BCS strikes again (plus ACC update)

Believe it or not, one of the intentions of the BCS is to avoid controversy. 

Yes, they're doing an excellent job.

The BCS was designed to pit No. 1 vs. No. 2 in the championship game. That's it. 

The other four games are in place to sell tickets and television ad revenue, not give us (college football fans), the best possible matchups.

That means, while we (college football fans) would love to see Texas play the SEC runner-up in the Sugar Bowl, it's not going to happen.

But since we (AP voters) might put Texas No. 1 over the BCS championship game winner, that Sugar Bowl scenario must never happen.

See, the Harris and Coaches are contractually obligated to vote for the BCS winner No. 1. Nevermind if Oklahoma and Texas are the last two teams standing and Texas beat Oklahoma straight up on a neutral site.

So, we're heading for Texas-Utah in the Fiesta Bowl and the SEC runner-up against Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl, or flip Utah with OSU.

The conferences are "anchors" and when an anchor team gets chosen for the BCS title game, the anchorless bowl gets first choice.

Without the Big 12 champ, Oklahoma assuming it beats Mizzou, the Fiesta Bowl takes Texas.

Without the SEC champ, the Sugar takes the runner-up.

See no controversy, at least not at No. 1.

Instead, it's Ohio State in another post-New Year's bowl against an SEC team it can't beat. Hurray for the BCS!

And at this point, it looks like Ohio State and not Boise State. ESPN is brokering a deal with the ACC and Mid-American Conference to get Ball State to the Humanitarian Bowl.

ESPN, which televises the Humanitarian Bowl and Motor City Bowl — where Ball State, the MAC champion, would normally play — is reporting that they are  going to set up the only bowl matchup of unbeaten teams — Boise State (12-0) and Ball State, which still has to beat Buffalo in the MAC title game to get to 13-0.

Part of that deal would guarantee the at-large spot in the Motor City (vacated by the Big Ten with Ohio State's inclusion in the BCS) to the ACC.

Either Wake Forest or Maryland would be displaced from Boise by the ESPN move. Both could be in the at-large pool — with guaranteed spots because of their 7-5 record — because the Emerald Bowl is expected to choose Miami, based on historical name-brand value for TV purposes, which potentially leaves the EagleBank Bowl in Washington in a lurch.

Maryland told the EagleBank it cannot play in the inaugural game because of a conflict with the university's exam schedule.

Navy, which is committed to the EagleBank, doesn't want a rematch with Wake Forest and claims it has a contract with the bowl that prevents such.

Since the NCAA won't let N.C. State play in Washington, either Wake Forest or Maryland might have to bite the bullet.

What we know in the ACC:

Orange: Va. Tech/BC winner
Chick-fil-A: Georgia Tech
Gator: Clemson
Orlando: Florida State
Charlotte: UNC
Nashville: Va. Tech/BC loser
San Francisco: Miami
Boise: Undecided
Washington: Undecided

That leaves Wake Forest (7-5), Maryland (7-5) and N.C. State (6-6) looking for spots in the Motor City, PapaJohns, Independence, Texas or potentially GMAC (Jan. 6 in Mobile, Ala.), which the Mid-American could open up as a part of the deal with ESPN for the Boise slot.