Did you know that every year for the last 11 seasons, the Bowl Championship Series Championship Game Championship has featured the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in country (as determined by the BCS.) Every year! Let's see your idiotic playoff system do that! You can't compete with that kind of consistency. And you can learn more amazing facts like this at this totally proactive website that was helpfully created by "the BCS group".

"If you think the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) is controversial, wait until you realize how much more contentious a playoff would be."

You know who said that? Bill Fucking Hancock. And he did it with this really cool spiral font that swoops in all awesome-like. Still not on board? Here's some more knowledge, bozo.

A bracket-style playoff wouldn't end the debate, it would only fuel it. Advocates of a hypothetical playoff can't agree on how to resolve key playoff questions: who, what, where and when.
For example,

Who would participate?
How many automatic qualifiers?
What would be the criteria to qualify?
What would be the criteria for seedings?
Where would the games be played?
When would the games be played?
If you could resolve all that would everyone be satisfied? NO!!

Shit. The website is correct. We can NEVER answer all those questions, so we should probably just give up and accept the amazingness that is the BCS. I mean, the previous system of scattered, regionally aligned bowls that never even attempted to create a national champion didn't work, so obviously a playoff system is not the way to go.

I don't even understand why you were complaining to begin with. "Every conference has an opportunity to earn annual automatic qualification into the BCS." (Even though most don't have one now and I can't really imagine how that would ever happen.) Plus, "at the beginning of every season, every team has an opportunity to earn a spot in a BCS Game, including the National Championship Game" ... provided they begin the season ranked in the Top 10 of both polls and every team ranked above them (most of whom they will never get to play head-to-head) loses at least once. Maybe twice.

Oh, and don't forget "bracket creep." Have you ever tried to get that shit out of your hair? Forget about it.

Convinced, yet? Man, you are dumb.

Playoff Problem [Playoff Problem]

The preseason AP poll came out today and against all logic, the Fighting Irish (a weak 7-6 last year) are No. 23. (Same as the coaches poll.) They return all 11 starter on an offense that wasn't that good, but their schedule (as usual) is a joke. They only have four true road games and get their two toughest opponents at home. The rest are the dregs of the major conferences and the always pesky Navy. They could easily get nine wins against this group and 11-1 isn't inconceivable. And because they're Notre Dame, that would actually be enough.

The scenario Holtz depicts sounds ludicrous on it face, but I can actually see it happening. Watch them slowly climb up the rankings, until one day in December you wake up and they're No. 2 or 3 in the country. No one will believe that they deserve it and you will pull your hair out in frustrated disbelief, but it won't matter. Notre Dame gets what it wants.

Or Charlie Weis will eat his playbook before the Michigan game and they'll go 3-8. It could go either way.

Here are Kennedy's vitals, per this quirky Washington Post profile:

• He's homeless, living on the streets of Georgetown, but he's not a bum, thank you very much.
• Like every other college athlete, he wrote a paper about the BCS for English class and became hooked by the topic, so much so that he went all John Nash and scribbled his proposal all over his apartment's walls.
• His parents cut him out of their cellphone plan, and he now considers himself the Kennedy's "black sheep." He turned to grandma, of course, and she bought him a cell phone. If he doesn't have the money to pay for the bill by month's end, he'll beg for it.
• The Kennedy Proposal: six champions from the BCS conferences and four at-large teams compete in a playoff bracket. The two left standing play for the national championship; the eight losers play in BCS bowls.

It's more complicated than that — it must be, since it's gone through 160 pages in drafts, and Kennedy uses the Georgetown library to remain up-to-date with the latest developments — but 15,000 e-mails later, he's still having trouble getting the ear of college presidents and D.C. politicos. (They're busy bemoaning the state of the BCS in a more public setting.)

Kennedy's thinking about leaving the Beltway soon, but before he bolts, he'd be wise to go straight to the top. Rumor has it, there's a guy in the White House who happens to share similar views on the BCS and knows something about hope and change.

Maybe Shaq can hook him up.

