The Best of Both Worlds

Two years go, I outlined a bowl/national championship plan that resulted in both a real title game and reinstated the importance of the traditional big January 1 bowls. The worst thing about the BCS is that it basically neutered all the great major bowls outside of the "championship game" bowl, and since 2006, neutered ALL of the major bowls. The BCS turned the grand old Cotton Bowl into an older Insight Bowl for all intents and purposes. The BCS turned the Orange Bowl into (a usually disappointing) ACC champion vs. least appealing at-large "BCS" team showcase.To wit, here's a breakdown of the number of times each traditional "major" bowl had a realistic say in the title picture from the 13 years pre-BCS (1985-97) vs. the 13 BCS years to date (1998-2010):Pre-BCSCOTTON - 1985, 1993FIESTA - 1986, 1988, 1995ORANGE - 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990*, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1997,ROSE - 1991, 1994, 1997SUGAR - 1985, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1996*UPI/coaches champ Georgia Tech...