I realize that - just don't claim that USC was the coaches champion - LSU was.
Look the BCS is a quasi-playoff system developed for the sole purpose of matching up the two top ranked team by a criteria that everyone agrees on and signs on to. The champion of that game is the national champion - it doesn't matter what some journalist with a poll think.
Just like the winner of the superbowl is the NFL champion regardless of their record or what the press thinks about them, the BSC title game winner is the college national champion.
The year that Oklahoma beat FSU for the title, I felt that Miami was the best team in the country, but that doesn't change the fact that Oklahoma won the BCS and are therefore national champions.
The various polls were made irrelevant by the agreement of all major Div-1 teams to join the BCS.
No one but the most adamant fanboys would claim LSU as national champions if they just won the AP poll but USC won the BCS title game.
I think Auburn was the best team last year, but USC won the BCS game so they are national champs. That is the system that everyone agreed to.
As long as a football team can win a national championship using the same system that ice skaters are crowned, then it doesn't really mean squat. I think the BCS is ridiculous, but it uses some type of methodology beyond whether or not the AP voter got hammered at the game the night before voting.
I don't believe the system is accurate (Auburn, etc) but it's better than the AP. So many great teams that had tougher schedules, played in a stronger conference or were in a small media market have gotten downplayed by the AP.
Let the AP crown ice skaters and gymnasts. For me I say "There is no substitue for victory"
PS. I can't believe I just supported the BCS -- now I will have to go take a shower. Bring on the playoffs!
Ah, now I get it.