The final score of an overtime game should award a single point to the winner. If a 27-27 game goes into overtime, the final score should be 28-27. Keep score as necessary during overtime (why not start at 0-0?), but let the record books record a victory margin of one point. I’ve never understood why the system grants a full six (or three) points for a scoring drive that artificially begins on the 25 yard line.

Last night’s 69-67 Boise St. win over Nevada took four overtime periods to decide. The game was tied at 44 following regulation time. But because both teams put up a combined 48 points in overtime, we get statements like this:

The game set a record for most points in an NCAA Division I-A game since 1937, when official record keeping began.

It’s wrong that an overtime game holds that distinction. Over a third of this "record-setting" game’s total points came in overtime.