And if BSU makes it to the title game, and beats a team that did go through all those other teams, how is that not satisfying?
If BSU makes it to the title game and wins, I think any argument about them being on a lower tier / not having paid their dues goes away. The problem is, what happens if BSU makes it to the title game and gets clobbered?
If BSU makes it there and gets clobbered, it basically kills the chance of any mid-major ever getting there again, until there is a playoff. But I think at some point, some team needs to be given that chance to prove that mid-majors can run with the big boys, just so a direction can be chosen.
BTW, I hated the way the BCS dealt with it last year by putting BSU and TCU against each other. To me, it was clear that they did not want to open the discussion that would have started had one of those teams (or both of them) beaten teams from the big conferences, so they chickened out, and basically made it a mid-majors championship.
I hated the whole BSU/TCU matchup as well. I thought it was a major cop-out.
Blame the Fiesta Bowl, that is the matchup it selected.
Title was Bama (SEC) v Texas (Big 12)
Rose is always Big Ten v Pac Ten (unless in title game) so it had Ohio State v. Oregon
orange always has the ACC champion which was Georgia Tech
Since Bama was #1 the Sugar got first selection to replace Bama and went with Florida
Since Texas was #2 and no other Big 12 were eligible (generally the bowls that lose designated champs take a second team from that same conference), the Fiesta selected Texas Christian (who was the highest ranked team available and was in the fiesta's general footprint)
That left three open spots, Orange had first, Fiesta, then Sugar
The Orange wanted the huge draw and ticket seller so it took Iowa. The Fiesta then could have taken Cincinnati (The Big East champ) or an at large. The Fiesta took Boise State rather then Cincinnati. You would have to ask the Fiesta Bowl Committee why they did that, as I think most people would have rather seen TCU v. UC (which would have been 3 v 4), which would have left Boise against Florida in the Sugar.