The system has been gamed

by irishoutsider , Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 04:51 (5977 days ago) @ LaFortune Teller

Or there is now a system to be gamed.

First, Div-I grew in the sense that lesser teams in mid-major conferences were now eligible for a BCS championship. In the past, they were simply cast aside by voters. With the championship field a bit flatter, teams have found every way to game the computers by playing weaker competition and crossing their fingers in the polls. This works to the advantage of historic and perennial contenders, who can coast through the polls on name recognition and preseason momentum.

The downside to this is what you have brought up, but I believe the upside is the rise of the middle in Div-I. The new mid-major power teams could not have been cultivated under the old system, and they will eventually raise the talent in their own conferences.