For the first time in its short history, the Bowl Championship Series title game is not the only game that matters.

The Fiesta Bowl is nice, but Gary Barnett would rather be answering Rose Bowl questions.(AP)

The Fiesta Bowl gained a share of the BCS spotlight Sunday because its winner can potentially gain a share of the national championship if Miami loses to Nebraska. Nevertheless, while putting on a happy face, neither Oregon nor Colorado was happy about missing out on the Rose Bowl.

Oregon (10-1) finished second in both human polls but a distant fourth in the BCS. There were more than a few clenched jaws in Boulder when Colorado (9-2) finished .05 of a point behind No. 2 Nebraska, which grabbed the remaining Rose Bowl berth. The Huskers lost to Colorado 63-36 Nov. 23.

The Fiesta was giddy about the ability to promote the implications of its game. However, both schools had to tiptoe around their gratitude over being in Tempe while blasting the BCS.

"This morning I thought we were in. I saw both (human) polls and thought, 'What a great deal,'" Oregon coach Mike Bellotti said. "I was gut shot when I watched the TV and saw it ...

"In some regards this situation is like a bad disease. When it happens to somebody else, you don't know, you don't worry about it quite as much. When it happens to you or a member of your family you say, 'Wait a second, there's some flaws here.'"

Colorado coach Gary Barnett barely masked his anger during a national television interview Sunday afternoon. Later, at the Colorado senior banquet, he called the Nebraska game "a 62-point national awakening that I wish, I guess, could have been 70 at this point. It's hard to be gracious. I put a lot of trust in the system to work. It did work -- just not in our favor."

A lot had to happen, and did, after Nebraska got run out of the state of Colorado. Oklahoma, Texas and Tennessee all lost, allowing the Huskers to get their freebie.

Now, for either Colorado or Oregon to get a share of the national title, the winner of the Fiesta Bowl has to root for the scourge that beat both out, Nebraska. A Huskers' victory over Miami in the Rose Bowl once again opens the door that was closed Sunday.

The coaches' poll gives its final No. 1 ranking to the winner of the BCS title game. The Associated Press poll still is independent and releases a final vote after the Rose Bowl. Voters in the final coaches' poll are allowed to vote only for Nos. 2 through 25.

After speaking to AP college football beat writer Richard Rosenblatt on Sunday, Fiesta executive director John Junker said his bowl's winner would be given "prime consideration" in the poll.

"While I know there may be some controversy, both participants are (conference) champions," Junker said. "In our bowl game, they will be treated like champions. We understand that there's an initial disappointment, but we are pleased to know there is an opportunity for a national champion at least in the Associated Press. Whether that transpires or not, this is a gathering of champions."

In a weird way, the controversy enhances the BCS, which can now promote two games with title implications. Three times in the last 11 years -- 1990, 1991 and 1997 -- the polls were split on national champions. Colorado itself benefited in 1990 when it shared the title after getting a freebie of its own.

The legendary Fifth Down Game at Missouri that year allowed the Buffs to stay on track for a title.

A bitter Barnett had been an advocate of the BCS and the bowl system.

"I probably could have lobbied a little bit more," Barnett said. "I put a lot of trust in our commissioner and the other commissioners, making sure this couldn't happen. But obviously it didn't make any difference. ... It sort of takes a little luster off my support for the BCS."

It wasn't all a BCS travesty for Barnett. It came down to a series of what ifs?

• What if TCU had not beaten Southern Mississippi on Friday? Because TCU had played and lost to Nebraska in the season opener, the Horned Frogs victory over Southern Miss kept Colorado out of the Rose Bowl. BCS expert Jerry Palm said if Southern Miss had won, Colorado would have picked up .28 of a point, enough to pass Nebraska.
• What if Colorado does score 70 on Nebraska? It certainly was possible, the way both teams were playing. In fact, the Buffs can look back at a 78-yard Bobby Purify touchdown run that was called back because of a penalty as the key to their whole season.
• What if Colorado had played and won its Sept. 15 game with Washington State that was canceled by the events of Sept. 11? Colorado was one of a handful of teams nationally that didn't reschedule the game canceled from that week. The victory certainly would have been worth at least .05 in the BCS.
• What if kicker Jeremy Flores plays in the season-opening loss to Fresno State? Flores was held out of the game because of academic concerns. He hustled all summer to complete a Shakespeare correspondence class, but a teacher didn't turn in a grade on time for Flores to be evaluated. Colorado missed an extra point and a field goal against the Bulldogs and lost 24-22.

After the initial shock wore off, Bellotti began using the Fiesta Bowl as motivation. The winningest program in the Pac-10 over the last eight years has to win and hope.

"When you're second in both polls, the inclination is to think your going to be in the championship game," Bellotti said. "To have it not go your way, there's 110 very disappointed kids out there finishing up practice."

Nothing will change for the foreseeable future in the BCS. No playoff. No human oversight committee to correct a system that allows Nebraska into the title game without winning its league. No extra credit for winning a conference title -- like Oregon and Colorado both did.

The BCS commissioners will meet in January and April to consider adjusting the formula. They didn't do too well this year. After lessening the effect of victory margin and adding a quality-win component, the same thing happened as 2000. One team got in (Nebraska) over another that it lost to in the regular season (Colorado). Last season, it was Florida State getting in over Miami.

How far have we come in the BCS during these four years?

"I think it would help us get to a point where we can leave this thing alone," BCS chairman John Swofford said. "At the same time, our charge is to make it as fair and equitable as it can be. Certainly, we should be open enough to make those changes."