Golden Nuggets: BCS Trustbustin'

A committee in the House is channeling its inner Teddy Roosevelt by trying to ban the BCS.

A subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved a bill that would prohibit the Bowl Championship Series, a collective arrangement of most Division I college football teams, from marketing any merchandise or game as a national championship unless it is the result of a playoff series.

Since its founding in 1998, the bowl system automatically qualifies the best team in each of the six biggest football conferences plus the University of Notre Dame. It uses computer rankings and polls to fill in the remaining slots–a system that critics argue can exclude some of the best teams from smaller conferences.

Rep. Joe Barton (R., Texas), a main sponsor of the legislation, said the bill is designed to send a message to administrators of the bowl series that fans want a more equitable way to determine a national champion and distribute revenue among colleges. And he noted the bill does not dictate exactly how college football arranges its post-season play. "The BCS will eventually get there," Barton said. "You shouldn’t have to hit the mule over the head too many times."

Only one lawmaker, Rep. John Barrow (D., Ga.), registered his opposition when the bill passed on a voice vote. "I don’t like the BCS system any more than anybody else does," Barrow said, "but I think going so far to make it a law is a little bit overboard."

"This is not the nation’s top priority," said Rep. Bobby Rush (D., Ill.). "But I do think there is time in our pursuit of more difficult issues to not overlook the fact that colleges and universities are funded by taxpayer dollars."

The House legislation wouldn’t take effect until the 2012 championship game – but passage is hardly a romp. The House bill must clear the full committee and the chamber, and at this point there is no companion legislation in the Senate.

After the jump we look at how the Poinsettia Bowl is a homecoming for Utah's QB, a list of goodies players will get by playing in the Poinsettia Bowl (as well as other bowls), a list of which Pac-10 juniors should or should not go to the NFL (and who will go anyway), 20 questions with Brandon Smith, and another dominating win for women's volleyball as they advance deep into the NCAA tourney.

Cal Football

• The Salt Lake Tribune (whose articles have terrible formatting) catches up with Jordan Wynn, Utah's freshman quarterback who is from Oceanside, CA (not far from San Diego).  He and his family are thrilled that he will play his in first bowl game not far from home.  The rest of the Utes are using the time off to heal up for the bowl game.  Deseret News also looks at Wynn's homecoming visit.
• Ted Miller looks at which Pac-10 juniors should or should not go (and which will go anyway) to the NFL.  He says Best should and will go.
• Here's a list of all the goodies players get for attending various bowls.  Cal players receive FloTV television service for a year, a Best Buy gift card, a Tourneau watch, a Sports Tek hooded sweatshirt, and a cap.  That happens to be the same list of items Holiday Bowl participants receive. I bet guys like Spencer Ladner, Will Kapp, and Tyson Alualu are a little disappointed Cal didn't end up in the Sun Bowl.  They each could have received a Brut hair dryer...

Cal Basketball