Editorial: Are college rankings fair?

Okay, I am confused. How did Oklahoma remain #1 in the BCS poll even though they lost in the BCS championship to Florida? And.. why Utah did not play in the BCS championship being the one of two teams without a loss? Boise State is the other. What is the formula?

2008 BCS standings

	RANK	TEAM	BCS AVERAGE
	1	Oklahoma	.976
	2	Florida	.948
	3	Texas	.930
	4	Alabama	.844
	5	USC	.821
	6	Utah	.785
	7	Texas Tech	.784
	8	Penn State	.739
	9	Boise State	.698
	10	Ohio State	.635
	11	TCU	.585
	12	Cincinnati	.538
	13	Oklahoma State	.487
	14	Georgia Tech	.452
	15	Georgia	.377

The BCS explained here.

Scoreboard

EagleBank Bowl Final WAKE FOREST (8-5) 29 NAVY (8-5) 19 PASS: Skinner (WAKE): 11-11, 166, TD Kaheaku-Enhada (NAVY): 2-7, 32 RUSH: Harris (WAKE): 24-136 Kaheaku-Enhada (NAVY): 15-83, TD REC: Boldin (WAKE): 4-66 Barnes (NAVY): 2-32	New Mexico Bowl Final COLORADO STATE (7-6) 40 FRESNO STATE (7-6) 35 PASS: Farris (CSU): 17-29, 257, 2 TD Brandstater (FRES): 13-23, 186, TD RUSH: Johnson (CSU): 27-285, 2 TD Harding (FRES): 18-120, 2 TD REC: Johnson (CSU): 5-90 Ajirotutu (FRES): 3-81	St. Petersburg Bowl Final MEMPHIS (6-7) 14 SOUTH FLORIDA (8-5) 41 PASS: Hall (MEM): 15-31, 154, TD Grothe (USF): 17-24, 236, 3 TD RUSH: Steele (MEM): 12-48 Grothe (USF): 15-83 REC: Calhoun (MEM): 6-39, TD Mitchell (USF): 4-60
Las Vegas Bowl Final 17 BRIGHAM YOUNG (10-3) 21 ARIZONA (8-5) 31 PASS: Hall (BYU): 30-46, 328, TD Tuitama (ARIZ): 24-35, 325, 2 TD RUSH: Unga (BYU): 17-71, TD Grigsby (ARIZ): 20-87, TD REC: Collie (BYU): 11-119 Dean (ARIZ): 7-88, TD	New Orleans Bowl Final - OT SOUTHERN MISS (7-6) 30 TROY (8-5) 27 PASS: Davis (USM): 20-34, 276, 2 TD Brown (TROY): 26-43, 255, TD RUSH: Fletcher (USM): 14-78, TD Harris (TROY): 19-52 REC: Baptiste (USM): 5-88, TD Jernigan (TROY): 9-65	Poinsettia Bowl Final 9 BOISE STATE (12-1) 16 11 TCU (11-2) 17 PASS: Moore (BOIS): 22-35, 222 Dalton (TCU): 22-35, 197 RUSH: Johnson (BOIS): 7-28, TD Brown (TCU): 14-102, TD REC: Childs (BOIS): 7-61 Bryant (TCU): 6-67
Hawaii Bowl Final HAWAII (7-7) 21 NOTRE DAME (7-6) 49 PASS: Alexander (HAW): 23-39, 261, 2 TD Clausen (ND): 22-26, 401, 5 TD RUSH: Pilares (HAW): 2-19 Hughes (ND): 17-55, TD REC: Bain (HAW): 8-109, 2 TD Tate (ND): 6-177, 3 TD	Motor City Bowl Final FLORIDA ATL (7-6) 24 C MICHIGAN (8-5) 21 PASS: Smith (FAU): 20-35, 306, 2 TD LeFevour (CMU): 28-40, 253, 2 TD RUSH: Pierre (FAU): 16-77 LeFevour (CMU): 14-56 REC: Gent (FAU): 7-98, TD Brown (CMU): 11-92, TD	Meineke Bowl Final WEST VIRGINIA (9-4) 31 NORTH CAROLINA (8-5) 30 PASS: White (WVU): 26-32, 332, 3 TD Yates (UNC): 15-25, 211, 2 TD RUSH: Devine (WVU): 13-61, TD Draughn (UNC): 17-65 REC: Arnett (WVU): 7-93, 2 TD Nicks (UNC): 8-217, 3 TD
