The 2011 BCS Bowl Season: Has the BCS System Finally Proven to Be a Failure?

As the 2011-12 College Football season comes to an end, many thoughts and questions undoubtedly loom after Alabama embarrassed the clearly unworthy No. 1-ranked LSU Tigers to the tune of 21-0. So, while they were basking in the fact that there were no busters to give them grief this year, the BCS let everything slip by and put on what could arguably be considered the worst BCS bowl season since its inception in 1998.

Each year, the BCS is consistent about one thing. There will be controversy.

And while this year was no different, it also left people wondering how certain selections made sense and what logic was put into them. For starters, how could two teams from the same division of the same conference play for the national title? The way it played out, the No. 1-ranked, undefeated LSU was put at a disadvantage. They had to play a conference championship game while No. 2 Alabama sat idle in the final week of the season.

Technically, LSU got punished for being the best. Another example would be Michigan and Michigan St. in the Big Ten. With Michigan State's loss in the conference championship, they both ended the season with the same record, but Michigan St. beat them head-to-head to earn that appearance to play Wisconsin.

However, Michigan found themselves in the Sugar Bowl, while Michigan St ended up in a non-BCS bowl. Michigan went against another conference loser, Virginia Tech, who got pasted twice by the ACC champions, Clemson. Meanwhile, you have Kansas St. and Boise St., both ranked higher than Va Tech, getting snubbed.

Somehow, there's never anybody who can answer the questions that people have, and, hence, the controversy will continue on. 

This year's national championship game was nothing short of embarrassing for everyone. The No. 1 team in the nation, LSU, failed to break 100 total yards and only managed to cross midfield once throughout the game. Is there a lesson to be learned here? Would Oklahoma St. or Stanford have done any better? Unfortunately, we'll never know. And that is where the BCS has proven to be a failure.