College Football Playoff needs to add a 5th team, and a play-in game

Alabama vs. Ohio State is more exciting as a football game than an argument. I'd much rather watch these two teams determine the 4th playoff spot on the field, than watch sports pundits argue about it.

It's clear that the College Football Playoffs are a vast improvement over the BCS, but a modest increase in the playoff's size could yield a big increase in entertainment and drama, while still preserving the importance of the regular season.

I've always wanted a 6-team college playoff, with the top 2 receiving byes, and teams seeded 3 through 6 having to play an extra round. But now I'm thinking that 5 teams would be even better, with just one play-in game. Having just one play-in game is somehow more captivating. It's also not a 7 hour time commitment to my TV.

Forcing the a team to win an extra game for a playoff spot makes sense as the 4th and 5th teams typically have some blemishes on their record they need to atone for. They perhaps didn't win their conference, or have 2 losses, or are a non-power conference team like UCF. They could prove their worthiness by winning the play-in game, which is much more convincing than a panel or algorithm deciding they deserve a chance to win it all.

And a 5 team playoff maintains the importance, and subsequent drama of the regular season. It might even add a little more urgency and excitement, as title contending teams strive to ensure a spot in the top 3 to avoid the extra game, and more teams would have a reasonable chance at making the playoffs.

The play-in game could be played a week after the conference championships, and be hosted by the #4 seed to ensure good ticket sales and an intense college football atmosphere. It would also give us the treat of seeing powerful programs from different parts of the country forced to play each other outside of neutral locations. Or it could pit conference rivals against each other in a game with a national title shot on the line.

So this is what we'd get with a play-in game:

• The fourth playoff team forced to earn their spot 
• The fourth playoff team legitimately proving their worthiness
• More importance for top teams to finish in the top 3 
• More teams with a shot at making the playoffs
• An extra 60 minutes of exciting football between top teams 

Just ask yourself, would you rather watch talking head sports pundits argue about Bama and Ohio State, or watch the Tide and Buckeyes figure it out for themselves in front of 100,000 fans in Columbus or Tuscaloosa? Which do you think would get better ratings, the game or the selection show?

BCS System Pisses Me Off One Last Time

Those are Ohio State players celebrating Auburn's last-second 109 yard field goal return touchdown against Alabama. The video was recorded and posted on Instagram by OSU receiver Frank Epitropoulos. As OSU's players rode on a bus somewhere in lower Michigan, 800 miles to the south in Auburn, Alabama, insane events unfolded that knocked Bama out of the BCS title game, and might have put Ohio State in.

And that's what pisses me off. Ohio State didn't knock out Alabama, Auburn did. Ohio State essentially advanced to the title game at the expense of Alabama, without ever playing Alabama. I'm doubly pissed off because Ohio State would have never had a chance to knock off Bama themselves.

I'm not suggesting that Ohio State doesn't deserve a title shot. I'm not suggesting that Alabama does deserve one. OSU took care of business, Bama didn't. And in this system, Ohio State deserves a title shot more than Alabama.

But how Ohio State passed Alabama is what pisses me off. Auburn did the dirty work for Ohio State. To be fair, Ohio State would have never been given a chance to knock off Alabama. Which is also a flaw of this horrid BCS system. OSU could have gone undefeated and not been given a title shot. Just like NIU and Fresno State. How ludicrous is that? An undefeated Big Ten champion on the outside looking in? It might have happened if not for a missed FG return.

I'm not bitching about the BCS's unfairness or inequalities. I'm complaining about the entertainment the BCS robs from the college football fan. We don't get to see OSU and Bama decide who is best on the field. Or OSU and Auburn for that matter. Instead of letting the gladiators fight it out in the arena head-to-head, they fight against their own local neighbors. Then someone somewhere somehow decides which 2 are the best and they fight to be crowned champion.

The BCS deprives us of big games between contenders to decide who is worthy of a shot at the Championship. The BCS deprives us of the thrill of elimination football. We get to enjoy it in the pros, and in all other college sports. But not big time football. And I hate the BCS for that. Good riddance.

And to the Ohio State players celebrating, you were a 2-point conversion away from being knocked out by Michigan. And you still must play Michigan State. I hope you lose and make things even more confusing.

And there's a chance Auburn could get in, but it won't be because they beat Ohio State or Florida State. Michigan State and Duke have more control over Auburn's national title hopes than Auburn does.