Playoff Advocate Goes Homeless Against The BCS [Washington Post]
Leveling The Playing Field [Sports Illustrated]

Starting in 2010, college football coaches will no longer be required to reveal the identities behind their final USA Today/Coaches' Poll ballot, reverting to the pre-2005 era when coaches were permitted to remain anonymous and avoid the repercussions of, say, screwing California out of the 2005 Rose Bowl.

But wait! Wasn't there a reason for the recent switch? Of course there was, and it's the type of logical rationale you might not have expected: Coaches demanded some accountability for their votes, which still play a critical factor in the BCS. This measure wasn't forced on coaches, either; the American Football Coaches Association voted for transparency after reading a memo classified "Very Important and Confidential." (Irony!) At the time, some coaches were still opposed, fearing lobbying attempts and imminent grudges if coaches knew who everyone else was really voting for.

So this year, the AFCA asked consultants from Gallup World Polling to come in and recommend steps to make the poll more "accurate and credible." Of course, the verdict was to eliminate the only semblance of accountability the poll had, which makes about as much sense as the BCS in the first place.

Or, as Steve Spurrier said today: "I thought it kept everybody honest. Now there's a chance for real hanky-panky."

Football coaches to keep poll ballots secret starting in 2010 [USA Today]
AFCA to reveal votes [ESPN]
Football poll ballots won't be transparent [Birmingham News]

Several voters in the Harris Poll have admitted out loud that they did not watch Utah play a single game this season before the Utes dismantled Alabama—a team that spent a significant chunk of the season ranked No. 1—in the Sugar Bowl. Yes, it's technically part of their job to evaluate all the teams they are theoretically ranking, but it's not like they can get the Mountain West Sports Network on their cable systems. And ESPN only broadcast one Utah game this year (their season opener against Michigan), so they certainly aren't going to waste any valuable air time talking about them.

Keep in mind these are actual quotes from actual voters:

• “I did not see them play [in the regular season]."

• “I didn’t see any live games. I just [saw] highlights.”

• “I don’t recall if I saw them play specifically during the regular season. I don’t remember a specific game.”

Of course, as Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson points out, the conference could have all their games beamed off the surface of the moon using laser beams and people still wouldn't vote for them because it's the frickin Mountain West. But by all means, we should continue to let part-time football watchers who can't afford satellite dishes determine the sport's ultimate champion.

Utah out of sight, out of mind [Yahoo]

This year, the Big 12 gets their shot at embarrassing an entire conference, an entire state, and the spirit of decency and fair play by having their way with an over-matched Ohio State squad. Sure, it's not the national championship game this time and maybe Texas doesn't have that legendary Southern speed, but they do have a very, very large axe to grind. Completely dismantling Jim Tressel and his pampered freshman quarterback in the Fiesta Bowl, would be a nice way to take some of the air out of the Big Game on Thursday and remind the nation that they might be better than all your USCs and Floridas and (certainly) Oklahomas combined.

Not that you should avoid watching this pointless, drama-deprived blowout. I'm sure it will be very entertaining. Colt McCoy got an extra ticket for his girlfriend, right?

(10) Ohio State vs. (3) Texas [Yahoo]
Five Fiesta Bowl Questions And Predictions [Burnt Orange Nation]
It’s Party Time [Buckeye Commentary]
Longhorns Hope to Further Muddy the National-Title Picture [NY Times]

Barton is introducing legislation today on Capitol Hill that would get rid of the BCS and force college football to adopt a playoff to determine the national champion.
Oh, did I mention that he's from Texas?

He's from Waco, to be exact, and if I'm not mistaken that's University of Texas country (well, OK; Baylor. But the Bears aren't going to play for the national title anytime soon, and UT is just up the freeway). So it's just a coincidence that he's crusading against the system that totally hosed the Longhorns this season. Yep.

"In some years the sport's national championship winner was left unsettled, and at least one school was left out of the many millions of dollars in revenue that accompany the title,'' Barton said in a statement released ahead of the bill's introduction. "Despite repeated efforts to improve the system, the controversy rages on.''

