in the selection order in the ACC. Southern Cal, the over-hyped 8-4 team, is going to play the Eagles in the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco.

Ooh! There are other BCS games?

Fiesta Bowl
No. 6 Boise State v. No. 4 TCU
Rose Bowl
No. 7 Oregon v. No. 8 Ohio State
Orange Bowl
No. 9 Georgia Tech v. No. 10 Iowa