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Senator Orrin Hatch from Utah has written a letter to President Obama, urging him to ask the Justice Department to examine claims that the BCS violates antitrust laws, as reported in this Bloomberg article.

That’s the idea Senator! You go boy! See, this is what we need. This stuff fans the fire. Carries the momentum forward. Mighty mo, mighty mo!

A few highlights from Hatch’s letter to President Obama:

• The BCS system “explicitly limits the ability of non-privileged teams to compete in these lucrative games.”
• The BCS system “creates a so-called ‘National Championship Game,’ the limited eligibility for which is effectively determined before the season even begins.”
• “Of the 10 available opportunities to participate in the BCS bowls, six have already been allotted to privileged conferences before the season even begins.”

I love it, Senator Hatch. Keep up the great work!

Now, Justice Department, DO YOUR JOB. If the BCS really does violate anti-trust laws, then do something about it.

I’ve always said that the one and only thing that has the real potential of bringing about a D-1 playoff is having multiple teams finish the season with realistic claims to be in the championship game. And I still believe that. But it probably needs to be many consecutive years of such controversy. Many years of arguably-worthy teams being left out. It screams loudly. Oh and maybe this Playoff P.A.C. has some potential too — it’s sure getting a lot of press, if nothing else.

But what about this idea too? Two teams from the same conference playing in the title game. I think it’s possible, maybe even this year. As Frank Burlison points out in this article, the current BCS standings, given the gaps between each of the top teams, could conceivably pave the way for an SEC vs SEC title game.

Oh how sweet that would be! Loathing and anger at the BCS controversy would be at an all time high! As a college football fan, I would hate it. I mean, who wants a conference monopoly on the championship game? But as a BCS Hater I would love it more than those triple chocolate shakes from Dairy Queen. Trust me, that’s saying something.

Dave Dameshek over at ESPN calls out Urban Meyer in this article, asking him to shatter that BCS trophy when he receives another one this year.

Can you imagine the awesomeness of such an act? That would be a truly memorable moment, one that would freeze time. And the effect such a statement would have on college football would be absolutely disastrous to the efforts of the conspiring fat lards that run the BCS.

Please Urban, PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING. I know, I know, we’re dreaming. But sometimes it’s fun to dream.

I love this article by Lou Vozza over at Bleacher Report. A great look into the history of college football, its ranking system, and some comparisons to golf.

Now that’s what I’m talkin about.

The Salt Lake Tribune reported that Utahn Mark Sanderson, a Washington lawyer and former campaign finance counsel for John McCain’s presidential race, has started a political action committee aimed at securing an FBS Playoff. The PAC’s purpose is to raise money to be able to match the lobbying power of the BCS. They will support pro-playoff candidates, mobilize public support, etc.

PlayoffPAC.com is my new favorite website.

[Update 10/20/2009] The Playoff P.A.C. is picking up steam. Check it out.

Jason McGovern makes a great point in this article over at Bleacher Report.

One of the lame arguments against an FBS playoff is that it would detract from the excitement surrounding the regular season. You see, under the current system every single game is important!! If you lose one game your title shot is SHOT!!

So tune in fans! Watch your team! Support your team! Spend money on your team, spend money on our sponsors! Every game counts! If your team loses, that’s it for them, no more chance at the championship! So you better not miss it!

Until your team suffers a loss.

Not that out of the ordinary, I know. Most teams suffer at least one loss. But now your team is eliminated just because of that one loss.

Suddenly the “excitement surrounding the regular season” doesn’t have quite the hold on you that it did while your team was unblemished.

Don’t mess with such an exciting regular season? Every game counts? THIS DOESN’T APPLY ANYMORE. MY TEAM IS FINISHED. THEY HAVE NO CHANCE. Why is the FBS regular season so magical still? IT ISN’T. MY TEAM IS OUT.

In a season that is followed by a playoff, my team would still have a chance. I would still be excited to follow them and hope they’ll make it! The regular season would still mean something. Yah they lost, but hey, they can still make it to the playoffs! Once they’re in, they have a shot at the title!

Now I’m tuned in. And so are millions of other fans, guaranteed.

And while we’re on the topic of that stupid mantra “every game counts,” here is another great reminder of it’s unfairness. Tom Donelson of BASN reminds us in this article that the statement is only true if you’re in one of the “power” conferences.

Otherwise, in terms of being eligible to compete for a national championship, NONE of your games matter! Not a single one of them! If you care about competing to be the best in your sport, you might as well not field a team. Nothing you do on the field matters! None of your games count!

How do you like them apples, you weak meaningless football teams? Yah, I’m talking to over half of the 120 teams in the FBS. You’re worthless and your games don’t matter.

In case anyone forgot why we emphatically distrust the human polls that make up such a significant portion of the BCS formula, Gene Frenette reminds us in this article.

Let’s start using the new moniker “Herd Polls” instead of Human Polls. Fits, doesn’t it?

Also, Dan Wetzel at Yahoo! Sports took a recent look at the polls and gave us a reminder of why the BCS system is so flawed.

“Don’t be shocked by the controversy, the foolishness or the corruption. That isn’t a flaw in the system. It is the system.”

Edward Carifio, in this great article from the Yuma Sun, predicts that we’ll have our beloved playoff “by the end of the next decade.”

I too would love to believe that the dream could possibly come true that soon (actually it really SUCKS that we may have to wait that long).

He argues that enough teams (and there seem to be more each year) from the “lesser” conferences have been doing such a great job of putting a beat-down on the mighty BCS teams of late, that eventually parity will dictate that another method of choosing a champion is necessary.

Utah beating Alabama, Boise State beating Oklahoma, BYU beating Oklahoma (last week), Houston beating Oklahoma State (last week) come immediately to mind, but the list could go on and on.

In my opinion, increasing parity between the BCS’s and the Non’s may eventually bring about a different system, but I see that as being a very long-term effect.

Again, the only thing (in the near future) that will bring about a change in the BCS method of choosing a champion will be more and more years of controversy at the top of the heap at the end of the season. We want multiple BCS teams claiming they have a right to play for the title, year in and year out. This will scream the loudest and will effect the most immediate change. The good old boys always take care of themselves first and if enough of THEIR OWN are crying, they will listen.

I love this rant by Allen Wedge.

And I agree with him 100%. Sportswriters and coaches (but especially the coaches) are going to cast their votes with at least some element of bias. Why in the world is the Coaches Poll part of the BCS rankings formula anyway? Hello? How does that not present a conflict of interest? Hello? Are there any intelligent people out there?

Only one thing can bring about the playoff system that D-1 FBS fans everywhere hope for.

One thing only.

Ready? Here it is:

Multiple teams ending the season with realistic claims to be able to play in the National Championship Game. Period. Exclamation point!

Set everything else aside. BCS busting by non-BCS programs is good, we want that. Cheering for your own team is good, everybody wants their team to do well.

But if you want a playoff in college football, you root for ONE THING ONLY each year, and that is to have a bunch of undefeated BCS teams (or if there aren’t any undefeated teams, then a bunch of one-loss teams) at the top of the polls at the end of the season. Only two teams get into the title game and the rest cry foul. The more BCS coaches that we have at the end of the season whining to their school presidents and conference commissioners that they didn’t get their shot, the better.

That is the only thing that will bring change. BCS teams unhappy with the unfairness of the BCS system.