In the last few weeks, the Bowl Championship Series has named an executive director, created a Facebook page, started a Twitter account and hired former George W. Bush spokesman Ari Fleischer's public relations company to convince college football fans that it is the best system for postseason play.

I guess the first step is admitting you have a problem.

The BCS has many.

It is not even good at the two things it was designed to do: pit the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country against each other in a national championship game and keep money flowing into the hands of the big six conferences and Notre Dame.

It has botched the former several times and been so blatant about the latter that it has been forced to adopt less stringent guidelines for letting college football's underclass into the party - and doling out a pittance to its members.

I'm a proponent of a 16-team seeded playoff (11 conference champions, five at-large teams) that exists outside the current bowl structure. Bowl games can take the teams left over - and the NCAA can take control over major college football's postseason like it does in, oh, every other sport.

Traditionalists, we can fight about that plan another time. And I'll dismantle your arguments about the sanctity of the regular season, the pageantry of bowl games and the amount of missed class one by one - all while the NCAA builds compliance offices made of gold with all the cash and TV ratings the playoff system would bring in.

But, like I said, another time.

The BCS is the devil at hand and since it is now dedicating so many resources to defending its system, I know it must be in trouble.

One of the first lessons of journalism: Follow the money. Which sounds like good advice.

One of the last lessons of journalism: Google it. "Follow the money" turns up 183 million hits, so it must be sound advice.

Question 1: Exactly how much money is the BCS spending to highlight the positive aspects of its system?

Probably more than enough to fund several scholarships at the schools that don't always see the positive aspects of the system.

Question 2: Does the No. 12 team with losses to its two toughest opponents (both at home) and zero victories against any team ranked 40th or higher in the BCS Standings really create a more "exciting and competitive" matchup than a No. 6 team with zero losses, a victory against No. 8 in the BCS Standings and the highest scoring offense in the country?

Only if it means keeping $4.5 million in the family rather than handing it over to the uninvited guest, which is why the Fiesta Bowl is likely to choose Oklahoma State from the Big 12 over Boise State for this year's game - if both win out.

No doubt Oklahoma State has played a tougher schedule than Boise State. But if playing tough games and losing was the criteria for the BCS, then San Jose State would be a shoo-in.

Defending that takes more than an executive director, more than a shiny new Twitter account (@INSIDEtheBCS) and even more than George W. Bush's old flack.

It takes guts, a sizeable paycheck and an awfully big shovel.