BCS Means "Beauty Contest Schools"

This past Saturday, we saw another example of how the non-BCS schools can go toe to toe with the BCS schools and win. BYU, out of the non-BCS Mountain West Conference, defeated Oklahoma of the BCS Big 12 Conference. It is said that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Those in the BCS view their schools as more beautiful than the schools of the "non-BCS." All BCS means is "Beauty Contest Schools."

Many Oklahoma fans and BCS proponents will say BYU capitalized on the injury to 2008 Heisman Trophy Winner Sam Bradford and his subsequent departure from the game as the reason why the Cougars won. Rubbish! Injuries ar apart of football, and BYU came to play and play they did. The Cougars shouldn't be penalized because Bradford was injured and couldn't play most of the game. If BYU runs the table (and it's a shame they have to do that just to get into the BCS), they should play for the National Championship. I don't think they will though, since Utah and a solid Colorado St. team await the Cougars. Maybe I'm wrong, but all of that is beside the point.

Conferences like the Big 12, the SEC, the Big 10, and even the Big East have what I call "tradition-laden programs." These schools like Oklahoma, Ohio St., Alabama and USC have rich traditions in college football. All four of the schools just mentioned have won national titles. These conferences have been around for a long, long time. If they have 1 or 2 losses, they are still seen as better than an undefeated BYU or Utah from a relatively new comers in the Mountain West and Western Athletic Conference, in which Boisie St. is a member. Even is a Boisie St., Utah, or BYU beat a BCS team like Oklahoma or USC and go undefeated, a team like Florida who goes 11-1 and wins the SEC with just 1 loss to someone like Ole Miss or Georgia will get the invite to play for the National Championship because they are "Florida". Perception, to the BCS, its member schools and supporters, is reality.

It looks as if they only way to solve this problem of special treatment to the big name conferences and schools is for Congress to get involved. That is something that really ought not happen. Congress and the President have more important issues to deal with such as health care and the down economy. But they may be forced to act to insure a more equitable playing field and an end to the spoils system of college football.