What about Boise?

GLENDALE, Ariz. – A week ago Jared Zabransky stood on this same field and declared that his Boise State Broncos – the People's Champion, America's Team – deserved a crack at the national title after its wild victory over Oklahoma pushed them to 13-0 and full national respectability.

It won't happen, even if it should, even if America would rather have seen Boise State play again than Florida whip Ohio State 41-14 in what likely will be the lowest-rated championship game ever, a buzz-less blowout that took place too far after the other bowl games.

No offense to Florida, the rightful and worthy BCS champion after its domination here Monday, but this college football season peaked back on Jan. 1, its traditional day, when a non-traditional team riveted the country.

That was an instant classic. This just will be instantly forgotten by many.

The Gators (13-1) may be the champs, quarterback Chris Leak may be the feel-good redemption story and the SEC may be proven as the dominant league this season, but here at the conclusion, with the confetti raining down, something was missing.

Boise State.

"[Florida] earned a national championship," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel conceded.

But only because the Gators had the chance to earn it.

Conventional wisdom would say that if Florida played the way it played Monday against Ohio State – ferocious on defense, fast on offense, smart at quarterback – then Boise wouldn't stand a chance, no matter how many trick plays coach Chris Petersen drew up.

But then again, conventional wisdom said Ohio State was going to roll the Gators and Oklahoma would humiliate Boise.

"Yeah," said UF coach Urban Meyer, "let's play them next week."

He began smiling.

"I know Boise State. I would not want to do that. We're good. We're done. We're finished."

He laughed some more. Maybe, a bit, in relief.

"There is probably five, six, seven great football teams in this country, and there is one way to figure out who the better team is and that's to go play the game."

The strength of the college game is its diversity, its differences. No two offenses are alike, no two conferences similar, no two schedules the same. Division I-A has 119 teams competing for one title (pro leagues have around 30) making all comparisons impossible.

There is no way, no formula, no mix of opinion polls and computers that ever consistently can select the top two teams. If there ever were a sport that demanded a tournament, it is college football – even more so than pro sports where there is a comparative body of regular season work.

No matter how hard it tries, this championship system turns up paper contenders as often as not (Oklahoma 2004, 2003; Nebraska 2001). No one doubted Ohio State's credentials getting here; the Buckeyes were 12-0 and virtually untested and boasted the Heisman Trophy winner, Troy Smith, at quarterback.

But they never stood a chance in this one, as Florida's superior speed, execution and hunger turned the game into a lopsided affair before halftime hit.

Tack on a 51-day layoff for Ohio State in a game scheduled a week after much of America had given up on college football in favor of the NFL playoffs (and in a game held far from a tradition-rich campus in this architectural disaster in the sprawl of the desert), and this was a great night only if you were a Florida Gator.

While a perfect world would have given Boise a shot to keep playing and to keep winning, make no mistake: The Gators are the undeniable champion. The system is the system, and Florida is the undisputed champion.

Boise State doesn't deserve a share of the title, just a chance at it.

For Florida, this was complete satisfaction, but too many questions remain. Debate will rage. Could the Gators have handled Zabransky, Ian Johnson and Petersen's playbook? Could Cinderella have done it again, ridden a wave of momentum and emotion to shock the Gators the way they did the Sooners?

Monday may mean everything in Florida, as it should, but to most fans, Nirvana was hit when Boise proved that anything is possible in the greatest game anyone had ever seen.

Then, at 13-0, the Broncos were told their season was over – not because they weren't good enough this season but because decades ago they weren't good enough to get into the proper blueblood conference to generate schedule strength.

So rather than a potential thriller, rather than building on all that momentum from the trick plays, the big comeback and the marriage proposal, rather than continuing to captivate the country, we got this – a mismatch that made millions but thrilled few outside Gainesville.

One-loss Florida was wonderful. But unbeaten Boise State, and the rest of the country, is left wondering.