BCS Blues

The BCS is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.

But in a way, the BCS has turned every college football program into Forrest Gump. They need to be in the right place at the right time. For now, the team best emulating Tom Hanks' character would be USC. They are the No. 3 team in the nation in the latest BCS rankings, and should - should - face off against the winner of Michigan-Ohio St. if the Trojans win out.

The reason I say "should" because somehow, someway a late-season loss matters more than one during the first few weeks of the year. If the Wolverines lose to the Buckeyes, and it's between USC, Florida and Michigan for the final spot, computers will decide who goes.

((side note: Rutgers did not play a tough enough schedule to get themselves into the picture. Sorry. It's just going to happen, nor should it.))

But think about this. USC would have one loss - to Oregon State. Florida would have one loss - to Auburn. Michigan would have one loss - to the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. Michigan's loss is to a much better opponent, but if they cannot prove worthy of competing with Ohio State once, why should they get a second chance?

As for the Trojans, they've had chances the past two seasons in the BCS title game; the season before they won a Rose Bowl for the AP National Championship. If the Trojans win the Pac-10 and can close out the season without a loss, they should do enough to qualify for a third consecutive BCS title game.

Florida plays in the highly-regarded Southeastern Conference. Good for them. Urban Meyer is now complaining that conferences like the Pacific 10 and Big Ten have it easy because they don't play a conference championship game. Listen, Urban, that's just how those conferences operate. If you don't like it, move to the ACC ... everyone's doing it.

But Urban Meyer and Ohio State coach Jim Tressel have it right: a team must win its conference to play in the BCS championship game. That isn't always the case. In the 2004 Sugar Bowl, OU got to play LSU for the national championship despite losing their conference title game to Kansas State. That - along with both human polls putting USC on top - led to a BCS overhaul that gave more weight to human polls.

In the end, the BCS will work itself out. And in the end, two teams will say, "It works," and two others will say, "Change it!"

We just have to wait and see who will be on which side.