Why I Love the BCS

Just as September marks the beginning of the college football season, it also marks the beginning of the BCS whining season. The two simply go hand in hand, and so long as there is a BCS, there will be people complaining about it. From what typically gets said about the BCS, it has become patently obvious that the BCS is more universally disapproved of than President Bush. But let me tell you something: the BCS is wonderful. Sure it has its flaws, but even the most beautiful women in the world have their blemishes.


The most common complaint heard against the BCS is that it doesn't get the championship game right. In 2004, Auburn went undefeated, but Oklahoma and USC were chosen to play for the championship, where USC proceeded to dismantle Oklahoma 55-19. The last two seasons, Ohio State breezed through their schedule into the national championship game only to get completely annihilated in both games. Shouldn't the two best teams in the nation be more evenly matched?

Well, let's consider the alternative. The other option from the BCS would be to partake in a playoff similar to NCAA Basketball's 64 team March Madness, but even then, how many teams would we limit it to? 4 teams? 8 teams? How long would we be willing to extend the college football season? And with March Madness, does anybody even really pay attention to the regular season of college basketball? The BCS really gives college football that added dimension of "do-or-die" every single game, every single week. It is an exciting roller coaster ride, and nobody can predict the outcome. Hell, after USC lost to Stanford last season, many wrote USC's chances off - but they still ended up in contention, ending the season ranked #6 and blowing out Illinois in the Rose Bowl. Were there a "plus one" format, who would have been invited? LSU obviously, but after that? Georgia? USC?

But beyond any drawbacks to the alternates, what about the positives of the BCS system?

The BCS system gives mid-major schools the chance to shine on a big stage in a way that they would not be able to in a playoff system. With playoffs, it would undoubtedly be limited to 4 or 8 teams for seasonal/scheduling purposes, unlesscollege football were to become a 2 season sport. When was the last time a non-BCS team not named Notre Dame was in the top 4? The BCS system gives the Boise States of the world the chance to knock off the Oklahomas of the world, and nobody can tell me that there was any college football game as exciting as the Boise State-Oklahoma bowl game. Of course, it also gives us games like Hawaii vs. Georgia - and while most neutral fans watching that game were not exactly into it, just the opportunity to be in a bowl game for Hawaii was such a huge lift to the state and such a huge source of pride that I couldn't help but feel like they had the right to be there.

Of course the BCS has problems and controversies, but considering the alternatives of a "plus one" or a playoff, I say give me the drama, cinderella stories, and regular season madness of the BCS any day.





I just wish they'd figure out a way to punish the SEC for playing such pansy non-conference schedules.