After a prolonged layoff, the top two teams in the Bowl Championship Series will compete tonight for the crystal trophy and the right to be called “national champions.” Since 1998, the BCS has relied upon human and computer data to rank the top FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) teams in the country. The contractual obligations associated with the BCS astound the wise and perplex the unenlightened. Love it or hate it, the goal of the BCS system is to crown a single, undisputed national champion among today’s 124 FBS teams. In the minds of many, BCS-era football seasons have culminated in puzzling match-ups with champions crowned in dubious pretension.

With public displeasure mounting, the NCAA presidential oversight committee agreed last summer to scrap the current system for a four-team playoff beginning in 2014. Though far from perfect, postseason champions will now be crowned on the field rather than determined through the machinations of microprocessors and biased human speculation. Future champions will be determined on the field of play, with the first national semi-final games hosted by the Rose and Sugar bowls, and the national title game hosted by the Cotton Bowl on January 12, 2015. We’ll endure one more lame-duck season under the current BCS system, before our collective frustration is alleviated by post-season games that matter. 

Now that we’ve settled the enigma surrounding college football championships, the BCS needs to be recast. Some acronyms languish under the burden of historical maleficence, like KGB or KKK. Most of us would never adopt and revise these acronyms to generate interest in a new product, organization or idea. But BCS is not beyond reclamation. Might I suggest – admittedly, at the risk of sounding superficial and irrelevant – that we affirm and commission the BCS with a new purpose and direction. The goal of this newly ordained system would allow us to develop our character and fulfill our highest purpose as human beings, regardless of which college football team captures our affection and commandeers our emotions. With minimal creativity and negligible fanfare, I recommend that we invest our energy and focus our attention on the Basic Christian Story.

While true football championships are contested and determined on the field, the truth about our past, present and future remains rooted in the extraordinary drama of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration. The basic Christian view of all reality hinges upon a correct understanding of these four pillars – four truths that describe and define our world, our condition, our hope, and our future. Each of us longs for a transcendent story that promises meaning and purpose. While we attach our personal stories to underwhelming narratives like the wins and losses accrued by our favorite team, our soul longs for something more.

There’s little chance I’ll miss the big game tonight. But I’m looking forward to the passing of the current BCS system and fully embracing the Basic Christian Story. No lasting truth goes untested just like no real champion goes unchallenged. So regardless of tonight’s outcome, some will debate the validity of the contest by dismissing the credibility of the contestants. Wins and losses aside, the biggest story has nothing to do with our team or our effort, but hinges upon the vital and lasting truth of the BCS.