BCS NIGHTMARE IV

DMN’s Gerry Fraley is pretty outraged by the exclusion of consensus #1 USC from the championship game. (Apparently the staff of the San Jose Mercury news is, too, since they’re compiling every BCS-related op-ed they can find to put on their site.)

The BCS has been in business for six seasons. On Sunday, it failed for the third time to produce a true national championship game.

***

The BCS came into existence to prevent the split-champion scenario from happening again. It is happening again.

If USC beats Michigan in the Rose Bowl, it is the national champion. The Oklahoma-LSU winner will be the equivalent of the champion from a third-rate boxing federation.

The only good thing to come from this is another reason to adopt a playoff system.

“We look at the Rose Bowl as the national championship game,” USC coach Pete Carroll said. “I know there’s controversy. Until you have a playoff, that’s what you’re going to have.”

FILED UNDER: Sports, , ,
James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. Paul says:

    If USC beats Michigan in the Rose Bowl, it is the national champion. The Oklahoma-LSU winner will be the equivalent of the champion from a third-rate boxing federation.

    OK but what if USC wins 14-13 and LSU wins 48-19?

    The BCS is hosed but they still don’t have a point above.

  2. James Joyner says:

    USC is ranked #1 by both of the polls that matter to anyone except the BCS committee. If USC wins their game, they’re #1 in the AP poll, regardless of LSU’s margin over the #3 team.

    Indeed, if USC wins 120-0 over Michigan, and #3 Oklahoma beats #2 LSU, the coaches must still take the winner of the BCS game–they only have latitude in who to rank 2-25.

  3. Alex says:

    Go Sooners!