Football season is funny. It starts in the sweltering heat of July and August and progresses through the clear, crisp days and nights of September and October into the dreary days of November and the frosty and frigid depths of December. And then, when everything is on the line, the games go tropical. That doesn't make any sense to me. It seems like the biggest games of the year should be played in some dark, frozen arctic cave instead.

But, in any case, we're down to the final week of the regular college football season. On one hand, I'm rooting for USC and Texas to make it through this final weekend unscathed and looking forward to a great matchup in the Rose Bowl. On the other hand, I wouldn't mind seeing all the big teams lose tomorrow and having the whole system blow up. On the third hand (and please don't ask where that is), I don't really hate the BCS. College football doesn't have a playoff system, but the whole season plays out like sudden death. Why in the world should a USC or Texas have to play some 10-1 team in the first round of a playoff now? Maybe that 10-1 team should have won all of their games too. Of course, last year Auburn won all their games and was screwed. But, was that really the fault of the system itself? I don't think so. It was the fault of poll voters who were so rigid in their thinking that they wouldn't move teams around unless they lost. I've yet to see a college playoff system proposed that would remove the danger of human error.

The Dummocrats pool is over (James won it for the house). We may try to do something again this year for the Bowls, so stay tuned. In the meantime, here are my abbreviated picks for Week 14:

#2 Texas vs. Colorado: This is an example of why I hate conference championship games. Texas already pounded Colorado, but if Colorado wins tomorrow they go to the Fiesta Bowl. The championship game renders their previous meeting meaningless. Unless teams play in a conference where the divisions do not play each other, championship games are just a crock engineered by money grubbing officials. Anyway, remembering that in the Big 12, everyone sucks but Texas, I will have to pick Texas will be Rose Bowl bound.

#11 UCLA at #1 USC: UCLA is 9-1, but their record is a bit misleading as they haven't defeated a single ranked team. They beat Cal earlier in the season, but later events proved that Cal's ranking was a sham. They also didn't play Oregon this season. How convenient. I think USC crushes them and the Rose Bowl hype begins.

#13 Georgia vs. #3 LSU: This season has proven that I know nothing about the SEC. If you're a betting man or woman, I urge to put your money on whoever I don't pick. I'm going with Georgia. LSU barely beat Arkansas last time out and I just can't believe they're the third best team in the nation.

#5 Virginia Tech vs. Florida State: Last week I was all about how Florida State was going to beat up on Florida. Blah blah blah. Seriously, I know nothing about the SEC (or, apparently, the ACC). Even though they lost to Miami, Virginia Tech still might be the third best team in the nation. I think they win here to set up an intriguing matchup with Penn State in the Orange Bowl.