He said the bill — being co-sponsored by Reps. Bobby Rush, an Illinois Democrat, and Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican — "will prohibit the marketing, promotion, and advertising of a postseason game as a 'national championship' football game, unless it is the result of a playoff system. Violations of the prohibition will be treated as violations of the Federal Trade Commission Act as an unfair or deceptive act or practice.''

Categorizing the BCS as a violation of the Federal Trade Commission Act is total genius or complete madness, or possibly both. Either way, I like it.

And so the BCS as we know it is doomed, of course. It's caught in a perfect storm, with rabid Texas Republicans on one side, popular President-elects on the other, and the thorniest nemesis of them all, ESPN, waiting in the wings. The Worldwide Leader signed a four-year commitment to broadcast four BCS games beginning in 2011. So if you think the current system will still be alive then, keep dreaming.

One might say that the country has other, bigger problems that would tuck the BCS onto the back shelf. But it's precisely because of the big problems that the BCS is easy prey; this is something that the public wants, and it's easy to fix. And that's the kind of low-hanging fruit politicians crave.

Update: Yes, the momentum is building.

Congressman Proposing To Kill BCS System [NBCSports]
A Vote For Change The NCAA Should Heed [New York Times]

1. Virginia Tech wins their second ACC title in a row over Boston College. Leading to this great celebration punch that we linked yesterday but you have to see it again.

Wouldn't this be a perfect move if you actually hated the coach? Wait for a big play, sidle up to him, and wreck him with a sideways punch while celebrating? No way he can call you on it. Especially if you were a fifth-year senior like Cory Holt, didn't have a single catch all season, and sort of regretted the fact that you never were used much on offense. I'm just sayin'.

2. Navy beat Army for the 7th consecutive time. Worse for Army, they've been outscored 274-71 during this string of losses. Last winter I visited West Point for a couple of days, attended classes, and hung around with some of the Army football team. They hate Navy. Beat Navy is spelled out on the bleachers surrounding their parade ground. Yeah, this one hurts. But not any more than the previous 6. It's a good thing Navy complained so much about Caleb Campbell getting to play in the NFL under a special exemption. They're clearly disadvantaged on the field.

3. Oklahoma destroyed Missouri 62-21. This was one of those games where your non die-hard college football fan is shocked it's taking place. Enter my wife. As Oklahoma scored to go up 38-7, she entered the room, looked up at the television and said, "Missouri? Why isn't Oklahoma playing Texas in the Big 12 Title game?"

4. Florida beat Alabama by double digits. Like they've beaten everyone else all season except for Ole Miss. That Ole Miss win over Florida is going to become one of the most difficult Aflac trivia questions at some point twenty years from now. Verne Lundquist will still be calling games for CBS at the age of 148.

If Tim Tebow beats Oklahoma to win his second national championship in three years there's no doubt he's the greatest player of the BCS era. But where does he rank in the past twenty-five years? That's roughly the amount of time I've been following college football and I feel comfortable saying he's the best player I've seen during that time frame. Who's better? A step further — is Tebow the greatest college football player of all-time? And if Tebow wins another national title, another Heisman Trophy, and he comes back for his senior season after spending another summer doing missionary work can we elect him to replace Florida's retiring Senator Mel Martinez (exempting him from the Senate age requirement of 30 in the process) and put him in charge of ending the recession instead? I'm halfway convinced that Tebow's anti-recession strategy of running up to bankers, pumping his arms wildly, and screaming would bring interest rates down, free up corporate lending, and restore consumer confidence.

5. Did anyone else notice Bob Davie sighing wistfully about how good looking the girls were during the Arizona-Arizona State game? This was part of his digression about why going to school in Arizona makes pretty good sense. I hate to say this, and this might mark me as a horrible person deserving of death, but Bob Davie is starting to grow on me as an announcer. (Which is completely different than Notre Dame fans—where Bob Davie is starting to grow on them as a coach.) Maybe it was the beers or the break in the action before the De La Hoya-Pacquiao fight started, but I actually found myself thinking, "You know, Bob Davie's not that bad of a guy."

