I awoke in a cold sweat. The Missus asked what was wrong. I told her about the crazy dream I had just had. First, I brokered a deal with the NCAA to have a playoff system and presented the finished plan to Congress. Then I helped assemble a round table of the greatest minds in sports television to present the following year's tournament. Finally, I was invited to talk to James Lipton about the new tournament on Inside the Actor's Studio.

It all seemed too good to be true. I knew the answer but had to ask: "Is there currently a playoff in college football?"

"No," the Missus answered. "You keep writing about it but apparently no one with the authority to do something has read it."

Just then the phone rang. "Hello?"

"This is Barack Obama, and I approve this conversation," the voice on the other end intoned.

"Mister President-elect, what an honor! But you don't have to keep saying that you approve everything now that you've won."

"Thank you." President-elect Obama replied. "I kind of like saying it though. Anyway, I've read the material you've written on the Sports in a Can blog and I must say that I am intrigued. As I am sure you are aware, a playoff system for NCAA's Division I football is one of my top priorites, right after fixing the economy and keeping the Clintons happy."

"Yes, sir," I replied. "I saw your appearance on Monday Night Football and was thrilled to hear you speak in favor of just such a system."

"Well how would you like to join me in Washington as my Czar of Sports to help me fix this and the other problems that plague American sports? There's some 'Sports Guy' fellow on espn.com campaigning for the position, but I want you by my side. Together we can!"

I hopped the next flight to Washington. On the plane I worked on the different plans that I had dreamt about. But I finally realized that none of them would work in the real world. For any playoff plan to succeed, it would need to keep the current BCS bowl structure intact. That's why the so-called "Plus One" system is the only playoff system that's ever been seriously considered by those that run college football. In the only variation of the Plus One that is palpable to all involved, the bowls would take place and then the post-bowl BCS rankings would decide the championship game combatants.

But everyone has had enough of the BCS rankings deciding who plays and who doesn't, haven't they? No, we need better than the Plus One. What we really need at the end of the day is the "Plus Two." I scribbled some notes and headed off the plane to my awaiting limousine.

After meeting Obama's team, the President-elect introduced me-the nation's new Czar of Sports-and I headed to the podium.

Czar: Ladies and gentlemen, I propose to you the best college football playoff plan that will be acceptable to the college presidents, the bowl chairmen, the general public, Bob Costas, and everyone in this room. It is not perfect by any stretch, but is a vast improvement over what we have now. For lack of a better term, I call it the Plus Two. Here's essentially how it would work: the four big bowls-the Rose, Fiesta, Sugar, and Orange-can continue to select their automatic qualifiers as they normally would. This means that the conference champions from the PAC-10 and the Big Ten would head to the Rose Bowl, the SEC champion would be in the Sugar Bowl, the Big 12 champion would play in the Fiesta Bowl, and the ACC champion would head to the Orange Bowl.

Future Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: Wait a minute! Isn't this just the Plus One? How is this better? Barack, who is this guy?

Czar: Madame Secretary, I understand your frustration. But this plan is better than the Plus One. In the Plus One the computer would decide who the final two teams are after the bowls are played-which is no better than the situation the Big 12 currently finds itself in. What I am proposing is that the four winners of the aforementioned bowls would play in college football's version of the Final Four. The BCS standings would only be used for seeding purposes, and not for actually choosing the teams. The Final Four games would be played, about a week apart, in the same location. This would give college football one solid week to have a Super Bowl-like atmosphere for their fans, and would allow advance planning for anyone who would like to attend.

President-elect Barack Obama: Why can't we just seed the teams that finish in the top 4 or 8 from the BCS and do away with the bowls entirely?

