Calls to change the Bowl Championship Series are now louder than ever.

In Utah, the state’s attorney general is investigating the BCS as a possible violation of federal antitrust law.

In an interview with The New York Times, President-elect Barack Obama reiterated his desire to see a playoff system at college football’s highest level. But fortunately, he said bringing change to the college gridiron wouldn’t be the top priority of his administration.

A day before the “national championship game,” Texas Congressman Joe Barton introduced legislation that would eliminate the BCS system, according to The Associated Press.

Barton’s legislation didn’t even suggest what type of system he’d like to see in place of the BCS. But his message was clear: the current system is more representative of “B” and “S” than a fair way to determine college football's National Champion.

Even with all the talk about changing the system, if recent history teaches us anything, it’s that it will have little impact upon university presidents, the people who actually call the shots. So next year, we’re all likely to be in the same place — having to swallow the inconsistency of a game between two very good teams who have been separated from three or four other very good teams by a few computers.

But there is one necessary change the BCS needs to make before the charade begins again on Jan. 7, 2010 at the Rose Bowl: Find a network other than FOX to broadcast the game.

The display put on by play-by-play man Thom Brennaman was beyond disgusting.

Don’t just take my word for it. Here’s Spencer Hall of the Sporting News: “FOX puts on an incompetent broadcast. No. Incompetent doesn't cover how inept their clodfooted work on the BCS has been.”

Anyone who had the displeasure of watching last week’s game with the sound on got to hear Brennaman and company pontificate on the greatness that is Florida quarterback Tim Tebow.

Did you know that Tebow is the greatest football player, teammate and person of all time? If not, just call Brennaman. He’ll be happy to enlighten you.

Tebow could be a nice guy, and he’s certainly a good college football player, but to have the play-by-play announcer fawn over him as some sort of messiah took it way too far. It was a disservice to millions of fans that just wanted to watch a good football game.

Letting FOX broadcast the BCS Championship game just doesn’t make sense. FOX doesn’t have a national contract to broadcast college football during the season, and none of their broadcast crews are particularly adept at calling the college game. Most important, all of the research in the world can’t make up for a lack of experience.

Thankfully, ESPN put out the big bucks to lock up TV rights for the BCS starting in 2011. But college football fans deserve better than the half-wits at FOX, even if it’s just for one more year.

The BCS and its supporters will continue to cling to this broken system instead of giving the fans what they want, but the least the BCS could do is make sure that someone competent is given the duty of broadcasting the game to the entire world.

Obama has promised that change will come to America as soon as he is inaugurated in eight days. Change must come to the BCS, too, and it should start in the broadcast booth.

— Sandals can be reached at nsandals@umich.edu.