6. Admit it you giggled a bit when Gary Danielson kept calling Tebow the "snake-handler." That's okay, we all did. Is it time for CBS and ABC to employ a double-entendre guard to clear the analogies beforehand. Like, some random 8th grade boy hired to sit in the booth and tell them that "You can't say snake-handler. Go with scorpion wrestler instead." Especially after Musburger kept calling the Missouri defense Sam Bradford's "cock mitten."

7. Odds Percy Harvin sat out the SEC Championship Game just so he could stand on the sideline and show off his biceps? Gotta be like 50%. Every time the cameras cut to him, he was flexing. There's probably a decent chance he's going to be out for the BCS Title Game with bicep cramps.

8. How great was it that Dr. Pepper somehow got Gary Danielson and Verne Lundquist to do play-by-play during the $100,000 scholarship contest? In case you missed it two girls in matching black jeans and Dr. Pepper jerseys stood in front of giant Dr. Pepper cans and threw passes at a giant hole. The girl from Florida was actually pretty hot. At least she threw the footballs like she knew she was never going to have to work a day in her life. That didn't stop Danielson from exhorting: "She ran out of footballs!"

Musburger and Herbstreit may have also called the action in the Big 12 Title Game's version of this contest but, like everyone else, I'd already stopped watching by halftime. This was after Musburger gave a detailed story about his old buddies who used to work as rodeo clowns. Every time I hear Musburger tell his heartwarming stories I think he should be America's Secretary of State. Can't you just see him sitting down across from Ahmadinejad (without preconditions!) and saying, "Mahmoud, buddy, we can work this thing out. I know Pele. This one time Pele..."

If the Sooners win, they're in, and they'll almost certainly face the winner of this Alabama-Florida game. If they lose, we have a week of true BCS Armageddon to look forward to. And when you head to that party, be sure to bring some marshmallows. I'll bring the beer.

See you tomorrow.

Oklahoma beat Oklahoma State late Saturday night 61-41. This score was enough to vault the Sooners ahead of Texas in the BCS Standings and, as a result, send them into the Big 12 Title Game against Missouri courtesy of the fifth tiebreak. (The sixth tiebreak was, in a nice nod to BCS totalitariianism, "Who does Kim Jong-Il think is better?") In raising Oklahoma the BCS computers managed to solve the quandary that left human pollsters uncertain: which of three tied teams deserves the opportunity to compete for a national championship? Of course this only mattered because Texas Tech stormed back to defeat Baylor before Oklahoma even kicked off. If Tech lost that game, then the Oklahoma game wouldn't even have mattered. and Texas is playing for the title. This all makes an awful lot of sense, right?

Basically, Texas got messed with. And here's why, this is a decision between Texas and Oklahoma. In our infinite wisdom we've discarded Texas Tech based on the sound defeat they suffered at the hands of Oklahoma. (Even if, like me, you think Texas Tech deserves a shot in the playoff.) That means there's only one game to consider: the neutral site 45-35 Texas win over Oklahoma. Nothing else matters. Both teams have one loss and Texas won the head-to-head game on a neutral field. If every game counts, then you have to count the only game between the two teams that your're deciding between, right? Otherwise you're proving what college football playoff proponents already know, every game is equal but some games are more equal than others. Welcome to the Orwellian world of college football championship rationales. On to the round-up.

1. Florida and Alabama proved they are the best two teams in the SEC. Which, in the wake of the SEC East's performance against the ACC, might mean nothing at all. In case you missed it Georgia Tech put up 45 on Georgia (who now owns the most disappointing 9-3 season in Bulldog history), Clemson continued their domination of Steve Spurrier and South Carolina, and Wake Forest beat Vandy (who despite reaching a bowl this year finished off their season with a Vandy-like 1-6 conclusion). What does all of this mean?

2.Oregon State's dream of making their first Rose Bowl since 1965 went crashing into Oregon. In the end all of Corvallis cried as one as Oregon hung 65 on Oregon State. Who was happiest about this aside from Oregon and USC fans? How about undefeated teams in Boise State and Utah? Who saw one of the BCS spots that would have been claimed by USC open up thanks to the USC advancing to the Rose Bowl with the win. Who else was happiest? The bastards at the Rose Bowl. Instead of an Oregon State-Penn State rematch, they get USC-Penn State. Which, to be fair, is shaping up as the second best BCS bowl game.