And how must Stanford and Oregon feel? Had they beaten USC and Arizona, respectively, then they'd be near the front of the line if OSU or Florida State lose their conference title games.

And for the record, I don't feel an ounce of pity for Alabama's A.J. McCarron. Mostly because of this...

Going home to that must be, in a word, comforting.

Wait, I Picked 7 of the Elite 8 in my Bracket?

Back in college my nickname was Robbie Mush, because every bet I made turned to mush. It was a reference to a minor character in A Bronx Tale, Eddie Mush, who at the track was given his bet-tickets already ripped up.

That's why last night I was absolutely stunned to see that I had picked 7 of the 8 teams that made the Elite Eight. The only exception being Wichita State. My brackets started off as red as anyone's but somehow I guessed the teams that would advance to this stage. Here's my bracket:

I used almost no logic to pick these teams. I don't follow NCAA hoops until the start of March, and I know little about the game, its teams, or its players. I used a few basic guidelines to fill this bracket out in less than a minute:

1. Despite early upsets, the Final Four and Elite Eight are dominated by teams seeded 1-4.

2. The 1 seeds are 1 by default, not because they are clearly superior to other teams.

3. I hate Syracuse. Which means they'll probably advance far.

4. Duke doesn't mess around when they have something to play for.

Somehow a combination of these guidelines along with the dumbest of luck has produced a bracket in the 99th percentile on Yahoo.

My Final Four are Duke, Ohio State, Michigan, and Syracuse. I have Duke defeating Michigan 65-55 in the Championship.

And I don't even care. I am much more interested in the NCAA Hockey tournament.

BC Football to Play Ohio State

Silver helmets against gold. Maybe we can call this the Precious Metal Bowl? Yukon Cornelius can't decide which helmet he prefers. Though he seems to favor silver.

Boston College and Ohio State have agreed to play a home-and-home series in 2020 and 2021. The Buckeyes would host the Eagles on September 19, 2020. And Ohio State would come to Boston on September 18, 2021.

I'm sure new BC Athletic Director Brad Bates already knew Ohio State AD Gene Smith from Bates's days as the Miami (Ohio) AD. Miami played Ohio State in 2005 and 2012. This previous relationship might have helped get this deal done, or at least start the conversation.

This being a home-and-home series is great news for BC. Not every team is able to lure BCS powerhouses out of their lairs for non-conference games. And games like this one, and the series with USC (who will host BC in 2013, and come to BC in 2014), help entice recruits.

Hopefully by 2020 BC will have a team capable of keeping up with Ohio State.

A Quality Halftime Show

This is what the Ohio State marching band did to entertain their fans on Saturday. The theme was video games.

The horse is pretty impressive.

Celtics Make Sensible Selections

The Celtics aren't rebuilding, they're adding. They were a few plays shy of an NBA Finals appearance and they seem to think that they're only a few pieces away from going further than that in 2012-13.

Their picks reflect that optimism. They selected big men with their back-to-back first round picks. These are guys who can fit into a role while Garnett, Pierce, and Rondo lead the way.

With the 21st pick they took Ohio State's Jared Sullinger, who fell in the draft because of back issues. He's 6' 9" and 268 pounds. In two seasons at OSU, he's averaged over 17 points and 9.7 rebounds per game.

The back is a potential worry, but how can you pass on this guy's talent and size with the 21st pick? It is kind of funny how the Celtics were partially undermined in the playoffs by injury issues so now they've added a young player with injury issues. However, if he stays healthy, he can completely change the shape of the game for the Celtics.

The C's are very streaky shooters. Having a big man that can rebound will help the offense get second chances, and help prevent opponents from going on runs by getting more defensive rebounds.

At 268, Sullinger is now the biggest player on the Celtics.

The new tallest member of the Celtics is Fab Melo out of Syracuse. The 7' and 255 pound center has a reputation for effort problems. Who knows how true those issues are and how much they'll translate to the NBA. He's in a good environment, with veteran teammates, and a coach that won't stand for less than 100%. And he needs the Celtics more than they need him.

He hauled in some rebounds this past season, which was his sophomore season at SU. 5.8 per game. He also blocked 2.9 shots. That may have been a product of Syracuse's zone system, which had Melo loiter under the hoop like Robin Williams in Jack.