Czar: Mister President-elect, I like your enthusiasm and I appreciate your forward-thinking, but we are never going to do away with the bowls. It's a bigger mountain to climb than getting elected president, trust me. So we must develop a plan that includes the bowl games. And to that end, we must find a way to appease the Rose Bowl organizers. They will fight until their dying breaths to ensure that their bowl game includes a PAC-10 and a Big Ten team. Same goes for the other bowls that invite specific conference champions. Besides, this year we could end up with three Big 12 teams in the top eight spots in the BCS. What is the point of having conferences and conference champions if we're going to let three teams from the same conference into the tournament?

Lame duck President George Bush: So in your fancy schmancy little plannerizing here, will Texas get to play in your tournament this year?

Czar: Actually, Mister President, no.

Bush: What? Of all the-- I'm still president for a couple more weeks! [He whispers to Vice President Dick Cheney] I am, right?

Vice President Dick Cheney: Yes, sir, technically you are.

Bush: Well then I command you to include Texas in your str-, your str-, goll dang it what word am I looking for?

Will Farrell [dressed as President Bush]: Strategery.

Bush: Exactly! I command you to stategerize Texas into your tournament or I'll have you locked up and--

Former President Bill Clinton: Simmah down, George. Let's hear the rest of the plan before we start ordering alleged criminals round up and sent to Guantanamo Bay.

Czar: Thank you, gentlemen. As you all know, any plan worth fighting for involves some give and take. To make this system work as best as we can, the five conference champions would continue to be invited to their respective bowls, and the Big East champion would continue to gain automatic entry. The remaining two spots would go to champions of conferences that do not have bowl tie-ins. Or Notre Dame if they are ever good again. So if we were to award the remaining two spots today, they would go to Utah and Boise State. Texas would not gain entry into the field.

Bush: Blaspheny! Get me Chief Justice Roberts on the phone this instant!

Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court John Roberts: Actually, Mister President, I am here in support of the Czar's plan. I was captain of my high school football team in Indiana and therefore know that games such as football need to be settled on the field and not by a computer. Besides, I argued on behalf of the NCAA in front of the Supreme Court prior to becoming a Justice, so it's time I was on the other side of the NCAA in the courtroom.

Czar: Thank you Mister Chief Justice. I do have one recommendation that might appease President Bush. Since we will no longer have the "BCS Championship Game" the weekend of the bowls, and since we are forcing the NCAA to automatically allow two non-BCS conference teams to play in the tournament, I recommend that we elevate two other bowls to "BCS bowl" status. The winners of these games would not be involved in the tournament, but it would create some very good match-ups-and generate more money for the BCS conferences. Texas would certainly gain an invitation to one of these bowls this year.

Ford Motor Company CEO Alan Mulally: I'll lower my salary to $1 per year if you use Ford in the name of one of your new bowls!

General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner: I'll work for 50 cents if you name one of the bowls the GM Bowl!

Czar: Gentlemen, please. You're embarrassing yourselves. You'll still have to pay to be a sponsor. If even the venerable Rose Bowl sells their naming rights, do you really think any bowl will give you naming rights for free? Besides you'll be working for $1 this year anyway no matter what.

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin: I can see the Rose Bowl from my backyard! And Russia!

Tina Fey [dressed as Sarah Palin]: You really sound like a maverick, Czar. And I like being associated with mavericks like yourself and John McCain. [She winks at the Czar] So just who would be involved in your little tournament of soccer teams?

Czar: Ummm...it's actually football, Governor, but whatever. The bowls have their specific tie-ins and a draft order, so as far as I can tell, here's what our match-ups would look like this year:

Rose Bowl: Penn State vs. USC

Fiesta: Oklahoma/Missouri winner vs. Utah

Sugar: Alabama/Florida winner vs. Cincinatti

Orange: Boston College/Virginia Tech winner vs. Boise State

Bush: Where's Texas? You told me Texas would be involved!

Czar: I could see Texas playing the Alabama-Florida loser in one of our new bowls. Now that would be great theater.

Obama: All those in favor of the Czar's plan? Don't bother voting either way. I'm in charge here. This plan is solid. Now let's get on the phone and make this thing happen before the weekend is out. Can we fix the college football postseason? Yes we can!