Champs Sports Bowl Final WISCONSIN (7-6) 13 FLORIDA STATE (9-4) 42 PASS: Sherer (WISC): 9-16, 132, TD Ponder (FSU): 18-31, 199, 2 TD RUSH: Hill (WISC): 15-140 Jones (FSU): 4-55, TD REC: Graham (WISC): 3-62 Carr (FSU): 8-78, TD	Emerald Bowl Final MIAMI (FL) (7-6) 17 CALIFORNIA (9-4) 24 PASS: Harris (MIA): 25-41, 194, 2 TD Longshore (CAL): 10-21, 121, TD RUSH: Cooper (MIA): 12-63 Best (CAL): 20-186, 2 TD REC: Zellner (MIA): 8-48 Boateng (CAL): 3-27	Independence Bowl Final N ILLINOIS (6-7) 10 LOUISIANA TECH (8-5) 17 PASS: Harnish (NILL): 20-40, 186, TD Jenkins (LATC): 12-27, 144 RUSH: Spann (NILL): 14-79 Porter (LATC): 18-78, TD REC: Simon (NILL): 6-44 Livas (LATC): 4-18
Papa John's.com Bowl Final NC STATE (6-7) 23 RUTGERS (8-5) 29 PASS: Wilson (NCST): 11-23, 186, TD Teel (RUT): 22-37, 319, 2 TD RUSH: Wilson (NCST): 8-46 Martinek (RUT): 9-58 REC: Williams (NCST): 7-126 Britt (RUT): 6-119, TD	Alamo Bowl Final - OT 25 MISSOURI (10-4) 30 22 NORTHWESTERN (9-4) 23 PASS: Daniel (MISS): 27-44, 200, 2 TD Bacher (NW): 27-43, 304, 3 TD RUSH: Washington (MISS): 15-44 Sutton (NW): 29-114 REC: Coffman (MISS): 7-67 Ward (NW): 7-101, TD	Humanitarian Bowl Final MARYLAND (8-5) 42 NEVADA (7-6) 35 PASS: Turner (MD): 13-27, 198, 2 TD Kaepernick (NEV): 24-47, 370, 3 TD RUSH: Scott (MD): 14-174, 2 TD Taua (NEV): 23-101, TD REC: Tyler (MD): 5-55, TD McCoy (NEV): 13-172
Texas Bowl Final W MICHIGAN (10-3) 14 RICE (9-4) 38 PASS: Hiller (WMU): 19-42, 198, 2 TD Clement (RICE): 30-44, 307, 3 TD RUSH: West (WMU): 15-56 Clement (RICE): 12-72, TD REC: Simmons (WMU): 6-92 Dillard (RICE): 8-86, TD	Holiday Bowl Final 13 OKLAHOMA STATE (9-4) 31 15 OREGON (10-3) 42 PASS: Robinson (OKST): 27-50, 329, TD Masoli (ORE): 18-32, 258, TD RUSH: Robinson (OKST): 16-54, TD Johnson (ORE): 12-119, TD REC: Bryant (OKST): 13-167, TD Scott (ORE): 8-125	Armed Forces Bowl Final HOUSTON (8-5) 34 AIR FORCE (8-5) 28 PASS: Keenum (HOU): 22-33, 252, TD Jefferson (AFA): 7-14, 98 RUSH: Beall (HOU): 22-135, TD Tew (AFA): 27-149, 2 TD REC: Carrier (HOU): 5-49 Armstrong (AFA): 2-60