3. Paul Johnson's offense works in BCS conference football. Last week Johnson's team rushed for 472 yards. And no one really noticed because it was a Thursday night football game. This week they rushed for 409 yards against Georgia. While only passing for 19 yards. So it doesn't really matter if you're one-dimensional if that dimension is so dominant you don't even have to consider throwing the football. This is even more jarring when you consider that Georgia led 28-12 at the half.

4. Virginia Tech and Boston College are meeting again in the ACC Championship Game. At least the game is in Tampa. Which should be somewhat warm. The Charlotte games always looked miserable.

5. Kansas beat Missouri to salvage their season and make Baby Mangino squeal with joy. Meaning Missouri fans can join Georgia fans who are upset over the worst 9-3 season in school history. Of course, unlike Georgia, Missouri can erase everything with an upset win over Oklahoma this week. Regardless, somewhere John Brown is smiling. Even though he's mouldering in the grave.

6. Miss. State's offense put up 33 yards against Ole Miss. That was on 56 plays. Futility this epic deserves to be noted. It's why no one was crying in Starkville when Sylvester Croom resigned. Don't you have to be fired if you're Croom and make the school buy out your contract? You don't see Charlie Weis resigning, do you?

Back to Oklahoma-Texas and the BCS mess, I got a lot of emails after saying that 99.9% of college football fans want a playoff. Many were from college football fans who said they didn't favor a playoff. I don't think these fans are fools, I just think they've made a Faustian bargain with their own souls. Like the girls who claim they're still virgins but have anal sex. Basically, if you're a college football fan who favors a playoff you're the 16 year old girl getting banged in the ass to protect the sanctity of your hymen. Congrats on that. Y'all have to live with results like this. And if Florida beats Alabama this weekend? Are we just going to decree by fiat that Florida and Oklahoma are the two best teams in the country? Even though Texas and USC and Utah and Boise State and Penn State all have pretty good claims that they deserve a shot too? You betcha. (Odds that the Palin daughters contemplate the anal sex virginity protection gambit? High, very high...except the eldest.) Something's rotten with any athletic event that requires this much logical inconsistency and debate, really fucking rotten.

1." Did they block the Lions game out again?" (I say I have no idea that I'm from Nashville and just landed in Michigan.) "Oh well, it doesn't matter. Fuck the Lions. I'd rather watch whoever else is playing anyway."

2." The Lions are up 17-0? Damn. Wonder how long it will take them to lose that lead?"

3. "Do you care if we change the channel for just a sec. to see what they're saying about the auto bailout?"

4. "You're from Tennessee? I wish Rodriguez would move to Tennessee and die."

5. "Did you know Ford had to buy the Thanksgiving game tickets this year because no one was buying them? They're selling them to employees for $30 each. I heard no one is buying them even though that's less than half what they actually cost. Boy, when I was a kid that Thanksgiving game was the best."

So be thankful you aren't a sports fan from Michigan. And if you are a sports fan from Michigan? Yeah, sorry, you're screwed. On to the college football round-up.

Oklahoma toasted Texas Tech. Just one day after I announced I had a crush on Mike Leach. This game was kind of like going for a piss, opening the bathroom door, and seeing your crush ski-poling two random guys she met at a fraternity party. Even still, in the great "Will it be, Leach, Brian Kelly, or Lane Kiffin as the next UT coach-debate?", I'm with Leach.

Also, Brent Musberger attempting to pronounce Beyonce's name during the promos for the American Music Awards should put an end to the old-announcers attempt to read promos business. Just put it on the screen. Also, was I the only person who thought that while he discussed the Beyonce mispronunciation Herbstreit was thinking, "I could bang Beyonce if I wanted to." It was the subtext of the entire conversation.

Finally, granted Texas Tech got destroyed, but all they need is an Oklahoma loss on the road at Oklahoma State and they win the tiebreak over Texas head to the Big 12 Title Game. Win that and wouldn't it be hard to put Texas in above them in the BCS Title Game?

