College Football Playoff Committee Ranks Teams on Narratives Not Results

Every year, the same old story repeats at the end of the season: the debate over the College Football Playoff Committee Rankings. These are the be-all, end-all rankings for teams to get into the playoffs. But instead of being true playoff rankings based on metrics and the eye test, these are made for TV: College Football Playoff Rankings, where the logo and conference affiliation on the helmet matter more than play on the field.

And while fans and media debate which network carries these playoffs, you have to wonder whether the talking points and teams change week to week, given what we see in these committees’ first rankings.

Most likely, they will give those who cover the sport something to talk about next week, too. And while debate has been at the heart of the College Football landscape for years, that debate started and ended with results on the field. Sometimes the debate raged on after the season, especially if multiple teams went unbeaten or didn’t play each other in certain big Bowl Games.

From the days of AP (Associated Press) writers deciding which teams played for the National Title or won it, to the BCS (which, for the most part, got it right), the games on the field always determined the best team. And while the playoffs ultimately crown a champion, who is seen as the best team, the mentality of playoff-or-bust for these big conference schools is coming to the forefront.

Not to mention the backroom deals and narratives that start long before a committee of 12 people determines who gets into the playoffs. Because based on everything the whole nation has watched Alabama is not the fifth best team in the nation. They should not be ranked that high. They lost to Tennessee, who is ranked 13th. It is a metric, but because they are “grouped in the same pod,” head-to-head isn’t considered.

The pod is that Alabama has a reputation under Nick Saban of being a winning team and gets the benefit of the doubt, except Kalen DeBoer has not won at Alabama. The Crimson Tide got lucky last year because the Committee gifted them a playoff spot because they beat the eventual SEC Champion earlier in the season. Unfortunately, Alabama got smoked in the SEC title game in a rematch with those same Georgia Bulldogs.

But because the SEC and Commissioner Greg Sankey put pressure on the committee over the summer to drive a narrative that they play the toughest schedule and have the deepest conference, a three-loss SEC team that doesn’t play in the title game will get into the playoff. Right or wrong, the Committee looks at the logo on the helmet, not results on the field.

Again, head-to-head should matter. Like Ohio State beating Indiana and ending their winning streak matters. But the Hoosiers are the defending National Champions, so they get a little wiggle room; they looked good early but haven’t played anyone. Meanwhile, Ohio State is getting punished, as Full Press Media predicted, because Julian Sayin is out and the Buckeyes didn’t look great against USC.

So the Buckeyes have a tough hill to climb. As does Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish got left out last year not because of the head-to-head losses to Texas A&M and Miami, but because they looked at Notre Dame’s schedule and it didn’t stand up to a 9-3 Alabama. And the Fighting Irish schedule is a narrative again this season.

It started long before the Rankings came out on Tuesday. That narrative started after the loss to BYU. Now the Miami Hurricanes game on Saturday is a must-win for the Irish, or they will be out of the top 11. Everyone knows the Irish are one of the best 12 teams in the nation, but the Committee is punishing them for their schedule and how they handled their business at the end of last season.

There is a clear bias against Notre Dame’s non-affiliation with a Conference. The Fighting Irish are the only Independent team left in College Football. The Committee wants them in a Conference. So it’s clear there are narratives that have been put out in the world for and against certain teams.

Why is the Notre Dame schedule being held against them, but UCLA’s and Indiana’s schedules aren’t? Who did those teams play? But again, the Big Ten is valued higher than independent Notre Dame. Is this fair, or is this the best way to do it? Absolutely not.

You can go through each team, pick them apart, and show why they should rank higher or lower. But it is clear the College Football Playoff Committee aren’t picking the best teams; they are picking who the network wants. And if said teams aren’t affiliated with the network that carries the game, they will suffer in the rankings.

So the fans said they wanted a playoff. However, those same fans aren’t happy with 12 people picking the teams, but they don’t like the AP voters or the BCS Computers, so do the fans know what they want?

Thus, what happened Tuesday set the stage for these selection shows, driving who will be and who will be left out of the College Football Playoff moving forward.

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