When I first realized I would be writing a column so close on the heels of one of our most historic presidential elections, I struggled with a way to connect the political and sports worlds.

But then president-elect Barack Obama did the work for me.

Earlier this week — during halftime of Monday Night Football, no less — Obama declared his dissatisfaction with the current BCS system and advocated a playoff in college football.

And I have to say, political affiliations aside, I can’t argue with that.

I’ve always believed college football needed a playoff system, but this season has just made me more emphatic.

Just look at the Big 12 South. Texas Tech, Texas, OU and Oklahoma State are all in the nation’s top 10. They all play each other, and the war of attrition between them has begun.

All four of these teams have proven they can play with some of the nation’s best, but only two of them are allowed to compete in BCS bowls. That means the other two will inevitably be relegated to inferior bowls against inferior teams, which they’ll likely crush.

I understand the argument that the current system makes every regular season game important and makes every week suspenseful.

To some degree, I agree with that point of view. Would Texas Tech’s victory over Texas have been as memorable and exciting if there was a playoff? Probably not.

But what is more important: excitement in the middle of the season, or having legitimate matchups at the end of the season. In my mind, it’s the latter.

Punishing a team like OU because it lost one game — a closely contested game against one of the best teams in the nation — seems unfair.

It’s also unfair that conference champions get an automatic BCS bid. The team that wins the Big East will get to a better bowl than two of the great teams from the Big 12 South.

Can you even name the leader in the Big East right now? (It’s West Virginia, No. 25 in the BCS)

How can you know which team is better than another if they never play each other? How would people know who would win between OU’s electric offense and USC’s immovable defense?

Maybe we’ll never get to see a playoff system, but we should. Instead of boiling the national title down to one game that could end up being a blowout, there would be a slew of games between the best teams in the nation.

That’s how all other sporting leagues determine their champion, and college football should follow suit.

— Corey DeMoss is the sports editor and a journalism senior.