All Vandy needs to do is beat Richmond and MTSU, then beat either Kentucky or South Carolina. Three more wins get them a winning season. With a schedule that includes LSU, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee, strength of schedule will get them into a bowl... only ONE upset of one of those four would clinch it.

In my opinion, if Clemson had lost by 1 to USC, they should be ranked... likewise, your argument is valid. I would be in favor of the polls as merely an expression of opinion. If they MUST keep the BCS, integrate a playoff system for the top 8 or so teams. The BCS is somewhat necessary if it were more fair... the standings would be misleading unlike in basketball. 64 teams is a bit much for football.

Would the ConfUSA champion really stand a chance against half of the SEC? And likewise, a BCS system like the one I have in mind with the rankings right now would give LSU, Florida and Georgia a legitimate shot at the national title instead of just the SEC champion. It only makes sense... the fans and the players get more games and more of a chance to win it all, the sponsors would get 3 more bowl games to make money from. Those three games wouldn't be like the Music City Bowl either, they'd be high profile! Imagine the money they would make from a team playing three playoff games and building anticipation.

But alas, I must take a line from the military to apply here:
It makes too much sense to use.