Washington State wins in overtime over Washington. The only thing better than a game between two teams who have combined for one win? An overtime game that ends with one team missing a short field goal and the other team making one.

Penn State contributed to the continued collapse of Michigan's self-esteem by beating the only decent team in the state. We've spent enough time on this. Congrats to Penn State on their first Rose Bowl in 14 years. Condolences on Joe Pa announcing he's returning for a 44th season. Meanwhile, Michigan was destroyed by Ohio State to put a merciful end to their season. The Terrelle Pryor Rich Rod picture will never die.

Charlie Weis is a genius! Did anyone else see the snowballs that someone threw right after the missed field goal at the end of Notre Dame's loss to Syracuse? Was this supposed to be a celebratory snowball? Because somehow that snowball bursting open when it landed on the field was the perfect metaphor for the Weis era at Notre Dame. Well, okay, not as good of a metaphor as Weis getting wrecked on the sideline against Michigan, but close.

Also, how many more years does NBC Sports have to pretend they still have a sports department by showing Notre Dame games? Remember back when NBC Sports had the NBA and the NFL? Doesn't that seem like it never happened now? I know NBC has Sunday Night Football, but there's something about their sports coverage that seems wistful for 1988. Even down to the dark, Seinfeld-esque color schemes in their telecasts. Not as wistful as Notre Dame fans are for 1988 or in believing that Urban Meyer will leave Florida to come be their coach, but close.

Tennessee beat Vanderbilt despite passing for only 22 yards. We didn't complete a pass in the entire first half. Four different people played quarterback for Tennessee. Only one of them completed a pass (unless you count Jonathan Crompton's interception on his only pass attempt). There's no existing film from UT's games back in the 1930's. Now, at least I have an idea what the offense would have looked like in person.

Oregon State is a win over Oregon away from their first Rose Bowl since 1965. Lucky for the Rose Bowl that game would be a rematch. This is perfect. Anyone who favors a college football playoff should root for the Rose Bowl to get screwed every year. The bastards think their single game is more important than the rest of college football. Enjoy.

Maryland controlled their own destiny in the and got waxed by Florida State; Miami had the Atlantic Division wrapped up and got destroyed as well. Now I think Boston College controls their own fate. So if they beat Maryland, they're in. But if they lose Florida State is in. So at least there's some finality there. Same with Virginia Tech, win and they're in. Swell, a rematch between two teams that were better last year. To see who gets waxed by another team in the BCS.

Cincinnati and Brian Kelly are headed to the BCS provided they can get the win over Syracuse. Did anyone else think Erin Andrews was slamming the Cincinnati fans every time she did a sideline report. At least twice she pointed out that the fans weren't excited enough. I think this was her revenge for being sent to a night game in Cincinnati in November.

Utah beat BYU and is now 12-0. They're up to number 6 in the BCS standings. What's the route to the BCS Title Game for Utah? I'll tell you. Alabama loses to Auburn, Florida loses to Florida State then beats Alabama in the SEC Title Game. Oklahoma loses to Oklahoma State, Texas Tech loses to Baylor, and Texas loses to Missouri in the Big 12 Title Game. Then, I think, Utah would play USC for the BCS Championship. See, Ute fans, the BCS is an infallible and fair system. You've got a shot too!

Since 2007 Fox has broadcast the BCS Games. Sure, this was a little awkward because Fox didn't carry college football on the network during the regular season, but it worked. Kind of. Now, ESPN has done what ESPN usually does — gone and outbid the competition for the rights. (Doesn't it kind of make you wonder why ESPN didn't buy them initially?) Fox paid $320 million to broadcast the games from 2007-2010. ESPN is prepared to pay more. And now, like all bidding wars, the two parties are sniping back and forth at one another.

From CBS Sports:

"We are currently in the process of finalizing with ESPN a television rights agreement for the BCS games that will be played January 2011 through January 2014," BCS coordinator John Swofford said. "ESPN has been a great supporter of college football and we are excited to be completing a future deal that will give them an even larger presence in the postseason."

