Without a playoff, the Alabama Crimson Tide this year won the Bowl Championship Series national title — convincingly.
Without a playoff, the undefeated Auburn Tigers of 2004 didn't even get a chance to play for the title. The BCS formula worked against them.
As The Star's Christa Turner explained in Sunday's edition, the BCS is going nowhere. Its contract runs through 2014, and too many people — bowls, TV networks, conferences and schools — are making money for the boat of controversy to tip over in a playoff's favor.
Still, that polls and computer rankings are used to determine who plays for the title is a shame. Long-term, a playoff is the answer.
Yet, as fans in Alabama know, the BCS can be a great thing — if it works for your team.
