BCS Championship 2012: Voters' Dilemma Shows Need for Immediate System Overhaul

If you're a fan of the BCS, then you need to be pulling hard for LSU to beat Alabama in Monday's BCS National Championship Game. If Alabama beats LSU, it's going to be an absolute mess that will ultimately lead to a change in how a National Champion is crowned. 

Okay, that may not be the worst thing in the world. But if it happens, it would be nothing short of chaotic. 

The game hasn't even been played yet and according to ESPN, members of the Associated Press are already torn as to how they will vote if Alabama wins. 

David Teel of the Daily Press in Hampton Roads, Va.:

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Awarding a championship to a team that loses its final game is beyond counterintuitive and may be un-American...But if LSU loses narrowly, I will absolutely consider (voting the Tigers No. 1). That's how good the Tigers' regular season -- five wins over the Top 25, four away from Death Valley, including at Alabama -- was.

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Garland Gillen of WWL-TV in New Orleans

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If Alabama wins, I'm voting the Tide (No.) 1...Championships are won in January not November.

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Erik Gee of KNML-AM in Albuquerque

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I will vote for LSU no matter what happens in the National Championship Game...How in the world can they be the SEC West champ, the outright SEC champ, and lose to Alabama in a "neutral" site game (I guess you can debate the Superdome being a neutral site) after they have already beaten them in Tuscaloosa, have the series split 1-1 and not at least have a share of the national title?

"

At least the A.P. has a consistent voice. Okay, the Associated Press is no longer associated with the BCS. The winner of this game will be the BCS National Champion, regardless of how any of these pollsters vote. 

But those opinions signal a problem with the system. Really, they can potentially exist even in years where there's no rematch. Who's to say that USC was really better than Auburn in 2004? Both were undefeated. But now that we have a rematch, the potential for chaos is right in front of us. 

This is the problem with anything where a winner (or champion) is decided by judging, or with a vote. There's so much subjective value that goes into it. 

If Alabama wins, we're going to see more of a scream for a change, and a playoff. This will be especially true if they win a close game, but even a blowout will trigger some strong talks. It needs to. 

Let's run a hypothetical. For the sake of this argument, let's say that Oklahoma State was chosen for this game. Now, let's say that the Cowboys beat LSU. Who had the better season? Oklahoma State had the better game, but not necessarily the better year. That's true in any sport at any level, but championship appearances aren't earned with votes there. They are in college football. 

If Alabama beats LSU and manages an identical season, the big schools from the big conferences that are protected by the BCS will be screaming for a change. 

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