From reader Steve via e-mail, rock solid research and based in fact, but I fear this will likely go the way of the “Barack Obama was not born in the USA so he cannot be President” campaign. But let’s see if we can break down this BC-Mess, shall we? Please forward to your favorite blogs, websites and writers:

It appears that either the USA Today Coaches poll members must re-vote in order to recalculate the final BCS standings, OR The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, Inc. should move up the University Cincinnati’s football team to play the University of Texas football team in the BCS Championship game.

At the bottom of the AFCA page with the Coaches Votes it specifically states:

“The AFCA prohibits coaches from voting for schools on major NCAA probation.”
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/usatpoll.htm

And I think it is very clear they are on “major” probation due to a textbook scandal.
http://www.ncaa.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/061109aaa.html

Even though they appealed, the infractions are not set aside per below NCAA Bylaw:

32.10.2 – Determinations of fact and violations arrived at by the Committee on Infractions shall not be set aside on appeal.
http://www.ncaapublications.com/Uploads/PDF/2007-08_d1_manual8716ea01-9388-4d68-bb93-2b6ff5ba2e36.pdf

Based on these circumstances, the University of Alabama football team is required receive 0 (zero) points from the USA Today Coaches poll, giving them a recalculated BCS average of 0.6656, thus moving them down to number 8 on the BCS final standings:

http://msn.foxsports.com/id/10485922_37_1.pdf