This, of course, has not endeared ESPN to the head honchos at Fox. "Even with today's vast economic uncertainties, Fox Sports made a very competitive bid to keep broadcasting BCS games free to every home in America, one that included a substantial rights fee increase, and certainly as much as any over-the-air network could responsibly risk," Fox spokesman Lou D'Ermilio wrote in an e-mail.

What does all this mean? That ESPN now controls every major bowl game in America. Yep, ESPN has a monopoly on bowl season. Guess what that also means? No playoff until 2014 at the earliest. And even then it's not likely. Why? Because ESPN needs the programming content of more bowl games than a college football playoff would ultimately allow. Yeah, 34 bowls might suck for the average fan, but that's perfect for a voracious sports programming network. Don't believe me? With this deal ESPN/ABC will now televise 29 of the 34 match-ups. Check it out for yourself at this year's bowl television schedule. Go ahead and plug in ESPN for every Fox telecast except the Cotton Bowl. Bowl season monopoly—thy name is ESPN.

At least we know that ESPN always represents the best interests of sports fans. I'm sure the network would never stand in the way of a playoff when the New Mexico Bowl is already scheduled.

What else does this teach us? That college presidents and the BCS can't claim they're doing this for any reason other than more television money. After all their pompous talk about academics, in the end, it's all about the money, yo.

Fuck all of you.

Fox opts out of BCS after 2010, ESPN close to finalizing deal [CBS]

2008 Bowl Television Schedule [College Football Bowl Schedule]

UPDATE: This deal was already in place back in April for the BCS to continue through 2014. ESPN just simply "bought" those rights, but will just own the television rights, not the BCS. But BCS coordinator John Swofford said he's willing "to listen" to President elect Obama's idea for a playoff. [ESPN]

Here is the college football playoff system that should implemented immediately, per my specific instructions:

• Eight seeded teams. 16 is too many, four is not enough. It adds exactly two weeks to the current season length and even then, only two schools will have to deal with the maximum number of games. Move the first round closer to Christmas and the whole thing can end about the same time it does now.

• All games played at neutral sites. Regional preferences can be given to higher seeds, but all sites are determined in advance. The traditional big four bowls can get in on the action or not, it doesn't even matter.

• Six "power" conferences receive automatic bids. They have the most money invested and the most at stake, so this will keep them quiet.

• Remaining two teams and order of seeding determined by committee. I think I've seen this done elsewhere ... oh, right ... in every other NCAA sport. Seems to work reasonably well (i.e., better than the alternative.)

Now comes the most important rule of all. This is the key to the whole thing, because I think this simple restriction solves almost every objection there is to eliminating the current BCS one-game system. Ready?

• In order to be eligible for the playoffs, you must win your conference championship (in whatever way that is determined.)

The number one objection to a playoff is that it diminishes the importance of the regular season. This would be true if at-large second-place teams were allowed to participate. But this rule makes regular season (conference) games even more important than they already are. You simply cannot afford a slip against a conference foe, because that is your only route to the national title. If you can't win your conference, you're not a national champion.

It also has the added benefit of making non-conference games more interesting. Overall record means nothing, so the incentive to schedule four pasties who you can beat by five touchdowns has been removed. The disincentive to leave your home state and challenge another powerhouse on the road is also removed. In fact, it is now to your advantage to play the best opponents possible, because the rewards (financial and tactical) far outweigh the penalty for losing (because there isn't one.)

The final two spots would be given to the best two champions that aren't from the major conferences, as determined by the committee. (In most years it will be obvious who those teams are, but occasionally someone will get shafted. It's unavoidable in any scenario.) This adds a Cinderella element that everyone loves, even while generally giving the top two teams an easier road to the final. Besides, what is the point of even having a MAC, if a team can go 12-0 and not get a least a chance to win a national title?

(Oh, and what about independents like Notre Dame? Screw them. This isn't 1940 and tiny Midwestern private schools don't get to call the shots for the entire country anymore. Join a conference and shut up.)

