A Review: Death to the BCS

I'm passionate about college football.  My wife will tell you that my passion is exponentially exuded when the Longhorns are occupying space on the flat screen in our home.  Listen to this woman, she speaks truth and wisdom.  I was recently asked what the difference is between the NFL and college football.  Regarding the NFL, nothing can compare to Andrew Siciliano and DirecTV's Red Zone Channel.  Every Sunday, this NFL experience is a whirlwind tour from game to game around the league, focusing on various team's scoring opportunities, with live network feeds.  It's like having about 10 flat screens in your living room each displaying a separate game.  You have reached in-home football viewing nirvana.  Fact. 

College football's Game Day experience is one the NFL should be jealous of.  Outside of perhaps Pittsburgh and Green Bay, no NFL city can deliver the live experience anywhere close to major college football played across campuses each fall Saturday.  The history, nostalgia, fight songs, tailgating, camaraderie, and connection to current and former students is unmatched.  However, there is a force at work which drags the sport into a downward spiral, yet tries to hide behind the facade and proclaim that its very existence is why college football is so popular.  Yes, the BCS actually believes it is the main reason why football fans across the nation keep talking about college football.  I hate to inform Mr. Bill Hancock, Executive Director of the BCS, but the reason people talk about the BCS and its relation to college football is simply because it is woefully inept at doing its job.  It's diesel gasoline in an unleaded only tank.  Sure, the car will make it for a bit, but in the end major damage will ensue unless you flush the system and replace it with the required type of fuel.  Let me introduce you to the proper fuel for this vehicle:

I cannot do this book justice by summarizing it in a few paragraphs.  What is more appropriate is to provide some factual snippets directly from the book itself.  We the fans deserve a playoff in major college football.  The sport deserves to definitively crown a champion every year.  The current system prevents that from happening.  If you are a fan of college football, fairness, and doing what is best for all schools involved, the following may very well infuriate you.

• In 2009, five teams finished the season undefeated with perfect records.  The BCS anointed two teams to play for their national championship.  The remaining three were given consolation games and were told "nice season."
• Bowl-game profits siphon as much as 40 percent of college football's postseason revenue, money that could replace tax dollars in balancing public schools' athletic-department budgets.
• Derrick Fox, the CEO of the Alamo Bowl, testified before Congress that "almost all the postseason bowl games are put on by charitable groups, and since one-quarter of the proceeds are dedicated to the community, local charities receive tens of millions of dollars each year."  The Sugar Bowl received $3 million in direct funding from the Louisiana state government, according to its 2008 tax filing.  
• The Sugar Bowl organization brought in $34.1 million in revenue in fiscal year 2007.  One quarter of this would have been $8.525 million.  The Sugar Bowl gave nothing.  Not one cent to Hurricane Katrina reconstruction effort.  Not a dime to the New Orleans after-school program.  Not a penny to Habitat for Humanity.  One of the richest bowls in history did not give back 25 percent of its proceeds to the community.  It hogged everything, including the $3 million in taxpayers money. 
• The Florida Gators won the 2009 BCS National Championship.  The BCS paid out $17.5 million that season to its conference participants in this game.  That money went to the SEC, who in turn distributed it by dividing it up 13 ways, one for each of the 12 teams in the league, and one for the conference office.  Florida received extra since it reached the title game and received a total payout of $2.467 million.  After ticket commitments and expenses, the Gators profited $47,000 for winning the BCS championship.  Gators home games gross an estimated $5 million.  No school would even play a game for a measly $47,000 at home or on the road.  
• The BCS uses human polls and computer polls to determine its rankings for its 1 vs. 2 title game matchup.  Many of the human voters readily admit that they do not watch the games, and merely vote on pedigree and conference affiliation alone.  There are six computer models used for that portion of the ranking system.  Five of the six will not disclose their formula and there is no verification process.  In essence, corruption could ensue and nobody would be the wiser.  

Let me close by stating that my position on this is a simple one.  I long for a conclusive end to every college football season.  As a Longhorn fan, I cannot look at the Cincinnati Bearcats who finished 2009 in undefeated fashion and state with all certainty that Texas was more deserving to play Alabama for the national title than they were.  Were a playoff part of the equation, we would not have to worry about this every year.  If you do not think it happens every year then you are not paying attention.

Bill Hancock will tell you in so many words that the system is not perfect. But, it's better than the one we had. Um, really?  Joe Paterno led 4 undefeated teams under the old system that were not National Champions. With this "better" system, we've only had to endure a BCS controversy or an inconclusive end to the following seasons: 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009.  Let that sink in for a while and tell me we all do not deserve better.