Nevertheless, he can come off the bench and be tall when KG needs a breather. In the playoffs, especially against Miami, opponents drove right down the middle when Garnett was sitting. Put Melo out there, and they'll have a much more substantial obstacle in their path.

In the 2nd round, the Celtics took another Syracuse product, which means ESPN and all the SU Newhouse School of Communication grads at ESPN will probably love the C's this year.

Kris Joseph is a 6' 7" and 215 pound small forward. It seems like he peaked his junior year at Syracuse, as all his numbers went down slightly as a senior. He shot worse from the field, rebounded less, fewer points, fewer assists.

Whatever. In the first round the Celtics added 13 feet and 9 inches of height. They added 523 pounds of bulk. They got bigger. They got better.

Pats Draft Rugby Player

The Patriots didn't have any 4th or 5th round picks. In the 6th, they took Nate Ebner, who didn't even play football in high school. He played rugby. And he walked on to the Ohio State football team and became a special teams specialist. He was drafted as a safety but only played three snaps at that position his senior year.

Ebner's true position is a special teams psycho. He claims to enjoy the "mayhem" of kickoff coverage most of all.

Rugby players are crazy.

In the 6th round, the odds are slim of drafting a guy who will make an impact in one of the 22 regular positions. So why not draft an insane rugby player and put him on special teams? You're much more likely to get a positive contribution from him than from a 6th round RB or offensive tackle.

And maybe if the Dolphins try to get clever with some sort of Wildcat 2.0 formation, or if the Jets use Tebow in the option, Ebner can use his rugby experience to counter that. Especially the option, which is very similar to rugby plays.

Obama's Final Four

President Barack Obama unveiled his NCAA Final Four picks: Kentucky, Ohio State, Missouri, and North Carolina. He selected UNC to win the Championship.

Obviously Kentucky is a standard pick to go deep. #1 team in the country, #1 overall seed. They do have Duke in their bracket. But the President is politically savvy enough to know that most people hate Duke. Obama did pick the Blue Devils last year. Then again, he didn't have to run for President last year. More voters hate Duke than like Duke.

Obama might have picked Ohio State because of Fab Melo's ineligibility hurting Syracuse. Or because Ohio has 20 electoral votes and is perhaps the most important swing state in the election. No Republican has ever been elected President without winning Ohio. In other words, Obama winning Ohio blocks the Republican road to the White House

The Missouri pick reflects one of the "sexy" picks to win the tournament. Mizzou's won 30 games and have a good shot to beat Michigan State in their region. Obama lost Missouri by 0.14% in November of 2008. 3,903 votes. The Mizzou Arena holds 15,061 fans. If Obama gets some Tiger fans to switch sides, he could win Missouri in 2012.

North Carolina is a good basketball pick. Obama probably wants to avoid Kansas, too, as he's picked the Jayhawks before and they've been disappointing in tournament play. This is also a good political pick. Obama won North Carolina in 2008, by 0.32%. His margin of victory was 14,177 votes in the usually Republican state. North Carolina will probably return to the GOP column in 2012, but with Obama picking the Tar Heels to win it all, perhaps the Republicans won't be able to cover the spread.

Bowl Previews: Monday's Games*

With the NFL playing on New year's Day, the traiditional bowl games for that day will be played Monday.

Monday - 12:00 PM - ESPNU
Ticketcity Bowl - Dallas, TX
#19 Houston Cougars (-7) vs. #22 Penn State Nittany Lions
PSU won 9 games and had the same conference record as Wisconsin. Then again they didn't have to play Michigan or Michigan State. Houston won 12 games, but the best team they faced was Southern Miss, and that was the one game they lost. This is a good matchup of offense against defense. Houston scored 50.1 per game (1st in the nation), Penn State held opponents to 15.7 per game (5th best). I think PSU will win.

Penn State +7

Monday - 1:00 PM - ABC
Outback Bowl - Tampa, FL
#17 Michigan State vs. #16 Georgia Bulldogs (-3.5)
Both these teams made their conference title games. MSU was just shy of a BCS bid. Georgia's only losses came to Alabama, Boise State, and South Carolina. I'm more impressed with Michigan State's resume. They beat Michigan. They beat Wisconsin. The best team Georgia beat was Auburn, or maybe Georgia Tech.

