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Surprise, Surprise

So: it's Alabama vs. Texas for the National Championship. Fortunately we don't have a plus-one model to sort out the other undefeateds, because that would lead to "bracket creep", an unfortunate dermatological condition affecting the face and neck, and presenting with hives and multiple pus-filled lesions. There is no known cure.

But that's not what I'm mad about tonight. I'm mad that the Big Ten, for the 9th year out of 12 in the history of the BCS, has received two bids. Now, you're probably not going to find a better final at-large candidate than Iowa this year, even though they lost to Northwestern and their best non-conference win by far came against an above average Arizona team. One of the downsides to placing ten teams in BCS games is that you'll get the occasional weak team in. This year it's Iowa.

Two conferences have been consistently steadfast and incredibly stubborn in defending the BCS and the Bowl system: the Pac-10 and the Big Ten. For the Big Ten, the reason is clear: they make a ton of money by receiving multiple bids every year. They have had the most BCS appearances of any conference now with 21. Two more than the more highly-touted SEC, and now seven more appearances than its partner in BCS-related crime, the Pac-10.

So, Larry Scott and Pac-10 university presidents, take note: you're defending a system that has taken a substantial money and notoriety away from your conference over the past decade and funneled it to another conference with only one more university among its members. Does that really seem like something you should be fighting for?