ESPN is reporting that the very smart people discussing the future of the BCS are throwing all kinds of stuff at the wall, including this gem:

...the suggested change calls for the BCS to sever its direct ties with the so-called BCS bowls... and concentrate solely on arranging a No. 1 vs. No. 2 national championship matchup.

My gut reaction is that this could radically change the conference realignment incentives. A good chunk of the realignment is about TV deals. But another big chunk of the realignment is about BCS AQ status. Doing away with the AQ status for conference champions means that outside the BCS Championship game, we go back to the old model of conferences orchestrating their own bowl deals. That said, this came out of what sounds like a brainstorming session, so the odds of it happening don't appear to be too high right now.

But, if you're into that sort of thing, the article is full of half-baked BCS ideas. (Including several of the old stand-bys.)