[sportscurmudgeon]

College teams have NO control over their conference schudules; those are set up by the conferences years in advance. USC plays a pre-set PAC-10 schedule; Auburn playes a pre-set SEC schedule.

EVERY college team has TOTAL control over their "out of conference schedule" USC played VA Tech and Notre Dame. If you want to argue that these are not the best teams in the country, fine. I'll even agree with you there.

However Auburn CHOSE to have its out of conference schedule consist of:

Louisiana-Monroe,

Louisiana Tech and

The Citadel.

Now if anyone wants to say that ANY ONE of Auburn's chosen opponents is tougher than Va Tech AND/OR Notre Dame, then I really don't think it's worth much time and effort trying to explain to you what a good football team is...

Having said that, the BCS is awful and needs to be scrapped in favor of a playoff system/tournament. But until that happens, live with the BCS because if it was just the writers' poll and the coaches' poll as it was in years past, Auburn would be on the outside looking in there too.