The thing is the schools dont get to keep that big paycheck. Its all thrown into the conference pot and split around.

Sure, but I think that whoever have the best record in the independents, gets in. If they are tied, and if the two teams have previously played before, whoever won that game, gets in. If they haven't, then have them settle it on a one game playoff game on a neutral site. OR they can choose it to do on a coin flip.

Or here's another option.

1 Non-Conferece game

Play out your 8 conference games

Play out your conference championship game, and the other conferences that does not have a conference championhip game, play a non-conference team.

Then the top 16 teams on the BCS rankings get in the playoffs, which would mean 4 games in the 16 bracket playoff format to decide the NC.

Ah, that's right... it felt like I was missing something. They're probably still too conservative to ever change, and too greedy to spread any money around to the other conferences or spread it across more games, even if it would have the potential of a much bigger payout in the end.

Someone on tv once said that Fox's contract doesn't run out until 2010, so that's really the earliest we could hope for a change. And since I saw it on tv, it has to be true ;)