Barbarians at the Rose Bowl Gates

Every Monday during college football's endless offseason, The FanHouse Walk will put last week's stories to bed and deliver the essentials to bridge that agonizing space between now and September.

Rap, Rap, Rapping At The Door -- Bad news is best delivered on Friday, so no surprise when it was discovered that in the new BCS contract the Rose Bowl must fill one of its slots to a non-BCS team (think Boise State or Utah) if it loses either the Big 10 or Pac-10 champion to the BCS championship game.

There are the Rose Bowl haters out there snarking away on this, but I think its another sad day for college football. Everyone bemoans the USC/Illinois type matchups in Pasadena, but I still find it fresh and what the Rose Bowl is all about. The various Miami/Nebraka, Texas/Michigan, USC/Texas type matchups were all enjoyable, but something has never felt right about them.

Game Theory At Work -- Several years ago, college football added a 12th regular season game. The obvious dilemma for conferences was whether to sneak in another conference matchup or add another non-conference opponent of the pushover variety. Everyone but the Pac-10 opted for the second option while the Pac-10 did the right thing in working out a round-robin format to better determine its champion.

Problem is, others have benefited from that decision using the Pac-10's modest perception against it even though they've added an automatic game against a major conference opponent in doing so. Naturally, some out west are unhappy about the turn of events and are looking to reverse the move. Score one for the heavy costs of doing the right thing being turned against you.

The sad truth is that the greed and power grab that was the SEC's move to a 12-team conference (and later followed by the Big 12 and ACC) has been terrible in many ways for college football. Its made certain powers more wealthy but has also cynically manipulated scheduling to where the actual good guys who tried to do things right and piece together conferences that weren't bigger in number than actual possible game dates have suffered most.

Think about it, what kind of conference championship involves not playing all the actual members of your confernce? Sure you can split a conference into divisions and have division winners play in a "championship" game but come on, that's flimsy cover for what is essentially an incomplete championship.

Appropriate Silence? -- Much hay has been made about the Los Angeles Times' two-part broadside directed towards USC's public stonewalling in regards to the Reggie Bush and O.J. Mayo investigations. The argument boils down to what is essentially heavy whining about USC's silence without advancing any actual news in the story.

As a USC alum, I'm frustrated with the program's silence but its ridiculous to attach much meaning to it other than that's how USC's going to play things. In case the Times didn't notice, the NCAA hasn't exactly been very public with its thoughts on the situation either. Evenhandedness requires applying an even hand, something that's entirely missing from the twin critiques.

Christmas In June -- Rejoice! The Phile Steele 2009 College Football Preview magazine has arrived. This thing is like the Bible for many college football fans. I was introduced to it several years ago and have enjoyed it ever since, as it goes with me nearly everywhere.

Some folks get wrapped up in the various predictions that don't always pan out but the real meat of the publication is in its various methodology and trend-watching hidden between its pages. Its VHT (very highly touted in Steele speak), be sure to pick up a copy.

Overtime, Ball on the 25

-- The stretches of games that could topple non-BCS contenders like TCU, BYU and Utah

-- Receiver Josh Smith is leaving Colorado to pursue a music career, something not available among the majors in Boulder

-- The costs continue to rise for BCS conference programs looking for non-conference fodder in home games. Pssssssst, find someone your own size, going undefeated isn't everything

-- Heisman Pundit offers up the fastest players in college football for 2009