Time for More BCS Tinkering

Well, Ohio State got whupped again by an SEC team in the BCS championship game last night. It must be an administrator's nightmare - four BCS conference champs finished the season with two losses. It's nearly impossible to conclude that the end of the season #1 is clearly the best team in the land. Still, they're champs, so props to LSU.

Now, the off season kvetching will begin about what changes can be made to the system for the upcoming years. A popular non-playoff alternative is the "plus one" system, where the top two teams after the bowls are finished play for the title. That still wouldn't solve this season's mess, of course. But USA Today has word of a proposed "plus three" system, which might sort of do the trick.

It would work like this. First, the traditional bowls would get played, with the top teams in the four BCS bowls. Next, the four winners would move on to a pair of semifinal games played a week later. Finally, the two remaining winners would meet a week later for the title. The plan isn't fully sorted out - would the bowls revert to their old tie ins, would the top 8 teams get seeded in them, for instance? - but it's a step in the right direction. It'll be interesting to see if this goes anywhere.