Ever since Colorado and UCLA fell flat on their faces Saturday, assuring the dream matchup of Texas and Southern California in the Rose Bowl, there has been an almost unbearable amount of smugness coming from BCS-huggers in the media.

People who for years have blindly defended the BCS while it moronically and unfairly picked teams for its four big-money bowls finally got their day in the sun when the BCS unquestionably paired the two best teams in the country in the national title game.

Even while it enjoys the game, the rest of the country should mourn the fact that these idiots will now have ammo for their arguments for years to come, especially if Texas/USC ends up being a great matchup.

Prepare to hear that this matchup never would have occurred in the years before the BCS came to save the day.

But the point is, while the system may have picked the two best teams to play in the national championship game, this year is just another example of just how misplaced the BCS' priorities are.

The BCS is about money. Nothing more, nothing less.

Sure the BCS tries to match the two most deserving teams in a game for the national championship, and that is certainly an improvement over the old system. But if the NCAA was really interested in doing what is best for college football, it would institute a playoff system.

I've heard all the arguments against it that BCS junkies constantly roll out. That it would cause the student-athletes to miss more class. That it would destroy the bowl-game tradition. That it would be too much football for college athletes to handle.

All these arguments are smoke and mirrors created by the powers that be in an attempt to hoodwink the public into accepting a crappy resolution at the end of every college football season in the name of the almighty dollar.

First of all, the tradition of the New Year's Day bowl game has already been destroyed by the BCS, so moaning about the tradition that would be lost in the advent of a playoff is just dumb.

See, the reason the NCAA is so dead set on keeping the bowl system is because it makes money. Gobs of it.

Penn State isn't playing in the Orange Bowl, it is playing in the FedEx Orange Bowl, which is a difference of millions of dollars.

The "PepsiBudweiserPizzaHut first-round playoff game presented by Cialis" doesn't have quite the same ring to it, does it?

Not to mention that if there were a playoff, the NCAA would have a harder time manufacturing the matchups that will make the most money for all parties involved.

That's what the BCS really does, and it is the only reason that 9-2 Notre Dame is playing Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl and 10-1 Oregon is taking on four-loss Oklahoma in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl.

Golden Domers are always quick to point out that they have to play such a tough, tough schedule since they are still an independent, but their strength of schedule this year is below that of the Ducks.

According to Mike Greenfield's teamrankings.com, Oregon had the country's 49th toughest schedule and the Irish had the nation's 53rd.

Who has Notre Dame beaten? Its schedule looked daunting before the season started. But then Michigan lost Mike Hart for the first half of the fall, Dave Wannstedt and his mustache lost to Ohio University, and Joe Tiller was forced to turn to some kid named Curtis Painter.

The Ducks got hosed because Notre Dame will bring the Fiesta Bowl millions more than they could ever hope to do. The same thing happened to California last year when it was inexplicably passed by Texas for a spot in the Rose Bowl.

How would Penn State do if there were a playoff? How would Oregon do for that matter? Who knows, but wouldn't it be fun to find out?

Nittany Lions fans are up in arms over the fact that they have to play a four-loss Florida State team in the Orange Bowl while Notre Dame gets to play the Buckeyes in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

Some blue-and-white faithful are so outraged that they are boycotting Frito Lay, the company that makes Tostitos and several other food products. Until this injustice is fixed, no more OH BOY! Oberto Meat Snacks.

Who knows if Oregon fans are angry enough to lay off the Funyuns Onion Rings. They should be, but what can you do? That's just how the BCS works.

But remember Oregon fans, college football is great because it's not about the money.