Memo sent to computer experts

BCS computer experts apparently have been issued an ultimatum to eliminate victory margin from their formulas. An e-mail apparently sent by BCS coordinator Mike Tranghese this week told the computer contributors that their "condition of continuance" would be to calculate their numbers without taking into regard the final point spread of games.

The ultimatum is similar to that given last summer when BCS commissioners eliminated two computer indexes that refused to change.

Tranghese's e-mail was sent to at least two of the eight computer experts and surfaced Thursday when California-based BCS computer participant David Rothman forwarded the e-mail to media members throughout the country.

Rothman and Hugo, Okla.-based BCS computer participant Richard Billingsley acknowledged receiving the e-mail.

The Big East offices were closed late Thursday afternoon and Tranghese, also the league's commissioner, could not be reached to confirm that the memo was his. But when asked if he doubted the authenticity of the e-mail, Billingsley said, "No, I don't doubt it."

The top of the e-mail bears the name of Tranghese's assistant Lisa Zanecchia.

"I knew he was going to send something out," said John Paquette, Big East associate commissioner of communications. "I wouldn't dispute it."

The computer participants were given until 3 p.m. (apparently Eastern Time) on Monday to respond.

The commissioners met Monday through Wednesday of this week in San Francisco to discuss the formula. Tranghese said that a final decision would be announced in seven to 10 days after the meetings.

The formula for this season, expected to be announced next week, now appears to be finalized. The computers will not include victory margin. In addition, a human oversight committee might be added to oversee the final selection of teams.

The BCS commissioners are thought to want to change the formula because it was unfair to Oregon last season. After Oregon lost out for the Rose Bowl last year, victory margin became a front-burner concern of the BCS.

Oregon won five games by seven points or less. Meanwhile, Nebraska beat eight BCS schools by an average of 24.9 points.

Oregon finished fourth, two spots out of the Rose Bowl, while Big 12 champion Colorado finished third, .05 of a point behind Nebraska.

But victory margin might not be the magic bullet to correct the system. Billingsley ran the numbers without victory margin for the past 20 years. It did not affect the top two teams if the BCS had been in effect with victory margin.

Last summer, the New York Times poll and the Dunkel Index were dropped from the BCS because the administrators of those two indexes refused to change. Currently, four computers include a victory margin component (basically capped at 21) and four do not.