BYU Cougars: The Five Most Critical "Other" Games This Week

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The BCS is a crazy animal.

It has completely convoluted fan, media and coaching behavior with its intricate web of relationships, perceptions and dependencies.

Coaches run up scores to impress pollsters.

Refs are accused of altering games to secure at-large BCS berths.

Coaches fighting to hide their ballots from the public.

But the strangest of them all is the love-fest it now creates between once-bitter rivals.

Decades of rancor and animosity vanished.

Could you imagine Palestinians cheering for the Israeli soccer team?

Brown's fans hoisting Roethlisberger on their shoulders?

Boston fans popping champagne after a Yankees playoff win?

The list could go on, but the irony of the hated BCS is that it brings enemies together.

Cougars celebrating after a Utah win in the Sugar Bowl. Utes high fiving after Oklahoma succumbs to BYU.

Amazing.

This crazy BCS system and its over-emphasis on preseason pole positions, conference affiliation, strength of schedule, who have you played, who have they played, margin of victory, etc., can be overhwhelming.

And confusing.

Can't it ever just be about who is the best team?

No, for whatever reason it can't. So it's all a dog and pony show to the pollsters and the computers who decide the outcomes.

As a result, everyone you play, or are going to play, becomes part of your grooming display. They become your best friends.

It has completely altered rooting behavior.

Engendering a new kind of spectatorship that favors the rational over the emotional.

Now fans, coaches, players have a methodical preference for who they cheer for:

1. Favorite team
2. Conference member
3. Non-conference opponent (past and future)
4. Whoever's playing the guys ranked in front of us

It's strange behavior. It's why you see LSU and Auburn fans at the Alabama Sugar Bowl.

But now we know why it's so easy to get teams to shake hands after the game. They're now BFF's!

I wouldn't be surprised if coaches offered tips on future opponents, game plans, etc.

Could you picture Bronco Mendenhall to Stoops after the game:

"Bob, great game. Give my best to Sam. We sure wish him a speedy recovery. By the way, I'd run a cover-two mixed in with some corner blitzes on Colt McCoy, he seems to favor the..."

It's why the Boise State Bronco's probably wish they hadn't taunted LeGarrette Blount. Because their best opponent just lost their best player, for the year.

And the Bronco's really, really need Oregon to make some noise in the Pac-10.

It's even more critical for the non-BCS. Who need every win to count. Every opponent to look their sharpest.

That said, the Cougars began a remarkable quest last week in their surprising upset over Oklahoma.

Despite the BCSPN spin and over-emphasis on Bradford's injury, BYU looked terrific.

They forced the then-Bradford-led Sooner offense to three consecutive three-and-outs.

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