It looks like the BCS is on its way out. While no one will deny that the BCS is an imperfect system, are we sure that its playoff-centric replacement will be any better? Ted Miller opines.

During the BCS Era, the epicenter of controversy was typically at No. 3. While some years things laid out perfectly and there was a wide consensus on the two best teams, many years there was little tangible justification to see the No. 2 -- or No 1 -- team as being any better than No. 3. For example, Oklahoma State was No. 3 this past season, and many would have rather watched the Cowboys play LSU for the title than an SEC West rematch between the Tigers and Alabama.

Well, in a four-team playoff, No. 5 becomes the new No. 3 -- the last team left out. Dennis Dodd goes back and ranks the best No. 5 teams from 1998-2011, and there is plenty of Pac-12 representation. Which means there would have been plenty of Pac-12 consternation.

And, oh boy, the conference would have been in the thick of controversy if there were a four-team playoff based on last year's BCS standings. Notes Dodd: "Look at last season when Pac-12 champ Oregon – fifth in the BCS -- would have not played in a four-team playoff but a division rival it beat (Stanford) would have. The difference? Oregon scheduled tougher."

Without a BCS system to guarantee money for each of the conferences, the financial system could get ugly.

Further, don't think your team doesn't have dog in this hunt. If the Pac-12 gets left out of the Final Four, all 12 members will miss out on millions. Recall that the conference has equal revenue sharing. If Oregon makes the Final Four, Oregon State still gets an equal share. And if Oregon and USC makes the Final Four, that will mean even more money. If a BCS bowl game is worth $23 million, then just imagine what a Final Four game will be worth. And how it would hurt to miss out.

And if the Pac-12 gets left out a couple of years in a row, then it could find itself at a substantial revenue disadvantage compared to other conferences.

Not to be a party pooper, but there are tangible concerns going forward. Don't pack up your frustration with the system just yet.

And we haven't even touched on how the system may interrupt the proud tradition of games like the Rose Bowl...

After the jump everyone previews the 2013 NFL Draft and the Bears' post-spring depth chart is released.

Football

• Todd McShay's way-too-early 2013 NFL Mock Draft has Keenan Allen going to St. Louis as the 8th overall pick. Allen is the second receiver off the board after Robert Woods. Remember when Robert Woods almost committed to Cal? Yeah, neither do I (that along with the second half of the 2007 season is suppressed into the darkest corners of my memory).
• Jon Wilner reviews the Pac-12's top prospects in the 2013 NFL Draft. Keenan Allen comes in at 8th.
• Wilner looks in greater depth at the top Bay Area prospects, led by Allen. Deandre Coleman and Steve Williams also earn spots on the 12-man list.
• Keenan Allen is no. 18 in National Football Post's best college players heading into 2012 (not all on the list are draft-eligible, however).
• Ted Miller provides his thoughts on the Bears post-spring two-deep depth chart.
• Faraudo recaps all the latest free agency signings. 11 Bears have entered the NFL so far this year.
• CalBears.com reminds you that you can make a donation and forever leave your mark on the Bear Territory Legacy Wall.
• Ernest Owusu, Giorgio Tavecchio, and Mitchell Schwartz have been selected as members of the 2012 National Football Foundation's Hampshire Honor Society. They were selected because they made significant contributions to the team while maintaining better than a 3.2 GPA.