Better Change the System

Forget BCS — Auburn is No. 1

OK, college football fans: Tell me, honestly, that you wouldn't pay to see Auburn play the winner of tonight's Orange Bowl. Tell me that the notion of two 13-0 teams, both champions of their conferences, playing for all the marbles doesn't seem both fair and exciting.

Last night, even the ABC commentators called for a playoff. ABC is one of the primary beneficiaries of the BCS system; it broadcasts the biggest games of the year. Somebody upstairs is probably quite unhappy with the crew that called the game last night, but they were right. The time for a playoff is now.

Auburn didn't blow out Virginia Tech, and so even a tight win by Oklahoma tonight probably won't be enough to vault Auburn into the AP's number one slot. Isn't that a shame? As Mike Wise says,

The pathetic thing is, voters (and computers) will actually hold the close victory against Auburn, because that's what they do -- penalize character.

The notion that the two-touchdown favorite is supposed to emasculate the underdog -- that teams actually accrue votes for blowout wins -- is the worst measuring stick of the BCS system. Forget the arcane sportsmanship ideals, that the system encourages coaches who run up the score and play to embarrass instead of win. No, the real problem is that such a system does not gauge resilience, the attribute most becoming a champion.

Did you see Auburn's defense literally flip Va. Tech quarterback Bryan Randall as he headed for the end zone? That's a team that plays to win.

Yes, tonight's game will feature some of the premier talents in the college game. Joey Johnston rightly hypes the game as one of the most interesting and important colllegiate contests ever played, featuring four Heisman finalists, two 12-0 conference champs, and the two programs that have so far dominated the decade. But imagine if USC had played Utah last week, and Oklahoma had played Auburn, and both had prevailed. Wouldn't tonight's game--still featuring four Heisman finalists and two dominant programs, but now with the added spice of the only two undefeated teams, both 13-0--be a truly historic event?

This is what the bowl system is denying us--games that we can all agree are for all the marbles and all the glory, with no one left whining, "It should have been us out there." If the BCS can't provide a true number one team, it's time for a new plan. Attention, college presidents: It's called a playoff. If you'd like to see how it can make money for you while becoming a popular tradition, please direct your attention to "March Madness."