An easy way to decide who plays in the BCS title game

It's extremely simple. So simple that even people who espouse other approaches seem to implicitly accept its logic. Are you ready? Don't zone out, it's really short. Here goes: the two best teams should play in the championship game.

Got it? How about one more time: the two best teams should play in the championship game.

Nothing else matters. If someone puts a gun to your head and asks you to name the two best teams, the two teams you would take over any others on a neutral field, those two teams are the ones that should play in that game. Like I said, it's easy. Nevertheless, people find ways to screw it up, and are doing so rampantly as we approach the end of the 2011 season.

Why? Alabama. Everything is coming to a head here. Circumstances have forced Bama back to the top of the pile of one loss teams and a lot of people are upset. Oklahoma State just lost to a 26 point underdog. Oklahoma lost to an even bigger dog at home. Oregon and Alabama both lost to the same opponent, but Bama lost in overtime whereas Oregon was beaten soundly. Arkansas lost to Bama and is likely stuck in third place in the SEC West. An undefeated Houston team simply would not have the strength of schedule to justify inclusion.

So the natural response is to try and invent a bunch of arbitrary rules to keep the clear second best team out of the title game. If, after the next couple of weeks it becomes even clearer that Alabama is the second best team in America, it would be a damn shame if they were denied their rightful opportunity to play for a championship.