Michigan State +3.5

Monday - 1:00 PM - ESPN
Capital One Bowl - Orlando, FL
#20 Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. #9 South Carolina Gamecocks (-2)
South Carolina lost to Auburn and Arkansas and beat Georgia and Clemson. Nebraska also has a good record. They beat Michigan State and Penn State. SC put up 30.1 points per game in the SEC, which is pretty good. They also have a solid defense that should clamp down on Nebraska's one dimensional offense.

South Carolina -2

Monday - 1:00 PM - ESPN2
Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl - Jacksonville, FL
Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Florida Gators (-2)
Normally these teams meeting would be a tantalizing matchup. Instead, it's a pair of 6-6 teams with 3-5 conference records. OSU was able to beat Wisconsin, then lost to every other quality team they played. Florida's wins were against Furman, UAB, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt. The game is in Florida's backyard, but I have to pick Ohio State.

OSU +2

Saturday - 5:00 PM - ESPN
Rose Bowl Game Presented by Vizio - Pasadena, CA
#10 Wisconsin Badgers vs. #5 Oregon Ducks (-6)
If not for their October hiccups against Michigan and Ohio State, Wisconsin could be in the title game. If not for a 3 point loss to USC, the Ducks would be in the title game. Wisconsin's defense might be able to slow down the Ducks just enough to allow their offense to keep up. The Badgers can rush the ball and shorten the game. I think that's what they'll do.

Wisconsin +6

Saturday - 8:30 PM - ESPN
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl - Glendale, AZ
#4 Stanford Cardinal vs. #3 Oklahoma State Cowboys
How awesome would it be if a game like this was part of a playoff? Both these teams lost 1 game. And they have a legit gripe for being left out of the title game. Both these teams can score points. Oklahoma State is one of the best passing offenses in the nation. Stanford's offense isn't as explosive, but their defense is much more solid. This should be a fun game to watch. I think the Cowboys will come out on top.

Oklahoma State -4

College Football Preview: Big Ten*

The Big Ten went from eleven to twelve teams by adding Nebraska. The league was split into two divisions (named quite lamely the "Leaders" and "Legends" divisions) and a championship game will be held in Indianapolis on December 3rd. The divisions weren't determined by geography. Here's the new alignment:

Legends Division:
Nebraska
Michigan State
Michigan
Iowa
Northwestern
Minnesota

Leaders Division:
Ohio State
Wisconsin
Penn State
Illinois
Purdue
Indiana

I think the Big Ten wanted to make it possible for rivals (like Michigan/Ohio State or Minnesota/Wisconsin) to meet in the title game. Anyway, here come the previews:

1. Nebraska Cornhuskers

When duel threat QB Taylor Martinez is healthy, the Huskers have a very dangerous offense. And guess what, he's healthy. Their defense is stacked up front and in the backfield. They do, however, need to be able to stop the run better, especially now that they're in the Big Ten, which is deep at RB. Their linebackers need to step up. But if Martinez can lead the offense to a lead, then the shortcomings at run-stop can be safely hidden.

Key Games:
10/1 @ Wisconsin
10/8 vs. Ohio State
10/29 vs. Michigan State

Prediction: 12-1, Big Ten Legends title, Big Ten title, National Title contender

2. Ohio State Buckeyes

Due to NCAA punishments, the offense might lose a step. Pryor is gone and there are other suspensions to endure. But the Buckeyes' defense was the winning factor in 2010 and it only returns 4 starters. So while the offense should sort itself out, the defense will be only good and not great. That will cost them against Nebraska... twice.

Key Games:
9/17 @ Miami
10/1 vs. Michigan State
10/8 @ Nebraska
10/29 vs. Wisconsin

Prediction: 10-3, Big Ten Leaders title, Big Ten title game loser

3. Michigan State Spartans

There are reports of Weapons of Mass Destruction in East Lansing. QB Keith Cousins threw 20 TDs last year. RB Edwin Baker ran for 1,201 yards and 13 TDs. WR BJ Cunningham hauled in 9 TDs. Not only that, but MSU is balanced on both sides of the ball. There's simply no glaring weakness for opponents to exploit. Unfortunately, they have perhaps the toughest schedule in the conference, with some real tough road games (trips to South Bend, Columbus, Lincoln, and Iowa City). Nevertheless, MSU is a legit threat to win the conference.

