One of the best podcasts around is Intelligence Squared, a show that attempts to ape the legendary Oxford Union debates in the United Kingdom by inviting leading thinkers to take up some of the touchiest issues of the day, then having the audience vote on a winner.

This week, the show took up the topic of whether college football should be banned. Topics covered included risk of head injuries, the roles of universities, effects on recruitment and even how you can't have freedom without the dumb. It was a rousing and passionate back-and-forth with plenty of laughs, insight and some truly surprising results.

But a major part of what made the debate so fascinating is that one of the debaters arguing for the motion was Pulitzer Prize-winning sports journalist Buzz Bissinger, the author of the legendary football book Friday Night Lights. He's hardly the sort you'd expect to come down against football.

A few teaser highlights can be seen in the video below, but the full video or audio are worth a listen for anyone interested in sports, education or how public funding is used. And it's especially worth considering as Boise State's football program continues to garner national acclaim, and the university considers potential expansion plans.

And a special note to commenters: It's probably a good idea to hear the whole debate before chiming in with your two cents because many of the arguments made and the results might surprise you.

It didn't take long for the formal proceedings of the 2012 NFL Draft to finish before Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore struck a deal. Though he was not chosen during the draft, Moore was quickly signed by the Detroit Lions as a free agent early Saturday evening. Moore would be the third quarterback on the Lions roster behind Matthew Stafford and Shaun Hill. If Moore makes the cut, he is expected to join Boise State veteran Titus Young with the Lions.

A record six Boise State Broncos ended up as draft picks in the marathon sessions that stretched from Thursday evening through Saturday afternoon. They were:

- Defensive end Shea McClellin (first round) to the Chicago Bears
- Running back Doug Martin (first round) to the Tampa Bay Bucs
- Defensive end Tyrone Crawford (third round) to the Dallas Cowboys
- Safety George Iloka (fifth round) to the Cincinnati Bengals
- Defensive tackle Billy Winn (sixth round) to the Cleveland Browns
- Offensive tackle Nate Potter (seventh round) to the the Arizona Cardinals

After University of Alabama's Monday night thrashing of the Louisiana State University Pussycats in the lamest BCS National Championship game ever played, the Boise State Broncos now hold claim to at least a share of the crystal football, right?

Here's the breakdown:
Boise State dominated nearly all of its competition this season, including one of the most commanding performances of all the bowl games against PAC-12 punching bag Arizona State. The only exception was a fluke 1-point home loss at the hand of an very talented and opportunistic Texas Christian University team.

Alabama not only lost its conference but also its division (to LSU mind you), and yet, still got the invite to a rematch in New Orleans. I guess national championships are buy five, get one free these days (you can't spell 'cronies' without SEC).

Oklahoma State, Alabama, LSU, University of Houston and Boise State all finished the season with one loss.

Strength of schedule is apparently irrelevant because late in the season Alabama's "impenetrable" defense allowed Division II cupcake Georgia Southern University to hang 21 points on them. This is the same defense that shut out what was supposed to be an unstoppable LSU offense.

I'll say this in plain English: Apples to apples, Georgia Southern's offense is demonstrably superior to that of LSU.

Long story short, there is no way the BCS got it even close to right this season. Between Xs and Os, intangibles and politics, I doubt that anyone feels very good about what college football did to itself in 2011-12.

It's only fair to consider that there is—functionally and legitimately—a five-way tie for the national championship. All hype and ESPN-SEC bias aside, it would be foolish for us as thoughtful and logical human beings to view it any other way.

Congrats Broncos, Elephants, Tigers, Cowboys and Cougars. Another thankless trip to the zoo is in the bag, and as far as I can tell we didn't learn a thing.

Boise State will be well-represented on the gridiron today as the National Football League launches its second season with a full slate of playoffs.

More than a dozen former Broncos play in the NFL and four have had their seasons extended into the new year with their teams playing this and/or next weekend. You'll see Chris Carr as cornerback and kick returner for the Batltimore Ravens (his second season in Baltimore), Ryan Clady is an offensive tackle for the Denver Broncos (his third season), Korey Hall plays as a fullback for the New Orleans Saints (he already has one Super Bowl ring from his time playing for the Green Bay Packers) and Titus Young is a wide receiver for the Detroit Lions (his first year in the NFL).

Today the Cincinnati Bengals are in Houston to play the Texans and Detroit is at New Orleans. On Sunday, the Atlanta Falcons play at the New York Giants and the Pittsburgh Steelers are in Denver to play the Broncos. The New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens each get a bye this week but will suit up next Saturday and Sunday.

Some days are meant for lazying around, eating and watching football. If you're fortunate enough not to be at work, today is definitely one of those days. So get some snacks and turn on the tube, or head to pretty much any local bar with a television, and get ready for some football.