Sun Bowl Final 24 OREGON STATE (9-4) 3 18 PITTSBURGH (9-4) 0 PASS: Moevao (ORST): 21-42, 193 Stull (PITT): 7-24, 52 RUSH: Francis (ORST): 15-76 McCoy (PITT): 24-85 REC: Stroughter (ORST): 6-88 Dickerson (PITT): 2-37	Music City Bowl Final BOSTON COLLEGE (9-5) 14 VANDERBILT (7-6) 16 PASS: Davis (BC): 15-36, 190, 2 TD Smith (VAND): 10-17, 121 RUSH: Harris (BC): 15-68 Nickson (VAND): 8-57 REC: Harris (BC): 5-25, TD Umoh (VAND): 3-29	Insight Bowl Final KANSAS (8-5) 42 MINNESOTA (7-6) 21 PASS: Reesing (KU): 27-35, 313, 4 TD Weber (MINN): 19-34, 176, TD RUSH: Sharp (KU): 16-64, TD Weber (MINN): 12-31 REC: Briscoe (KU): 14-201, 3 TD Decker (MINN): 8-149, TD
Chick-fil-A Bowl Final LOUISIANA STATE (8-5) 38 14 GEORGIA TECH (9-4) 3 PASS: Jefferson (LSU): 16-25, 142, TD Nesbitt (GT): 8-24, 150 RUSH: Scott (LSU): 15-65, 3 TD Dwyer (GT): 10-67 REC: Dickson (LSU): 4-50, TD Dwyer (GT): 3-66	Outback Bowl Final SOUTH CAROLINA (7-6) 10 IOWA (9-4) 31 PASS: Smelley (SC): 16-31, 179, TD Stanzi (IOWA): 13-19, 147, TD RUSH: Garcia (SC): 5-25 Greene (IOWA): 29-121, 3 TD REC: McKinley (SC): 6-86 Myers (IOWA): 4-49	Gator Bowl Final NEBRASKA (9-4) 26 CLEMSON (7-6) 21 PASS: Ganz (NEB): 19-36, 236, 2 TD Harper (CLEM): 17-37, 206, 2 TD RUSH: Castille (NEB): 18-125 Davis (CLEM): 12-26 REC: Peterson (NEB): 4-96, TD Kelly (CLEM): 6-74, TD
Capital One Bowl Final 16 GEORGIA (10-3) 24 19 MICHIGAN STATE (9-4) 12 PASS: Stafford (UGA): 20-31, 250, 3 TD Hoyer (MSU): 18-34, 169 RUSH: Moreno (UGA): 23-62 Ringer (MSU): 20-47, TD REC: Moore (UGA): 6-97, TD Cunningham (MSU): 6-52	Rose Bowl Final 6 PENN STATE (11-2) 24 5 USC (12-1) 38 PASS: Clark (PSU): 21-36, 273, 2 TD Sanchez (USC): 28-35, 413, 4 TD RUSH: Green (PSU): 10-57 Johnson (USC): 15-63 REC: Green (PSU): 5-67 Williams (USC): 10-162, TD	Orange Bowl Final 12 CINCINNATI (11-3) 7 21 VIRGINIA TECH (10-4) 20 PASS: Pike (CIN): 16-33, 239, TD Taylor (VT): 13-22, 140 RUSH: Ramsey (CIN): 4-34 Evans (VT): 28-153, TD REC: Gilyard (CIN): 7-158, TD Coale (VT): 3-52
Cotton Bowl Final 20 MISSISSIPPI (9-4) 47 8 TEXAS TECH (11-2) 34 PASS: Snead (MISS): 18-29, 292, 3 TD Harrell (TT): 36-58, 364, 4 TD RUSH: Bolden (MISS): 11-101, TD Woods (TT): 6-46 REC: McCluster (MISS): 6-83 Morris (TT): 10-89, TD	Liberty Bowl Final KENTUCKY (7-6) 25 EAST CAROLINA (9-5) 19 PASS: Hartline (UK): 19-31, 204, TD Pinkney (ECU): 18-36, 296, TD RUSH: Dixon (UK): 28-89 Simmons (ECU): 10-44, TD REC: Lanxter (UK): 5-46, TD Drew (ECU): 5-120	Sugar Bowl Final 7 UTAH (13-0) 31 4 ALABAMA (12-2) 17 PASS: Johnson (UTAH): 27-41, 336, 3 TD Wilson (ALA): 18-30, 177, TD RUSH: Asiata (UTAH): 13-29, TD Coffee (ALA): 13-36 REC: Brown (UTAH): 12-125 Jones (ALA): 7-77