Key Games:
9/17 @ Notre Dame
10/1 @ Ohio State
10/22 vs. Wisconsin
10/29 @ Nebraska
11/12 @ Iowa

4. Wisconsin Badgers

Runningbacks James White and Montee Ball combined for 2,048 yards on the ground last year. The Badgers need more of that because their QB and WR situations aren't so pretty. Their defense can stuff the run, but they need to either improve their pass rush or their pass coverage in order to stop opponents from defeating them in the air. This is a quality team with serious talent, they're just missing a few pieces.

Key Games:
10/1 vs. Nebraska
10/22 @ Michigan State
10/29 @ Ohio State

Prediction: 9-3

5. Iowa Hawkeyes

The hopes of the Hawkeye offense rely on sophomore RB Marcus Coker who ran for 219 yards in last year's Insight Bowl. The offense will depend on the running game, and the running game will depend on him. The Hawkeyes had the 7th best scoring defense in the country last year, and despite losing some talent, they're still very strong at linebacker. Their defense will continue to be a strength, and in my opinion, they have one of the most underrated homefield advantages in the country.

Prediction: 8-4

6. Penn State Nittany Lions

The offense will drag this team down like an anchor. There are QB questions, they need to replace Evan Royster in the backfield, and the offensive line won't be much help to either problem. Defensively, the Lions have an excellent secondary, which will get plenty of work because their pass-rush will be absent all year long.

Prediction: 7-5

7. Northwestern Wildcats
(No picture due to Northwestern having academic standards, and their girls having self-esteem)
QB Dan Persa might be the best passer in the Big Ten, and is certainly the most efficient. He completed more than 2/3 of his passes last year, and threw 15 TDs compared to just 4 INTs. And this year, he has WRs to throw to and a good line to protect him. However, apart from a decent secondary, the Northwestern defense sucks. Thankfully for the Wildcats, they don't have to play Wisconsin or OSU. So they should go bowling.

Prediction: 7-5

8. Michigan Wolverines

The Wolverines have the biggest playmaker on the planet in Denard Robinson, and they're returning 9 starters from an offense that was 25th in scoring and 8th in yardage last year. So why would you want to change the offensive scheme at all? That's the question new coach Brady Hoke has to answer. Instead of the spread offense (which is perfect for Robinson), the Wolverines will go with a more "pro-style" offense that features tailbacks. Of course, Michigan's tailback situation is pretty shallow. This idea is just a complete waste of Robinson's ludicrous talents.

Defensively, Hoke has shown some brains, as he's changed to a 4-3, which is logical because Michigan is deep at D-line and weak at LB. There still isn't enough talent on that side of the ball. That combined with a stupidly run offense and things don't look so pretty in Ann Arbor.

Prediction: 7-5

9. Illinois Fighting Illini

The fate of the Illini rides on QB Nathan Scheelhaase. As a freshman, he threw 17 TDs, and ran for 5 more along with 868 rushing yards. He and the rest of the offense are poised to improve. But the defense is going in the other direction after losing key talent to the NFL.

Prediction: 7-5

10. Purdue Boilermakers

Purdue girls love trains. The offense won't be good, but it won't be nearly as bad as last year's unit, which averaged 19.7 points per game (105th). The defense should be much better as 9 starters return. There's a very good chance that Purdue will be bowling this year.

Prediction: 6-6

11. Indiana Hoosiers

IU needed offense, so they hired Ken Wilson from Oklahoma's staff. That's phase 1 of the solution. Phase 2 will be to close their eyes until 2012 or 2013 when some talent can be recruited, because the current offensive unit is an abomination to the game. They'll be the Big Ten's bitch in 2011.

Prediction: 3-9

12. Minnesota Golden Gophers

The QB is a converted WR, which leaves only one legit WR left for defenses to cover. And all the RBs are wasting roster spots. Defensively, the front 7 need to pressure the QB in order to protect a shaky set of defensive backs. Minnesota fans will welcome the cold winter so they can forget about this football team and move on to hockey.

Prediction: 3-9

COLLEGE HOCKEY TEAMS PLAYING MUSICAL CHAIRS

The shape of college hockey will be changing in 2013. Right now, there are four power conferences: The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA), Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA), ECAC, and Hockey East. But that's all changing this summer. Two new conferences have emerged out west and they've raided the top teams from the WCHA and CCHA.

The Big Ten is coming to college hockey. Five Big Ten members already field Division 1 programs, with Penn State joining them in 2012. And in 2013, the Big Ten will appropriate (take) two teams from WCHA: Minnesota and Wisconsin. They'll absorb three teams from CCHA: Ohio State, Michigan, and Michigan State. These teams are some of the best from the WCHA and CCHA.

