The field for the inaugural CFB Playoff has officially been set. On New Year’s Day, the Alabama Crimson Tide will face the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Allstate Sugar Bowl, followed by the Rose Bowl that will feature a matchup between the Oregon Ducks and Florida State Seminoles. The winners of those two games will square off in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on January 12. While I have no issue with the four teams selected to participate in the first ever CFB Playoff for FBS-level teams, I do feel as if they may have sent some mixed messages throughout the final few weeks leading up to the selection of the four-team field.
In the past, if college football had just one remaining undefeated team from a power-five conference, that team would have been the clear No. 1 team in the nation. That was not the case for the Seminoles, however, despite finishing as the only unblemished team this past season. They may not have been impressive in each game, and quite possibly could have legitimately dropped three or four of those games. The ‘Noles struggled against far weaker competition on and off throughout the entire season, yet managed to always come out on top. While they will only enter the CFB Playoff as the No. 3 seed, they were still ultimately rewarded for winning ugly games by a very narrow margin of victory.
The TCU Horned Frogs were ranked ahead of the Seminoles heading into the final weekend, highlighted by conference championship games. Unfortunately, the Big 12 Conference, with only 10 teams, has no conference title contest. That left the Horned Frogs with an easy game against the lowly Iowa State Cyclones. TCU blew out the ‘Clones, 55-3. They dropped all the way to No. 6, meaning that while FSU was rewarded for barely beating teams they should have blown out, especially over the past month, TCU was penalized fir blowing out lesser competition.
Like I said, I have no problem with the final four teams selected. Alabama deserves to be here. Oregon deserves to be here. So does Florida State and Ohio State. Of course, so does TCU. So does Baylor. After those six teams, no true argument can be made for any of the two-loss teams, including the Mississippi State Bulldogs, Michigan State Spartans or Ole Miss Rebels. Granted, that is not to say that if the CFB Playoff expanded to six or eight teams, that I would count out any of the aforementioned squads.
All I ask that if college football is going to stick with a four-team field, it would be nice if the selection committee was a bit more consistent in its message that has been confusingly delivered throughout the past few weeks.
The committee this year 2015 probably got it correct with the 4 playoff teams , but Oklahoma was #3 the last 3 weeks & Michigan st barely wins its game to get in the playoff . But then suddenly they leapfrog Oklahoma . That’s baloney , the committee did not want an Oklahoma-Bama semifinal so they arrange it conveniently so that they each play someone else 1st wishing both of them would win so they could set up that marquees matchup . What a scam!! I hope both of them lose their semifinal game & Clemson wins the whole thing . It’s all about a buck no matter where you go .