Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany, a tiresome man with the stage presence of a perpetually irritated owl putting on its very best Commodus act, did some mic-grabbing Wednesday at the IMG Intercollegiate Athletics Forum on the subject of the BCS haves and have-nots. He'd like to take this time to remind college football's institutions currently relegated to mid-major status that in the eyes of the law, young man, you're still a minor, and that as long as you live under his roof, you will abide by his rules:
If you think you can continue to push for more money, more access to the Rose Bowl, or Sugar Bowl. I have tremendous respect for Boise and TCU. ... I think they are tremendous teams that can beat any team in the country on a given day. I think the only question is, 'Does one team's 12-0 and another team's 12-0 equate?' And that's where the discussion plays out, not whether or not they're elite teams or deserving access to the bowl system.
Is he not merciful? Not, of course, that Jim Delany would know about having an undefeated team out of his conference in 2010, but no worries, guy: If TCU gets by Wisconsin in Pasadena, it'll only follow your around for the rest of your career. And maybe this time, Ohio State won't faceplant on national television in the Sugar Bowl. You never know.