10 College Football Playoff Thoughts
First, before we dive into the 10 College Football Playoff Thoughts, I would like to say I borrowed the concept from the great Rod Pedersen of the Rod Pedersen Show and the South Florida Tribune, who does 10 NHL Things.
With that out of the way, let’s Dive into the 10 College Football Playoff Thoughts Volume I
College Football Playoff Narratives are Scripted: We gather around the television each week to watch the “weekly” College Football Rankings from the College Football Playoff Committee. Let’s be honest: The narrative is already being driven by ESPN and others, especially regarding where teams need to be or how a loss will impact their chances of making the playoff. This week, it is Indiana. How does a loss affect their chances of making the playoffs? It shouldn’t, games on the field should matter, but that is the narrative being driven because it is Made For TV, and it is poorly scripted TV, unlike professional wrestling.
Two Conferences Are Coming: Each week, the narrative is clear: College Football is heading to Two Conferences, with SEC and Big Ten being the two main conferences with subdivisions. It is clear as day the committee or whoever picks want the most Big Ten or SEC teams despite their being other good teams. Again, it is the best 12 college football teams, not the best 12 teams between the SEC and Big Ten. But that is coming.
Need Weekly Rankings To Have Clarity: There needs to be one set of rankings. Either use the AP Top 25 Rankings the whole year or have the committee rank the teams from Week 1 on so there is a standard. Officially ranking teams after 10 weeks of writer rankings does not make sense. But this goes back to Point One. This is scripted for TV; they want drama and people to watch.
Championship Games Should Matter: Going to the Championship Game of your conference should matter. It does not for the SEC team who has two losses. If said team with two losses does not win the SEC Championship, they are out. While there are five automatic qualifiers to the dance, and the top four get a bye, what is the actual reward for playing in a Conference Championship Game?
Big 12 and ACC Will Only Get One Team in Each: If you have seen the latest rankings, the way the Big 12 champion could be positioned behind Boise State, they will only get one team out of Arizona State, BYU, or Colorado. And if Colorado or Arizona State wins, they may not get a bye, and they should. The ACC will only get one team between Miami, SMU, and Clemson. The ACC Winner will get an automatic bye.
Who You Play Should Matter, But It Does Not: The biggest argument everyone makes is the strength of schedule. Who did this team play, and who did that team play? Again, this week, the narrative was surrounding Indiana. They did not play anyone. Their only tough game is Ohio State this week. Who did Penn State play? They have a common opponent in UCLA. Indiana crushed them, and Penn State struggled. Mega conferences allow for uneven schedules, but Michigan had the weakest schedule last year and won the national title. Why?
Who You Are Matters? - Everything is based on Reputation and the Name on the Helmet. Not what have you done on the field. There was a reason after the loss to Tennessee, Alabama was seeded 11th. There is a reason why people are doubting Indiana. There is a reason why Penn State is ranked high. Go back to last year the Block M on the Michigan helmet mattered. That’s why Florida State didn’t get into the playoffs; their play without Jordan Travis showed they weren’t a playoff team. Not to mention their reputation.
How You Win Matters Too: Look, everyone hated the computers, but the AP Writers get one thing right: if a top team looks bad against inferior competition, they get dropped. If they smoke in inferior competition, they stay where they are or move up; how a team wins still matters. Blowouts matter, and eye tests matter. Running up the score and Style Points matter. It should not, but we need to see these things from Week 1 on, especially for Indiana, as the ESPN Narrative continues to play out.
Notre Dame Can’t Afford Another Loss: This has been true since Week 2 and their loss to Northern Illinois. However, it seems the stage is already set to knock a potential 2-loss Irish team out of the playoff. Again, this goes back to the earlier points: the SEC and Big Ten Rule in this 12-team playoff.
What About the Group of 5: Realistically, there are more than five conferences in college football at the top level. It will come down to the Mountain West or the America for the Automatic Bid. But maybe both winners need to get in. Tulane and Army will play for the American Championship, and if Army Beats Notre Dame and wins the American, they could get in. Tulane is making a strong case they should be in to. But again, this was a rule put in place to appease the Group of 5 conferences. The Pac-12 has no shot.
Bonus Thought: The Pac-12 should still exist to this day. Imagine if it was and the conversations we would be having. Think about it: there would be six automatic qualifiers instead of five, and there would not be too many spots left for the taking.
Stay Tuned for another set of 10 College Football Playoff Thoughts Next Week.