With New Year's Day falling on a Sunday, a bunch of bowl games have been scheduled for today so as not to compete with the pro games. Lucky for you, football lover—you get two days of sports and gluttony. And your New Year's Eve hangover is probably pretty close to gone by now, so you can really enjoy the games and be a little less of a zombie.

The Ticket City Bowl, Gator Bowl, Outback Bowl, Capitol One Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Rose Bowl and parade are all happening today, so you can probably watch big men fight over a pigskin for 10 hours straight, if you want to.

Check out a full schedule here. And if today isn't enough, there are a few straggling bowl games that will take place over the next few days.

The deal is particularly interesting because of its geographic range, which also includes the addition of San Diego State (football only), Houston (all sports), Central Florida (all sports), Southern Methodist (all sports), and potentially Navy (football only) down the stretch.

With those schools in play, it appears that the embattled Big East will secure recruiting and media markets across nearly every major region in the United States, and possibly play host to one of the national brand service academies as well. This strategic move may represent the new paradigm in the cutthroat world of college football, but it remains to be seen how effective it will be.

This hideously amateur rendering shows roughly what the Big East's immediate media market reach would look like in 2013, provided that West Virginia's departure is held in check, and Pitt and Syracuse are long gone:

Three sources, CBS Sports, the Boston Globe and the Newark Star-Ledger are all reporting that Boise State is expected to join the Big East athletic conference as early as tomorrow. If the Broncos join the Big East, only the football program would participate, leaving basketball and all other sports in search of a conference home. Boise State's current conference, the Mountain West, has indicated that the Broncos would not be able to keep its other programs in the conference without football participation.

CBSSports.com reports that Boise State, along with Central Florida, Houston, San Diego State and SMU are all expected to join the Big East.

The CFWC will be played at a neutral site—Camel's Back Park—and is rumored to pay out $75 to both schools for their participation. The CFWC is reportedly negotiating a TV deal with public access television valued at $450.

Bronco Nation and the USC faithful would set a park attendance record, as Goblet organizers will host a wonderful array of events in conjunction with the game, including a chili con carnival. Also rumor has it that GWAR will play the family-friendly halftime show.

Boise State and USC's high-powered offenses are expected to put up considerably more than LSU and Alabama's combined 15 points from their yawner bake sale match-up from several weeks ago—and analysts are predicting that the more prestigious CFWC will actually be fun to watch.

The stakes are high, as the winner will be crowned "world champion and bitchin' swill king krunk pimp for 2011"—an accomplishment that would surely top Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore's already stellar resume. USC is facing tough NCAA sanctions that prohibit them from playing in a "bowl" despite their 10-2 record and victory over PAC-12 champion Oregon. The College Football World Championship being a "goblet" (not a bowl) should make it A-OK for them to participate.

Despite aggressive lobbying from Stanford, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma State, Oregon, LSU, Alabama, Clemson, West Virginia, Michigan and Wisconsin, CFWC organizers have selected the two best teams according to their complex selection algorithm—which includes attractiveness of cheerleaders, decency of players and coaches, whether the team recruits legally, and actual talent. No SEC schools qualified.

The approximately 35,000 fans who will again fill Bronco Stadium tomorrow should know that they'll be sitting in one of "America's best college football stadiums," according to an article out this morning from Travel and Leisure magazine. In fact, Bronco Stadium topped the list.

"With a high-powered offense and a never-say-die attitude, little old Boise State is one of the NCAA's most entertaining teams to watch," said the magazine.

Travel and Leisure cites the "freaky blue turf," and the well-known chant: "And that's another Bronco first down," as plusses.

Also making the list, Nebraska's Memorial Stadium, the Rose Bowl, Notre Dame Stadium, Texas A&M's Kyle Field and Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.

The Bowl Championship Series—college football's post-season barometer—released the first standings of the year on Sunday. The rankings ultimately determine who plays in the national championship game, as well as the coveted high-dollar elite BCS Sugar, Orange, Fiesta, and Rose bowls. Here's how things shook out:

1. Louisiana State
2. Alabama
3. Oklahoma
4. Oklahoma State
5. Boise State
6. Wisconsin
7. Clemson
8. Stanford
9. Arkansas*
10. Oregon*
(*Denotes teams in the BCS top 10 that have at least one loss and are not counted in the formula below.)

Boise State has taken some heat over the years for playing what the BCS considers to be "soft" schedules in the WAC and now, Mountain West.

I ran the numbers, and came up with some interesting results to the contrary (depending on how you choose to look at it). Nearly midway through the season—and with the majority of non conference games in the bag—many of the 10 remaining undefeated teams have played at least one non-conference game against an FCS (Division II) opponent. Boise has only played FBS (Division I) opponents and will continue to do so until the end of the season. From a pluses and minuses standpoint, here are the combined records of the opponents of the remaining undefeated teams, in ranking order: