Mike Celizic

The thought was almost enough to make you hope before Thursday that Oklahoma lost the BCS title game. It was the glimmer of hope that coming this close to a national championship would convince Sam Bradford to come back for one more year and one more shot at a national title.

I’m not sure what else would keep Bradford, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, around other than losing the game and having his judgment blurred by a burning desire to wreak vengeance on Tim Tebow. I don’t wish a loss on anyone except maybe Jose Canseco, but I do want Bradford to stick around. He may not need another year of college football any more than Death Valley needs another day of sunshine, but fans of the game need him.

Specifically, we fans need Bradford to stage another great three-way Heisman race with Florida’s Tebow and Texas’ Colt McCoy. And if USC’s Mark Sanchez and even Ohio State’s Terrelle Pryor want to join the party, no one will object.

I’m not sure when the last time was — if ever — that college football was blessed with so many quarterbacks playing at such a high level. Oh, there have been plenty of great quarterbacks before and a dozens of great seasons by the likes of Ty Detmer, Andre Ware, Colt Brennan. Just this year, while Tebow, Bradford and McCoy were lighting it up, Graham Harrell was setting NCAA records at Texas Tech.

But Bradford, McCoy and Tebow didn’t just finish 1-2-3 in the Heisman, they led teams fighting for the number one ranking from one end of the season to the other. Each came at it with a different style — Bradford the premier NFL prospect, McCoy the blend of passing and running, Tebow the physical monster who is a punishing runner and a deadly passer.

Now think of a Heisman race next year that also includes Sanchez, a classic pocket passer, and Pryor, with his tremendous athleticism. Just thinking about it makes me run for the drool cup.

You never know which great college quarterback is going to make it big in the pros, whose best passers rarely bring football’s most famous trophy to training camp. The NFL demands different skills than college, which has room for players who aren't incredibly accurate.

So when you get guys like this on the college field, you want them to stay there as long as possible. It’s not for their sakes. Football players, like everyone else, tend to enjoy working for paychecks rather than for free room and board. And since careers can end with any play, it’s a good idea to get that good pro job just as soon as you can.

So in playing quarterback, as in so many things in sports, the interests of the performers don’t always match those of the people who pay to watch them. We want them to stay exactly where they are and as they are forever. They want to move on to the next challenge.

And that’s why I may find myself hoping that Bradford has some experience against Tebow and Florida that convinces him that coming back to Oklahoma for one more season is more important than a seven-figure signing bonus.

If I do, it won’t be because I have any antipathy for the Sooners — I just want to see the best team win in an exciting game — but because I’m a selfish s.o.b.

If you’re a sports fan, I assume you are, too, when it comes to your favorite players.

Gators win BCS Championship Game No. 1 Florida 24, No. 2 Oklahoma 14 Gators swamp Sooners | Slideshow: Top images Gators No. 1 in polls  |  Final rankings  |  Vote Opinion: Tebow's grit one of a kind  |  Images Opinion: Stoops' rep takes big hit  |  Schooled Gators make Bradford look ordinary  |  Images Harvin shines on big stage vs. Sooners Florida foils three Oklahoma scoring threats Florida repeat? Gators have good shot |  Vote Is Florida the Team of the Decade? Vote: Should Tebow, Bradford turn pro? Opinion: Utah's only loss delivered by voters

We’ve had a lot of viewing pleasure this bowl season. On New Year’s Day, we warmed up watching Sanchez get a head start on next year’s Heisman race by dismantling a very good Penn State defense in the Rose Bowl. On Monday in the Fiesta Bowl, McCoy finished his junior year with a great second half and last-minute winning drive that we’re going to be talking about for years. He needed to be as great as he was capable of being because Pryor had forced him to.

These guys came into their games with a ton of hype, and they lived up to every bit of it. It’s not often we get that, and I want another year of it.

And it’s not even done. We still get to see last year’s Heisman winner and this year’s winner go head-to-head for the BCS’ version of national championship. I have every expectation that neither Tebow nor Bradford will disappoint.

Who would want this to ever stop? I mean other than a kid who wants to make a ton of money for doing what he’s doing now for free?

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