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The Bowl Championship Series will compute its all-important standings far differently than in the past in an attempt to make it less complicated and - folks hope - less controversial.
The only components this year, all equally weighted, will be the Associated Press poll, the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll and six computer rankings. Gone from last year's formula are strength of schedule, team record and a quality-win factor.
Here's how the new math will work:
-- Instead of taking an average of a team's weekly rank in the subjective writers and coaches' polls, each of the first two components will be based on a percentage of voting points received (a possible 1,625 points for the AP and 1,525 in the coaches).
For example, USC received 1,603 points to earn the AP preseason No. 1 ranking, so that would be 0.980. The Trojans also received 1,500 points in the preseason coaches pool, so that would convert to 0.980.
-- The final piece of the formula will be calculated by discarding a team's highest and lowest computer score, then assigning points for the rank (25 for No. 1, 24 for No. 2) in the remaining four computer polls and the total divided by 100 for a final figure.
Using this formula, two of the most controversial title game pairings - Miami-Nebraska to cap the 2001 season and then LSU-Oklahoma this past season - would have produced matchups that most people - outside of Lincoln, Neb., and Norman, Okla., respectively - wanted, Miami against Oregon and LSU against USC. The new formula wouldn't have moved Miami ahead of Florida State in 2000.
"We believe this simpler, more precise system will be easier for fans to understand and will lead to results that are a better reflection of the national consensus about which teams should be participating in the BCS championship game," said Kevin Weiberg, the Big 12 commissioner and the BCS coordinator.