i don't know how league tie-ins work into the bcs formula, and i understand that tie-ins may have been a part in this, but it makes no sense to me that utah should play freakin' pittsburgh and auburn should be playing virginia tech. no sense at all. pair the two undefeateds. pair the gursahaney family rivalry. then you've got undefeated v. undefeated on the final two days of the season, and at least those games are worth watching. as it is, who in their right mind is planning on watching utah-pitt on january 1st (...the spotlight game on college football's biggest day...ugh) or virginia tech-auburn on january 3rd?

and why, when it's possible and legit, is the rose bowl not big ten-pac ten? i've not liked texas just about ever, so that perhaps adds to my frustrations.

and how could cal get no better opponent than texas freakin' tech? ugh.

by the way, under the old system ('old' here means 'when i became a nerd'), with some tie-ins and some seemingly at-large berths, i think the bowl shakeout would have looked something like this:

rose (big ten-pac ten): usc-michigan
orange (big eight-big east): oklahoma-pittsburgh
sugar (sec-acc?): auburn-virginia tech
cotton (southwest conf.-at-large): texas-notre dame (sort of a joke, but it would have probably happened)...if not notre dame, you'd've probably seen georgia or miami or something
fiesta (at large-at large): cal-utah

that's just a hypothetical, and probably not entirely accurate, but it sure would make for a fun new year's day (back when they played every game on new year's day). you'd have a legitimate four games worth watching, to help you determine who you thought was the best team in the country. usc and oklahoma are playing unworthy opponents, so they need blowouts to get your number one vote. utah's got the toughest opponent of any of the undefeateds, so a tight win might boost your impression of them, and a blowout should earn them the top spot. and how about auburn, who's playing the hottest non-unbeaten in the country?

even the tv agreement would be easy, as you just keep the bowl game on the network of the conference that holds their tv rights, or, in the case of the fiesta, the highest bidder...

a lineup could look like this:
orange: abc, 1 pm eastern

cotton: fox, 230 eastern (fsn televises the big twelve, and currently has the cotton bowl)

sugar: cbs, 400 pm eastern
rose: abc, 500 pm eastern
fiesta: cbs, 800 eastern

i can't imagine a greater day of watching football...sigh...

the system in place is a nice idea, but it simply marginalizes the importance of any other bowl (although, this year, i guess three non-title-game bowls matter...those involving utah, auburn, and the louisville-boise state game which should be outstanding). and, of course, the current system is in place simply in the interests of generating revenue by the selling of a championship 'package'

elsewhere, willie's destroyers ended their most disappointing season with a thud today, losing a shootout with team nemo (i'm omitting his offensive team name, although i'm hoping it remains for a long time.) that places me at an official 3-10 (and an unofficial 3-9-1, although we'll not fight for that tie in the interests of draft positioning) on the year, 15th of 16th in the standings but about 8th in points scored.

also, pittsburgh-jacksonville was about the best nfl game i've seen this year (bettered only, perhaps, by last week's denver-oakland barnburner in the snow). i'm forced to sigh whenever i see leftwich throw the ball, as that big angry animal should be under center (or rather, lining up in shotgun) for the bears right now. roethlisberger (perhaps i'm missing a vowel) is surely a winner, and he'll be fun to watch for a decade. but this was simply a physical, quick game that featured two apparent game-winning field goals (jax with 1:54, pitt with :19) and a 60-yarder that fell just short and just wide on the game's final play. let's have the postseason like this.

and finally, the bears remain in the hunt. consider, they're 5-3 with urlacher in the lineup, and he'll presumably be in the lineup the rest of the way. thomas (jones) and (anthony) thomas provide a fairly nice 1-2 punch in the backfield, and hutchinson looked comfortable and athletic back there. it was nice to see the receivers make plays (wade is an above average possession guy), and even nicer to see des clark get fully involved from the tight end spot.

the goal line play to jason mckee was the bears' play of the year, featuring a shift from double-tight t-formation, to slot-left split-right, i formation, and finally to fullback motion right...and into the flat and into the end zone for the game-clinching play. and how about the fact that, after six years of being dominated by him, the bears secondary is legitimately in moss' head. i love peanut lots, and love azumah more.

so the bears (and lions and panthers and bucs and giants and perhaps the cowboys) are one game behind wild card leader st. louis with four to play and, while they probably won't get to the postseason, it's nice to have something to watch in december.

i'm expecting a real interesting one next week at jacksonville...they'll be the underdogs in a winable one next week, will be favored against slumping houston on the 19th, and close at detroit (perhaps meaningful for both) and home against green bay...december does matter, friends.

of course, an ugly loss at jax would ruin my optimism in a flash.