So now your conference season is better than it used to be. Your non-conference season is better than it used to be. Your postseason is better than it used to be. More teams are now involved in the national championship picture. College football gets to pick its champion the way every other sport on the planet does and best of all—everyone will finally shut up about it. Well, that and President Obama won't have to mobilize the national guard to settle a damn football game. He can devote his energy to solving the baseball steroid problem instead.

Why College Football Needs the BCS [4th and Fail]
Obama needs to back off playoff push [No Joshin']
Chair of BCS committee not on board with Obama's playoff idea [ESPN]
The BCS Committee politely disagrees with President-elect Obama [Examiner]

The crowd in Lubbock, Texas had reason to rush the field not once, but twice last night. A last second TD pass from Graham Harrell to Michael Crabtree capped off an amazing comeback win for the no. 7 Red Raiders against the country's top ranked team.

After Colt McCoy gave the Longhorns a 33-32 lead with just over a minute remaining, it looked as though all hope was lost for Texas Tech. Not so. Texas freshman safety Blake Giddeon dropped what would have been a game-ending interception, and that was the fortunate break Tech needed to pull off the stunner.

On the ensuing play, with 8 seconds to go, Harrell reared back and found Crabtree with a 28-yard pass. The All-American wideout caught the ball while being double-covered, fought off a defender and reached the house to give Tech the huge win.

Said Michael Crabtree to the Associated Press following the game:

"On the sideline, I kind of dreamed that I would catch a pass and go in the end zone for a game-winning score. I do that, like every game, but it happened. It kind of shocked me."

If you were shocked, Michael, just think what the Longhorns (who will surely see a fall in the BCS rankings) were feeling. It's now time to look ahead, and with talk starting up about Tech possibly being the best team in the country, coach Mike Leak is keeping his eyes on the prize, and knows what's at stake for his team next weekend.

"Now the biggest game in history is Oklahoma State," Leach said, "or the history of this year, anyway."

Well put, coach.

• The top-ranked Texas Longhorns took care of #11 Missouri with relative ease last night, beating the Tigers 56-31. At one point, the score was 35-0. QB Colt McCoy starred as he toyed with the Missouri defense, abusing them for 337 yards, throwing for two scores, and running in two more on his own.

Oh, McCoy also set a school record with 17 straight completions. Afterward, his coach was sufficiently impressed.

"Colt was phenomenal," Texas coach Mack Brown said. "He's showing leadership, he's poised. He's really having a good time."

(We also have this dispatch from a reader who attended the game: "Derek Jeter was all over Minka Kelly during the Texas game today on the sideline. Even though she stars in a TV series about football, Minka played the dumb girl card many a time and Derek had to help her out with the rules of the game. When they were showed on the 'godzilla-tron' Derek got a resounding boo from the Texas crowd." Do with that information what you will.)

• #2 Alabama almost watched its lead completely evaporate, but managed to hold off Ole Miss with a late defensive stand to earn a 24-20 win.

• USC's 69-0 win over Washington State was their largest margin of victory since the '30s.

• Sam Bradford carried the Sooners in their 45-31 win over Kansas. Bradford passed for a school-record 468 yards and three TDs.

• Boston College surprised Virginia Tech with a 28-23 upset. Trailing by 10, the Eagles scored 21 consecutive points to notch the W.

• Penn State destroyed Michigan 46-17, much to the delight of Joe Paterno and the Lions fans. The 81-year old coach, who once again watched the festivities from the press box due to a sore hip and leg, liked what his saw from his elevated perch: "My being upstairs — it's funny, I'm not sure that's not the best place for a head coach," he said. "I mean you really get a view of things, I get a better view of football games from up there than I ever do on the sideline."

What excited us most about the win? We think it would have to be that fake punt. Any time a team pulls off one of the following plays and wins, they deserve extra credit:

• Flea flicker.
• Statue of Liberty play.
• Hidden ball trick.
• Fake punt.
• Fake field goal. (Double points for this one, actually.)

This has been such a bizarre year. Kansas and Missouri blitz through their bowl games, and Oklahoma gets hammered by an then-interim coach. Next thing you're gonna tell us is that Illinois played in the Rose Bowl.

B-C-Yes Indeed [Lawrence Journal World]