Fathead Blog

In the movie Men In Black, Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith work for a top-secret agency that polices, monitors, and directs alien activity on Earth. They use pocket-sized devices called “Neuralyzers” to erase the memories of witnesses to avoid leaving any evidence of their existence.

The powers that be in the BCS recently did something similar by stripping USC of its 2004 national championship. I used to think I spent the night of Jan. 4, 2005 with friends watching the USC destroy Oklahoma in the BCS Championship Game. Oops. Didn’t happen. I hope I don’t get accused of any crimes that were committed on that night. I have no alibi.

For those who don’t like the BCS, the 2004 season was already full of controversy.

End of regular season BCS standings:

1. USC                             12-0
2. Oklahoma                 12-0
3. Auburn                      12-0
4. Texas                          10-1
5. California                  10-1
6. Utah                            11-0
7. Georgia                        9-2
8. Virginia Tech           10-2
9. Boise State                 11-0
10. Louisville                   10-1

Five teams finished the regular season undefeated, but according to the BCS system, only two get to compete for the championship. Auburn, Utah and Boise State did everything they could do but it wasn’t enough. Fans all over the country were outraged and the call for a playoff system increased.

Now that we know there was no winner of the BCS Championship Game, the controversy is back. Will the BCS award the championship to someone else? Oklahoma played in that championship game as the No. 2 team in the rankings so should they get it? Auburn beat Virginia Tech 16-13 in the Sugar Bowl and finished 13-0 and No. 2 in the polls. What about Utah? The Utes crushed Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl. They were a perfect 12-0. Boise State’s undefeated season came to an end with a 44-40 loss to Louisville in the Liberty Bowl so the Broncos are out of the conversation.

This is where the BCS is better than a playoff system. There is no way to bring back the teams from the 2004 season and have a playoff tournament to determine the champion. But the computers basically pick the champion anyway so why can’t the people running the BCS get out their calculators and use their computer formulas to determine a new 2004 champion?

It shouldn’t be that hard to take USC’s vacated victories out of the equation and add the results from the bowl games. They might as well start now. At the rate these scandals are coming out in college football, we could have more seasons that end up with no champion.

If not, those who run the BCS are going to have to start going around with their own “Neuralyzers” erasing our memories of College Football Championships that were not won.