Pac-10 commissioner Tom Hansen has a short memory. That can be the only explanation for his vehement opposition to the outrageously sensible Plus-One format that is gaining momentum in college football circles.

“Our presidents have no interest whatsoever in a plus-one model — none,” Hansen says. “It’s a little annoying that my colleagues continue to float this idea as though it has merit. If they continue to push it, and try to push us into a corner … “

Will the Pac-10 walk away from the BCS?

“Yes, no question.”

Hansen’s opposition to the most logical postseason solution around is hard to fathom. After all, under a Plus-One system both USC in 2003 and Oregon in 2001 would have had a chance to play for the crystal football instead of getting the shaft.

So let us now restate the case for the Plus-One: it offers the excitement and conclusiveness of a playoff without diluting the best regular season in all of sports. It only adds one more game to the season (before classes begin for most schools, for those naive few who believe academics has anything to do with this discussion). It preserves the integrity and every-game-counts nature of the regular season (for two losses, or one loss at the wrong time, can put even the most highly-ranked juggernaut in jeopardy). It settles virtually every debate about the deserving national champion (for how often has the fifth-ranked team ever had a legitimate claim to the title?). It gives us a mini-playoff that is the exact same length as the pre-wild card MLB playoffs. And, most important to everyone who loves and follows college football, it continues to provide an excuse to argue and get fired up over the sport.

What can’t be disputed is that the current BCS system — in which a reasonably fair method for ranking teams, albeit needing a few tweaks here and there — is not effective. In five of its seven seasons of existence, the BCS has failed to produce a completely adequate and satisfying conclusion to the national championship discussion, whereas a Plus-One would have settled them all… on the field. BCS supporters point to the epic 2006 Rose Bowl, which pitted the nation’s only two undefeated teams, as an example of a game that wouldn’t have happened in another system. Were USC and Texas, seeded #1 and #2 in a Plus-One format, have won their semifinal games, they would have ended up playing for the title anyway… and have given us one more round of exciting games in the process. Considering how dominant these two teams were and how incredible that bowl game was, you’d have a hard time convincing anyone that they would not have won their semifinal and advanced to such a game.

The BCS has experienced some form of failure or meltdown in five of its seven seasons. If you failed 72% of the time at your job, your boss would probably try to figure out a different solution. Or he’d just fire you.