At least we all know Ohio State is absolutely, positively, definitely, without doubt or question the No. 1 team in country.

Right?

Harris Poll voter Jim Walden voted Florida as the No. 1 team in the country.

I don’t even want to know why, other than I’d check to see whether he’s wearing Gators underwear and socks. He’s a former college coach at Iowa State, but that just proves what some fans have thought all along: There are some coaches who know less than the people sitting in the stands.

There were at least five voters who ranked Michigan fourth in the Harris Poll.

Ohio State coach Jim Tressel declined to vote for anyone in the USA Today’s coaches poll, knowing that he’d be criticized regardless of whom he ranked No. 2.

Pick Florida? He would not be showing respect for Michigan and the Big Ten.

Pick Michigan? Some fans would scream, “Coach, are you crazy? Why play them again?”

Pick undefeated Boise State? Then he could move to Sun Valley and run for governor of Idaho. If he had picked those Broncos as No. 2, he would have joined a former Greensboro, N.C., sportswriter named Larry Keech who voted that way.

I worked with Keech in Greensboro in 1978. I was a rookie sportswriter. He was a graceful, patient veteran to me. He’s one of the finest men and a wonderful writer. But, Larry, Boise State at No. 2? Are you planning a career in Idaho politics?

Who’s No. 2?

Just how did the system lead us to the place where the coach of the No. 1 team has a vote for whom he might play for the national championship game?

Tressel didn’t care that some people were upset that he refused to vote. “Maybe they’ll fire me as a pollster,” he said.

Sounds like he’d welcome the prospect.

Michigan coach Lloyd Carr was angry, calling Tressel’s tactic “real slick.”

Of course, the mere mention of Tressel’s name is enough to make Carr feel like someone is trying to stick a crow bar up his nose. For Carr, the only thing worse than being 1-5 against Tressel is not having a chance to go 1-6 in the BCS National Championship Game.

Here’s the problem: Ohio State is obviously the grandest team in the land – except in the mind of Jim Walden.

No one is sure who’s No. 2.

Michigan has one loss – to the Buckeyes.

Florida has one loss – to Auburn, which is No. 10 in the coaches’ poll.

Boise State is 12-0, but its

best victory is over No. 25 Oregon State, who beat No. 7 Southern Cal. Maybe we need a

playoff for a chance to face Ohio State.

Let USC face Michigan – oh, that’s the Rose Bowl.

Florida can battle Boise.

Then the winners can play off.

And the winner of that game can challenge the Buckeyes.

Stupid?

Of course, but not much worse than what we have now.