I doubt there are too many fans of American Football over here in the UK that watch the NCAA as well as the NFL but I am one of them. Every year we hear BCS this and BCS that and 2008 is no different.

With both presidential candidates weighing in on the issue (for the record President-Elect Obama favours an eight team play-off with the six winners of the BCS conferences, the highest ranked non-BCS conference team and then give the final spot to an at-large team in one of the BCS conferences) you know that it is a serious issue. Some cynics claim that his idea was to help him carry the bellwether state of Pennsylvania where head coach Paterno of Penn State has long been a proponent of a play-off system.

The problem with the BCS is that it is very subjective. For instance if things ended today the title game would be between Alabama and Texas Tech. This is despite Texas Tech being down at #3 in both the Coaches and Harris Polls which make up 2/3 of the BCS formula (they have Penn State at #2). This would cause outrage that yet another undefeated Penn State team would be denied the opportunity to play for the National Championship.

There are five weeks left of the season so a lot can happen but if Texas Tech roll through the Big 12 and Alabama roll through the SEC then they are playing for it all. However in this scenario Penn State, should they win at Iowa and at home to Indiana and Michigan State would go to the Rose Bowl and yet again wouldn't play for it all.

The three proposals with chances of success are the '+1' system, four-team play-off or the eight-team version. Let's have a look at all three:

+1

This would be the easiest to get up and running. The Fiesta, Orange, Sugar and Rose Bowls would happen as usual and then after all these games were played the Coaches/AP/Harris/Computers – whoever they decide would then rank all the teams (presumably the winners of the four BCS bowls would be ranked 1-4) and they would decide who would go on to play for the National Championship.

This would mean that everyone gets to see the top teams and they could probably put together a good National Championship game. However it could still mean that an undefeated team could in theory be kept out of the title game and that is what we are desperately trying to avoid.

Four-team play-off

This would eliminate any real chance of an undefeated team not playing for the big marbles. The issue with this format is how would you decide which four teams got the nod. Champions of the BCS conferences would miss out and the likelihood of a BCS buster would all but go out of the window. Who would chose whether a 1-loss Pac-10 Champion is more than than a 1-loss SEC team who didn't win their own conference?

This one isn't for me either.

Eight-team play-off

Now if you are going to have a play-off system then an eight-team tournament is the only way you can go. All the Champions get in from the major conferences as well as an at-large and a BCS buster. This way everyone gets a fair crack of the whip and the regular season isn't devalued. You win your conference and you are in. At the moment you can win your conference and all you are guaranteed is playing in a BCS bowl. Some will argue that four teams in the Big 12 are all better than whoever wins the ACC or the Big East but you can't please everybody.

Thoughts?

The New Orleans Saints secured a convincing victory over the San Diego Chargers on Sunday in the second National Football League (NFL) game to be played at Wembley Stadium.

Thankfully, the match was not played in the driving rain which affected last season’s international series game but the glitz and glamour that has charmed American audiences for decades was transferred brilliantly from the vast stadiums of the US to England’s most historic venue.

After last year’s inaugural game at Wembley, Sky Sports saw a massive 45% increase in British viewers watching NFL games. A quick glance through the search engines reveals that the sport is thriving in the UK and participation in both adult and junior leagues is growing by an average of 12% a year. There are three professional adult leagues, an annual “Britbowl”, and a number of youth competitions held throughout the country.

Sunday’s match ended 37-32 and it has already attracted praise from British media outlets including the BBC and the Independent newspaper.

Fans were particularly impressed by the unwavering accuracy of the Saints' quarterback, Drew Brees, and the electric pace of LaDainian Tomlison, a man who currently holds the record for the most touchdowns scored in a single season.

Despite myriad financial woes, which resulted in the downsizing of American staff teams by as much as 10%, the NFL is determined to extend its partnership with Wembley beyond the contracted four years.

Information on British American football is available at the Get into American Football website.

Over 83,000 fans of the NFL watched the fixture between New Orleans and San Diego at Wembley over the weekend, and many more observed the action on television.

It is clear that the NFL is growing in popularity in the UK and, since the match on Sunday, there has been more exciting news for the ever-increasing British fan base. Roger Goodell, the league’s chief, has revealed his belief that London could host a full-time NFL team in the near future.

Goodell believes that this is a “realistic possibility”, particularly if the response of the British public towards the sport continues to be so positive.

The recent match between New Orleans and San Diego was the first to be played following an exciting commitment made between the UK and the NFL to stage a game here every year for a total of three years. British fans of the sport will also be pleased to learn that 2009 or 2010 may even see an additional game.

