Easy Fix For The BCS?

Is there an easy fix to the BCS? Yes! Institute a rule that only Conference Champions are eligible to compete in the National Championship game. When I dream at night I have visions of a grand playoff scheme for college football, but this seems like such a simple change that will eliminate the majority of the controversy. I will explain the major pros and then examine the greatest cons.

PROS

1. There is no more tripping into the BCS Championship.
Nebraska lost their last game 62-36? Sorry, the (10-1) AP #2 Oregon Ducks, champions of the PAC, are going instead. Oklahoma drops their last game 35-7 to Kansas State? Sorry, AP #1 and AP #2, USC and LSU are going to duke it out in the BCS Championship.

2. Its decided on the field.
Instituted as a rule, teams like Michigan in 2006 and Georgia in 2007 will have no leg to stand on trying to protest the BCS selection. As a fan of the playoff, this means the decision has been made on the field and not by computers and human polls.

3. We weren't sure who's better. Play it again.
Although it has not happened yet it greatly reduces the chances of the BCS Championship being a regional game. Ohio State versus Michigan two years ago and a potential Red River Revivalry this year may not be the best ratings grabbers.

CONS

1. You will be leaving one of the top two teams out of the Championship game.
I guess this is relative. Two years ago, which team deserved to go more, Florida or Michigan? It is a tossup (and maybe the human pollsters skewed their results to avoid a Big Ten rematch) but that is just the point of the additional rule. It puts order where polls leave the question in disarray.

2. What if neither #1 or #2 are conference champions?
Conference winners will always be at/near the top of the conference and Conference Championship Games give added boosts at the end of the season. Computer rankings may take neither of these facts into account. However, the human polls are always sympathetic to Conference winners/champions. Whether the composite BCS Poll recognizes this or not, the human polls most likely will. Additionally, in the last 10 years the AP has never ranked a non Conference Winner in the top 2.

3. This does nothing to solve the problem of more than 2 top conference winners.
#2 (10-1) Miami or #3 (11-1) Florida State? Or even better: who to choose from (12-0) USC, (12-0) Oklahoma, and (12-0) Auburn? This is a still a legitimate gripe. When the top 3 teams all have a legitimate claim there is little to do (outside of a playoff) than leave the decision to chance (aka, flip on the computer polls).

CONCLUSION

Despite the arguments against the rule, only Conference Champions should be allowed in the BCS Championship Game. As was stated, this has equated to the AP #1 and #2 for each of the last 10 years. The BCS poll (humans + computers) should still be conducted as a final word in determining the participants in close races like those in 2000 and 2004 discussed above in CON #3.

The cases where non-Conference winners have participated (and subsequently lost) in the BCS Championship Game (2001 and 2003) have come before the BCS formula was overhauled in 2004. Since then the BCS Poll has thankfully become more consistent with both human and computer polls. Yet, the potential is just as much a possibility (see controversy surrounding the past two years). This rule will irrevocably reduce controversy.