Playoff Talk (Go USC and Go TCU) & Selection Show 1200 SUN ESPN12:00

Alabama's best win was over Miss. State.

 

What other choice did the committee have?

I get the argument that Alabama would be favored by Vegas against TCU or tOSU. But Bama's full body of work isn't strong and objectively inferior to TCU. Bama's best win is @Texas which deserves a HUGE asterick (Texas played 3/4 game with their backup QB, and don't forget the dubious call on the Bryce Young throwaway in his own endzone). TCU beat Texas later in the season and more convincingly, and has a better win against KSU. Oh, and a better record. Bama lost to a 4-loss team (LSU), the last team they played that's ranked right now. Their season suggests they would have lost their final game too if it was against a top-15 opponent, but they weren't good enough to make the SECCG.

If TCU had Bama's record and resume, they wouldn't be in the conversation.

Now if the argument is between Bama and tOSU, I think there's an argument to be made there. But tOSU has a better record and two better wins than Bama (PSU, ND). The committee made a perfectly reasonable and defensible decision.

 

The entire reason for having this is to pit the "four best teams." It's not the best teams with the same or lesser number of losses.

Your argument is very valid but it's like the NCAA Selection Show. Whichever shell they want the pea under is what gets shown as "proof" they made the correct decision.

I think getting blown-out on your home field to your biggest rival in the last game on national television disqualifies tOSU as against Alabama.

Alabama is clearly the "better" team because they would undoubtedly be favored by Vegas and everywhere else in a head-to-head match-up. No other point about schedules, or number of losses, or "best wins" should be relevant (IMO).

 

Some believe winning your conference should be the primary standard. Only 2 of 5 P5 conference champs got in. One team got in even though they lost their CCG. One team would’ve been in had they not lost their CCG. Will conference’s now move to jettison CCG’s? They bring in a bunch of $$$.

If this was the new 12 team playoff. The teams that would’ve received a first round bye:
Georgia
Michigan
Utah
Clemson

Still don’t like the byes.

 

When do they announce the rest of the bowl lineup??

 

Huh..

 

I get the argument. I'm a gambler, I respect Vegas. And if Bama got in over tOSU, I would have been okay with it. There was no single "right" decision this year after #1 and #2, so any decision that's defensible I'm okay with.

But you're basically advocating for a system where recruiting and pre-season rankings carry as much weight as actual results. In my opinion that's a less interesting version of college football that further diminishes the regular season. I'm personally prefer the current system that places more weight on actual results and merit.

 

Alabama had every opportunity to be included and failed. Again, their best win was against Miss St! Their resume is insufficient. It’s not about your or my opinion, it’s about what you did on the field….as it should be.

 

It would be a better approach if all conferences had the same number of teams and determined their winner the same. Much rather see smaller conferences with a round robin schedule. Winner represents the conference. Other teams get in with their conference record and strength of their OOC record. No more FCS.

 

Why would they get rid of CCGs? In the expanded playoff, winning a conference is required to get a bye, which will add even more importance to all P5 CCGs. Think about this season, once USCw lost on Friday night, the ACCCG would have become relevant because Clemson would be playing for a bye. The Big XII game would have been more meaningful, knocking TCU out of a bye and potentially bringing K-State in. They'll make MORE $$ now, they're not going anywhere.

 

I personally don’t want to see the SECCG go away, nothing better, imho. There has been some talk lately though about doing away with them now that an expanded playoff is in place. Two teams could potentially play 17 games. That’s probably a concern for them, as is getting one of your potential playoff teams knocked out in a CCG.

 

. . . and tOSU got blown-out on their home field in their last game on national television. In the same circumstances, Alabama didn't. So we then move to "their best win" or whatever secondary criteria would justify the inclusion of tOSU over a team that would clearly be favored over them in a head-to-head game . . . so the "best" team is not the included team.

 

You don't go to best win. 2 losses are worse than 1 period.

The only time you breakdown games is when both teams have the same number of losses.

 

By the #2 team in the country, big difference.

 

Again . . . chasing the pea under the shells. Who would be favored head-to-head clearly shows the best team. I get it. You favor tOSU or hate Alabama. No way to argue head-to-head which is the best team. That's my point.

 

They’re even playing the game out west first in the afternoon. Obviously it’s not because it’s by far the weaker game..

 

Where they the best team against Tennessee? LSU? You prove it on the field and Bama didn’t. That’s my point.

 

Since tOSU doesn't play either UcheaT or LSU it's comparing apples and oranges.

 

And tcu and OSU did? They play way weaker overall schedules. Does playing an SEC schedule no longer matter?

 

Committee wasn't going to do 2 SEC and 2 Big10 teams, have to keep the baby conferences happy until the playoffs expand.