However, Wembley will have to see off competition from stadiums including Murrayfield if it wants to continue to host the matches. Roger Goodell may have specifically praised the “sports fans here in London” who “love” the sport, but the appeal of the NFL is widespread and Cardiff is also expected to express its desire to host a match.

The league chief also compared the atmosphere at the NFL matches seen to date in the UK to the ambience seen at the Super Bowl in America. The players who competed at Wembley on Sunday were also impressed.

LaDainian Tomlinson raved about the atmosphere and revealed his desire to return to the UK in the future. Similarly, Philip Rivers, who impressed during the match, spoke about the “fun” nature of the game.

The only negative comments came from the manager of New Orleans, Sean Payton, who was not impressed by the state of the Wembley pitch. He spoke of the “slick and choppy” field and said that it negatively impacted upon the performance of his defenders.

However, the San Diego coach was more positive in his post-match reaction, stating that the pitch did not impact upon the game.

It is not just British fans of the NFL who are set to benefit from the possibility of London hosting a full-time NFL team. Goodell believes that it would also be “a great thing for the league”.

However, the plans are still very much rooted in the realm of the hypothetical. A spokesman for the NFL has stated that there is no “timeframe even for exploring the possibility”.

Sunday’s match saw New Orleans defeat San Diego 37-32. Although Reggie Bush, the star of the New Orleans team, was absent through injury, the team made up for his absence by putting on a good performance through the air.

San Diego, on the other hand, let themselves down by giving away 14 penalties for 134 yards. The match was closely fought until the closing stages, with New Orleans choosing to concede a two-point safety with just eight seconds left of the game in an effort to secure the final result.

So he might be 82 years of age, he may of injured his right hip attempting to show his team how to perform an onside kick, he may not be able stand on the sidelines and he doesn't have the support of the universities athletic director but he is one thing - and that is - he is Joe Paterno.

His Penn State team are 7-0 and are looking like the most complete team in the country. He allowed his offense to open up the play book on the road in the Big Ten and that saw his team beat down Wisconsin. Michigan come to Happy Valley next week in a trap game before the big Ohio State road trip on the 25th.

If Penn State are 9-0 come October 26th then they are looking set for a run at the National Title game. If so then surely Paterno is back for another year and they won't force him out.

However you just never know...

I love College Football. I don't know why but over the past couple of years it has really gone up in my 'must see' tv stakes. For the second weekend in a month we saw three top five ranked teams go down as the polls saw another big shakeup.

#5 Texas went up to #1 following its defeat of then #1 Oklahoma. Alabama stayed at #2 after not playing over the weekend. My #6 Penn State Nittany Lions went up to #3 following its mauling of Wisconsin in Madison. Here is where the AP and USA Polls diverge.

USC make it all the way up to #4 in the USA Today poll but only makes #6 in the AP. Oklahoma fall to #4 in the AP and #6 in the USA Today. Rounding out the top five we have either Florida or Texas Tech depending on which poll you take.

Whatever happens we have three big undefeated teams left and whoever stays unbeaten should play for the National Title.

So if you are an American Football fan then you'll of seen or heard about Ed Hochuli's blown call in the Chargers/Broncos game already.

Opinion is heavily split on what happened, we all know he got it wrong and the head referee - who is remember one of the very best in the NFL - even admitted that he got it wrong on the field.

However the referee made the only call he could after he had blown his whistle and shouldn't be as vilified as he seems to be. He is human and made a mistake but if he makes another similar error in his career then I'd be gobsmacked.

I think people should stop piling into the referee but heck what do I know?

So the favourites for the Superbowl have lost their star player for the season. Tom Brady has tore both the ACL and MCL in his left knee and will have surgery in a month's time and will face up to nine months recovering and rehabilitating.

I think that the Patriots are done just as much as Brady is. Fully expect the Chargers, Steelers, Colts, Broncos or Jaguars to come out of the AFC now.

Vince Young was just a great college player but his professional career certainly hasn't gone exactly to plan. However this latest twist is kind of scary, what did his family think he was going to do?

If the news is true and Tom Brady is done for the year then suddenly the Patriots are very much beatable in the AFC East. Brett Favre and the Jets looked good on Sunday so maybe they can cause the big upset?

I hope that Brady isn't done because that would be creul and it'd also crush my fantasy team!

The NFL is back and the New York Football Giants have started with a win against their NFC East rival Washington Redskins.

Eli didn't look great but heck it's a W for the defending Champions!