Not only has the Big Ten plundered those two conferences, six teams (5 from the WCHA and 1 from the CCHA) have decided to form a new power conference: The National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC). 2011 National Champs Minnesota-Duluth will join perennial powerhouse North Dakota, along with Denver, Colorado College, and Nebraska-Omaha. CCHA will "donate" Miami (OH) to the new conference. These were the best 6 teams remaining in the WCHA and CCHA after the Big Ten defections.

Notre Dame's fate still remains up in the air. The NCHC has been courting them, and it would make sense geographically for them to join. And considering that the CCHA is now a shell of what it once was, Notre Dame almost must move in order to maintain its program's prominence.

Another possibility for the Irish is to join Hockey East. The ECAC and Hockey East have remained untouched by this drama. But Hockey East would probably love to add a national program on Notre Dame's level. Geography is a bit of a problem, but the idea of Notre Dame vs. BC bringing their rivalry to the ice is very appealing.

Notre Dame has a national fanbase. Their hockey program is on the rise. Wherever they wind up, whether it's the NCHC or Hockey East, they're going to welcomed with open arms.

What I like about all this shuffling and maneuvering is that the power conferences have gotten smaller, but more powerful. Big Ten Hockey's members have combined to win 23 NCAA titles. The NCHC's members have won 17. Compare that to Hockey East's 11, the ECAC's 5, the WCHA's 4, and the CCHA's 4.

I wouldn't be shocked if, within a few years, some realignment occurs here in the northeast. As the struggle for TV money increases, especially with these two new conferences in play, power programs like BU and BC might seek to separate themselves from the UMass-Lowell's of the world, and perhaps align with other power programs from the ECAC like Cornell.

This is just speculation, but one day Hockey East might look like this: BC, BU, Northeastern, Notre Dame, Maine, UNH, Cornell, and Yale.

And I think while this is bad news for about half of the programs in college hockey, it's also beneficial for the game as a whole. Schools with national fanbases like Notre Dame, Michigan, and Ohio State can help bring new fans to the game. But they're going to do that by playing other top tier programs and rivals, not by playing Lake Superior State.

College hockey also needs large schools to put money into their programs. UConn, for instance, has a D-1 program, but they don't reward the full number of scholarships that they could. Syracuse only has a club level program, which is odd considering there are 10 Division 1 programs in New York. If Colgate, Clarkson, Union and RPI can field D-1 teams, why not Syracuse? Colorado, Northwestern, and Pittsburgh are all in regions where hockey is widely played. Yet Colorado is in D-3 and Northwestern and Pitt field only club teams.

College hockey is always going to be a regional thing, but like all other college sports, the powerhouses are what draw fans to the game, they're the ones that draw TV money and media attention. And unlike other sports, these conferences only exist in just one sport: hockey. It's not like the ACC, which has its football powers and its basketball powers, and they're all able to support each other. I want to see conferences that are ridiculously good from top to bottom. That makes the regular season interesting, as opposed to the 22 week warm-up to the NCAA Tournament that it currently is.

PUNISH THE CONFERENCES

USC got stripped of a title, Ohio State's Jim Tressel quit, these are just the latest stories of minor corruption in big time college football.

What pisses me off is that the conferences don't get punished. The Pac-10 got $17 million for USC's appearance in the Orange Bowl that year. Why don't they have to surrender that money? If the National Title was ill-gotten, wasn't the bid to the title game?

You might ask me why I'd want to punish U-Washington for something that happened at USC. But why does some teammate of Reggie Bush get punished for what Bush did? For how many of Bush's teammates was that achievement the pinnacle of their life? Bush gets his NFL salary, his NFL endorsements, but now his former teammates have "vacated" their title. What the hell does Bush care about Wikipedia listing USC's title as vacated?

Punish the conferences for violations like this. Then the conferences will actually try to police their own schools. And the Pac-10 benefited from Bush's presence just as much as USC did. Why should the NCAA have to watch all 120 programs? How come we never hear about the BigTen uncovering some scandal within their own conference? Because they're not looking. Why would they look?

All the power in college football is held by the conferences. The conferences concocted the BCS, not the NCAA. The conferences get all the money and decide where it goes. They get rewarded for their teams' successes, so why not also hold them responsible for their violations?