Defections hurting non-BCS teams

Published: Tuesday, Nov. 30 2010 11:25 p.m. MST

Cornerback Elisha Olabode #6 of the TCU Horned Frogs celebrates with starting quarterback Andy Dalton #14 after TCU beat the BYU Cougars 31-3 at Amon G. Carter Stadium on October 16, 2010 in Fort Worth, Texas.

Tom Pennington, Getty Images

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So, now we know how the insidious and evil BCS will survive and continue to resist a national playoff for college football into the foreseeable future.

The BCS will simply absorb the most nettlesome non-BCS schools. If you can't beat 'em, have 'em join you.

It's genius.

On Monday, it was announced that TCU has accepted an invitation to join the Big East Conference, a BCS member.

Thus, TCU is the latest to fall into the trap, following the University of Utah's defection to the Pac-10 earlier in the year.

You've got to hand it to the BCS. They are cunning.

Don't you see what's happening? They're incorporating the teams that continually cause them headaches, the teams that tend to knock off the BCS schools and climb high in the national rankings and force consideration for BCS bowl berths and take millions of dollars away from BCS schools. They're assimilating the teams that create all the controversy and trouble.

Utah caused a Congressional investigation into the BCS monopoly by going unbeaten in 2008 and steamrolling Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. The Utes created national outrage because they weren't allowed to play for the national championship. The Utes did the same thing in 2004, again by going unbeaten and pummeling BCS rep Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl.

This summer the Pac-10 invited the Utes to join their league.

Problem solved.

Now along comes TCU. For the second straight year, the Horned Frogs have finished the regular season unbeaten and untied. Having climbed to No. 3 in the BCS rankings, they are this close to forcing the BCS to invite them to play in its national championship game — which would be a first for a non-BCS school.

This week, the Big East invited TCU to join its ranks.

Problem solved.

Just like that, two of the biggest pests from the non-BCS ranks have joined the other side. Now all the BCS has to do is find a way to absorb Boise State, the third non-BCS school that continually gums up the BCS's best-laid plans for a monopoly. Only six times have outsiders been granted a berth in BCS bowls since their inception in 1998, and Boise State, Utah and TCU are responsible for five of them.

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