Why does BCS suck?
The BCS is a tournament system that includes only two teams. That alone should disqualify it.
But the manner in which those two teams are selected is indefensible.
The process of selecting the two best teams for the BCS game has resulted in controversy almost every season of its existence. Recent examples include:
After the 2001 season, when undefeated Oklahoma was paired with one-loss Florida State for the BCS Championship. Their loss had come against another one-loss team, AP#2 Miami, who in turn had their single defeat coming at the hands of one-loss Washington.
After the 2002 season, when AP#4 Nebraska was chosen by the BCS as Miami's national title opponent despite not having even played in the Big 12 championship game. They were awarded a spot against AP#1 Miami over AP#2 Oregon and AP#3 Colorado who had beaten Nebraska in their previous game.
After the 2003 season, when Southern California was not picked to play in the BCS title game but was declared the champions of the AP poll. ( Louisiana State beat Oklahoma in the BCS title game.)
After the 2004 season, when Auburn went undefeated yet was not chosen to play in the title game. (USC beat Oklahoma in the BCS title game.) The Utah Utes went undefeated as well, and were not chosen to play in the national championship. The Utes beat Pittsburgh 35-7 in the Fiesta Bowl.
After the 2006 season, when one-loss Michigan and Florida squads both had claims to be in the title game against undefeated Ohio State. (Florida was chosen and beat OSU for the BCS title.) However, Boise State went 12-0 in the regular season and was not chosen to play in the title game. Boise state did play in the Fiesta Bowl and defeated Oklahoma, going 13-0.
After the 2007 season, the season ended with no teams from a BCS conference still undefeated. The situation left many squads feeling as if they had a legitimate claim to a spot in the BCS Championship Game. Hawai'i of the Western Athletic Conference was undefeated, but was ranked #10 in the BCS standings due to weak slate of opponents [2]. The Virginia Tech Hokies were ranked #1 by the computers but were #5 in the human polls, at least partially due to a 48-7 loss to LSU in September[3]. That LSU team defeated 1-loss Ohio State in the BCS title game, thus becoming the first BCS football champion with two losses.
How are BCS rankings determined?
Does this ranking methodology make any sense to you?:
This year, the BCS Standings will once again include three components: USA Today Coaches Poll, Harris Interactive College Football Poll and an average of six computer rankings. Each component will count one-third of a team's overall BCS score in the BCS Standings.
The statistical rating system used to determine the teams that will participate in the championship game of the Bowl Championship Series consists of three components and each will count as 1/3rd of the final BCS formula - subjective polls of Harris Interactive (replaces AP) and coaches (USA Today) and six computer rankings.
The first BCS Rankings for 2008 will be released October 12, then weekly through December 7.
A breakdown of the components:
I. Harris Interactive Poll (1/3rd)
Replaces the AP Poll. The AP, whose poll was officially part of the BCS until 2004, withdrew the poll from the BCS system after controversies about the rankings. The AP still ranks teams, although its results now have no direct influence on the BCS formula.
The first Harris poll will be released September 23, then weekly through December 3. A team's score in the Harris poll will be divided by 2,850, which is the maximum number of points any team can receive if all 114 voting members rank the same team as Number 1. (Example: 2,850 / 2,850 = 1.0. If a team receives a total of 114 voting points, an average of 25th place, their BCS quotient of this component would be .04. (1.0 / 25
First, Division I-Bowl Subdivision college football conferences and independent institutions nominate prospective panelists. Then Harris randomly selects 114 members from the nominees to participate in the actual panel. From each week in September to the end of the regular college football season these 114 panelists vote on the particular ranking of teams. These rankings are then published and are used to determine 1/3 of the BCS standings.
II. Coaches Poll (1/3rd)
A team's score in the USA Today poll will be divided by 1,500, which is the maximum number of points any team can receive if all 60 voting members rank the same team as Number 1. (Example: 1,500 / 1,500 = 1.0. If a team receives a total of 60 voting points, an average of 25th place, their BCS quotient of this component would be .04. (1.0 / 25 = 0.04.)
The football rankings are compiled by the USA Today Board of Coaches which is made up of 61 head coaches at FBS institutions. All coaches are members of the American Football Coaches Association.
Better understanding the polls:
In both human polls, voting members fill out their own top 25 rankings ballot. Each team receives 1-25 points in reverse order of the way they are ranked. The 25th place team on each ballot receives 1 point, 24th place gets 2 points, 23rd receives 3 points... first place receives 25 points.
In the Harris Interactive College Football Poll and USA Today Coaches Poll, a team will be evaluated on the number of voting points it receives in each poll. The number of actual voters, which can vary and has varied in the past, is figured into the computation on a weekly basis in stating each team's percentage of a possible perfect score.
III. Computer rankings (1/3rd)
Six computer ranking systems will participate. The highest and lowest rating of each team will be thrown out and the remaining four will be averaged. The current participating computer rankings are:
Simplifying the formula
A = Harris Poll
B = Coaches Poll
C = Throw out the high and low of the six computer rankings for each team. Add the remaining four. Divide that total by four.
Result: A+B+C = Total Score
This ranking system has changed several times thorughout the young and ignominous life of BCS, and it will undoubtedly change again.
Another criticism of the BCS is the institutionalized bias towards the six BCS conferences and Notre Dame, an independent team in football, at the deliberate expense of the five FBS non-BCS conferences. Since the inception of the BCS in 1998, six non-BCS conference FBS teams have finished the regular season undefeated (Tulane in 1998, Marshall in 1999, Utah in 2004, Boise State in 2004 and 2006, and Hawaii in 2007) without being given an opportunity to play in the national championship game.
Moreover, a team can fail to win its conference championship but still play in the BCS championship game. This happened in the 2001 and 2003 seasons. In 2001 Nebraska played Miami (Florida), after losing to Colorado during the regular season and, therefore, did not play in the Big 12 Conference Championship game. In 2003 Oklahoma played LSU despite losing to Kansas State 35-7 in the Big 12 Conference title game.
All told, the BCS is simply indefensible.
No wonder the Congressional House Energy and Commerce subcommittee chairman called the Bowl Championship Series "deeply flawed," and held a hearing on the controversial system.
What's THE solution? (click)