Dick Harmon: Yet again, we learn BCS is a big joke

The guys who run the BCS draft tank for postseason play had a great chance on Sunday to prove their credibility in the face of a ton of criticism and scrutiny by Congress.

And they chickened out.

They turtle shelled it.

Whiffed.

Instead, by choosing to restrict nonautomatic qualifiers TCU and Boise State from embarrassing their BCS elite Florida, Iowa, Georgia Tech or even Big East champion Cincinnati, the BCS chose a protectionist route: Put TCU and Boise State on the back porch and ensure these outsiders don't go 2-0 in a few weeks.

Elitism, snobbery, cronyism at its best, it is a perfect example of the arrogance that surrounds the BCS folks.

Face it, TCU would run past Florida, topple Tim Tebow, embarrass Iowa and flip Georgia Tech upside down. The Frogs would simply spank Cincinnati. Boise State could potentially beat those teams and already whipped BCS Rose Bowl-bound Oregon.

The only team that can beat TCU is Alabama, and that's totally debatable.

It's a debate that'll never be answered. Just the way the BCS wants it.

On the eve of a congressional subcommittee vote on anti-BCS action this week, we have the BCS being its stubborn self on Sunday, providing even more evidence of its cartel-building practices.

There are five undefeated teams in the country (Alabama, Texas, TCU, Boise State and Cincinnati). To ensure that two non-BCS schools do not remain undefeated at the end and add to the avalanche of criticism in wake of Utah's win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl a year ago, the BCS pulls this one: TCU versus BSU.

There's no greater evidence that this was a BCS blunder than the simple BCS rankings. They have No. 1 Alabama playing No. 2 Texas, but instead of No. 3 Cincinnati playing No. 4 TCU, the Frogs don't even get No. 5 Florida but No. 6 BSU.

Best tricky track jumping we've ever seen.

Secondly, this TCU-BSU game is a rematch that drew just 34,628 fans to Qualcomm in San Diego's Poinsettia Bowl last year and had very bad TV ratings. These BCS guys knew that, yet they accepted the dip in butt-seat revenue to protect BCS mainstays like the Gators, Georgia Tech and the Bearcats from a potential loss to TCU.

No wonder, from all reports, Gary Patterson's team was distraught when they saw the BCS pairings. What a kick in the guts.

And how about those computer rankings, the nerd banks, used by the BCS to do its dirty work?

The human polls, (Harris and USA Today Coaches) had TCU ranked No. 3 on Sunday. The chips and silicone had the Frogs ranked No. 5 so the BCS' anointed Cincy could leap right over the Frogs to No. 3.

No wonder MWC commish Craig Thompson's proposed panel of human experts was rejected this summer — brains can't do the fuzzy math that computers can with so-called strength of schedules or whatever.

The backbone of computer code goes like this: If this; then do this. It's evident, the BCS computer code that nobody can review has a line or two that gives significant weight to beating a Baylor than a New Mexico. And if TCU or any other BCS school rises like Utah to the shadows of No. 1 or No. 2 by December? Dit, dit, dit-it-it. If this; then this.

If this, (TCU is No. 3) then this, calculate them No. 5, so they'll be an average of No. 4.

No wonder the American public, proved by a Gallup poll, Sports Illustrated poll and now a current ESPN poll shows an average of 85 percent disapproval rating of the BCS in favor of a playoff.