Michael Ventre

There are many forms of entertainment, geared to many tastes.

If you want to doze, you can put on meditative strings and harp. If you want to rock, you can play Led Zeppelin.

With movies, you can check out a searing drama about a dysfunctional family set against the backdrop of the Great Depression. Or you can watch two hours of cars crashing, bombs exploding and ammo flying.

The BCS national championship game is set for January 7 in New Orleans, and I would suggest you restrain yourself and don’t get your heart set on any one particular type of entertainment experience. Things are just too wacky right now, the picture is only slightly less cloudy than it was a few days ago, and worst of all, there is still time for — gulp! — Ohio State to earn a berth and bore the stuffing out of everybody.

Head coach Jim Tressel certainly is one of the finest in the land, but watching his Buckeyes play is like watching carpenters put up dry wall. There may be something about the Big Ten that discourages flamboyance and imagination, and from an old-school, salt-of-the-earth standpoint I can respect that. But when I tune in to the title game, I want to see sparks and feel electricity, not observe a focus group for Ambien.

That’s why the nation today should be rooting for West Virginia and Missouri to meet in the championship game. That, and the fact that after a long and kooky season, they seem like the two teams that deserve it the most.

And it will happen, as long as No. 1 Missouri and No. 2 West Virginia win their final games on Saturday. Missouri plays No. 9 Oklahoma in the Big 12 championship game, while West Virginia hosts unranked Pittsburgh.

As the nation saw last Saturday night, Missouri is not only an excellent team, it is also a hoot to watch. The Tigers have an accurate and savvy QB in Chase Daniel, and they have a bevy of weapons at his disposal. While it’s difficult to assess what Missouri’s 519 yards rolled up against the Kansas defense mean exactly, since the Jayhawks were a mystery before Saturday, the Tigers have exhibited offensive might throughout the season, including 31 points in their only loss to the Sooners.

Big 12 championship game at K.C. No. 4 OU vs. No. 19 Missouri, 8 p.m. ET Sat., ABC   Video: Oklahoma simply too good to lose Predictions 101: Sooners should cruise  |  Vote Opinion: It's a mistake to say Mizzou can't win Heisman Hopefuls: Bradford in front  |  Images

West Virginia has not one, but two of the most thrilling playmakers in the game in quarterback Pat White and running back Steve Slaton. They know how to move the ball, and to do it with flair.

There’s a chance either team could slip up. Oklahoma will definitely be at a disadvantage Saturday in the Big 12 title game, since it is a brutal task to beat the same team twice in one season, especially a team that has the kind of momentum that Missouri currently boasts. Yet  Oklahoma slipped and fell two weeks ago against Texas Tech, and Bob Stoops’ charges will be eager to remain in the hunt for a slice of the BCS pie rather than plummet into second-tier-bowl oblivion.

West Virginia has an easier time. Pitt has lost three of its last four, although the Panthers were competitive in all three defeats. But they just don’t have the firepower to keep up with the Mountaineers.

Ohio State could wind up in the Rose Bowl. If so, that’ll work out better, because at least then fans have a parade to watch.

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