Despite its obvious problems, the BCS rankings always bring high drama to the end of the college football season. This week is the BCS’s last hurrah.

Oh BCS, how we’ll miss your frustrating polls. Oh BCS, how we’ll miss your confusing computers. Oh BCS, how we’ll miss your twists and turns. Oh BCS, how we’ll miss you.

As you probably have realized by this point, this is the last season that the NCAA will implement the Bowl Championship Series rankings and oh what a farewell performance this is shaping up to be; the BCS isn’t going down without a fight.

Last Saturday, the one-loss No. 4 Auburn Tigers knocked off the undefeated No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide and shook up the BCS standings so that they now resemble an insane asylum; neat to look at, but crazy on the inside. Two lovely undefeated teams (Florida State and Ohio State) sit at the top, followed by three one-loss SEC powerhouses (Auburn, Alabama and Missouri).

With one week remaining, the folks at ESPN are peeing their pants with the idea of a non-SEC National Championship, (the conference has won seven straight crystal footballs) and there is clearly no stopping to breathe as we barrel towards Dec. 8 and the BCS selection show. Four of the top five teams play in conference championship games this weekend, which could help to solidify the picture. Let’s review:

No. 1 Florida State has the easiest path to Pasadena, facing No. 20 Duke in the ACC championship on Saturday. If the Seminoles win, they’re in – barring something miraculous.  No. 2 Ohio State faces a tougher test against No. 10 Michigan State in the Big Ten championship, and No. 3 Auburn will play No. 5 Missouri in the SEC championship game. No. 4 Alabama will just sit and wait.

But wait a second, what happens if Mizzou knocks off Auburn? Do they jump Alabama? Do they jump over Ohio State? What if Nos. 1, 2, and 3 all win? Does Auburn get in because of their consecutive wins against top five teams? Ohio State hasn’t beaten a team in the top 15 all season! Does Alabama even have a chance to make it in? Do any of the SEC teams get credit for the fact that seven SEC teams have made appearances in the AP top 10 at some point during the season?

Why is this so complicated? (Sigh…)

For those who don’t know, next season’s playoff system will involve four national semifinal teams chosen by a panel of 13 real humans. Eight other teams will be chosen for four other bowl games that will clearly present lots of opportunities for teams to be snubbed. Clearly the NCAA thought that humans choosing four teams would be easier than computers choosing just two.

Using that logic, I’m a human and I would choose Florida State (assuming they win), Ohio State (assuming they win-they’re out if they lose), Alabama, and the winner of the SEC championship. Alabama gets the No. 4 seed (they have to prove they can win from the bottom), and Florida State gets the No. 1 spot, with Ohio State and the Auburn/Mizzou winner playing in the No. 2/3 game.

See? That wasn’t so hard! Forget my poem about the BCS, let’s just go straight to a playoff! It would be simpler to apply the “no team with one loss is ranked higher than an undefeated team” rule with strength of schedule as a tiebreak, but no, the BCS computers aren’t that rational.

There’s really no helping the BCS. It holds a love-hate relationship with every college football fan in the country, and leaves most of us feeling utterly stumped.

If you’re among the confused this Saturday, don’t worry, it’s almost over.

Peter is a freshman in Media. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter

@pbaileywells22.