Inaccuracies Found In Rankings. So Does BCS = BS?

Stop me if you've heard this before, but the BCS is a flawed system. Now it appears that said system may also have errors that can potentially go unchecked. Per this story from CBS's Jerry Palm, a glitch resulted in LSU and Boise St. switched in the rankings, which at the time had LSU 10th and Boise St. 11th when in fact the ranking should be the other way around. Here's more from the report:

Wes Colley's final rankings, as submitted to the BCS, were incorrect. The Appalachian State-Western Illinois FCS playoff game was missing from his data set. I will spare you some of the gory, mathematical details, but the net result of that omission in Colley's rankings is that LSU, which he ranked ninth, and his No. 10, Boise State, should be switched. Alabama and Nebraska, which he had 17th and 18th, would also be swapped.


Palm also goes on to say this regarding the BCS computer data:

This may not seem overly important, especially since neither team qualified for a BCS game either way. It may be important though because the Mountain West, Boise State's new home, is making an effort to become an AQ conference. This week's data -- the final regular season standings -- is part of the basis for making that determination. Every little bit helps, or at least it could.

But the bigger point is that nobody checks the BCS computer data. We should all be grateful to Colley for having a system that is open, accountable and verifiable. The BCS owes us an entire system that is open, accountable and verifiable.

Interesting to know that a system that dictates so much of the current college football bowl schedule and championship race is handled without anyone double checking the data. This may not mean much in the grand scheme of things, but it's does prove to every one's point that the BCS system is indeed flawed.

But at least they got the Championship game match up right this season, with undefeateds Auburn Tigers and the Oregon Ducks set to face off Jan. 10th 2011 at Univerizona of Phoenix Staduim in Glendale, AZ.

-ALR