College Football Joke Playoff System

By Douglas V. Gibbs
Author, Speaker, Instructor, Radio Host

Why should the SEC's Third Place Team get a shot at the final four for the National Championship?

Alabama fell quickly, losing to Auburn at the end of the season.  Auburn then lost to Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, catapulting the Bulldogs into the final four, and then somehow also launching the Alabama Crimson Tide into the final four, which is somehow what it takes to get into the current playoff system for the National Championship.

The final four were:

• Clemson (ACC Champion and defending National Champion from last season)
• Oklahoma (Big 12 Champion whose only loss was early in October to Iowa State)
• Georgia (SEC Champion whose only loss was to Auburn, who they faced again in the SEC Championship, but beat on their second try)
• Alabama (who lost to Auburn in the last game of the regular season).

The near misses were:

• Ohio State (Big 10 Champion, a runner-up for the National Championship Game last year, lost to final four candidate Oklahoma early in the season, and to Iowa in early November).
• University of Central Florida (American Athletic Conference, undefeated - but not considered due to the committee's opinion that UCF did not have a strong enough schedule and is from a minor conference)
• Wisconsin (Undefeated until losing to Ohio State in Big 10 Championship Game)
• Auburn (Lost to Clemson in the second game of the season, lost to LSU four weeks later, but defeated Alabama in the last game of the regular season, placing them in the SEC Championship Game, at which time they were given a #3 Ranking that would place them in the final four if the won the SEC Championship Game, but they lost to Georgia)
• USC (Pac 12 Champion, with a lost to Washington State and Notre Dame each at the mid-season, both teams ranked at the time of USC's losses)

I have no argument about Clemson, Oklahoma, and Georgia making the final four.  Alabama, however, creates a problem.  They did not win their conference championship.  The Crimson Tide didn't even earn a trip to the SEC Championship Game.  Then, they lost to the loser (Auburn) of the SEC Championship Game during the final game of the regular season.  Auburn then lost to UCF in the Peach Bowl - remember, UCF is considered undeserving to be even playing with the big boys, in the minds of the committee.  So, Alabama, who lost to the SEC Championship loser, and the Peach Bowl loser, and couldn't even make it to their own conference's championship game is somehow deserving of being in the final four and a chance to play for the National Championship?

Is this some kind of preferential treatment for a team that has recently been a force every year, and for Coach Saban who is considered football royalty?

What about Ohio State?  They won their conference, and their only losses were to a team (Oklahoma) that's also in the final four, and an Iowa team that beat them solidly (and had shown during the season to have that capability).

Was the loss to Iowa a good enough reason to strip Ohio State of the chance for the National Championship over a team (Alabama) who lost to the loser of the loser of the SEC Championship and the Peach Bowl?  Iowa beat Penn State, a top team, early in the season, ruined Michigan’s undefeated run a year ago, and played aggressively against the Buckeyes in their win over them while Ohio State was, for some reason, playing quite conservatively.  Ohio State's quarterback, J.T. Barrett, also threw four interceptions in that game.  Iowa pounced on them, scoring 17 points off of the turnovers.  In short, Ohio State played poorly in their game against Iowa, after which they learned, adjusted, and used what they learned to beat their next three opponents mercilessly:

• Michigan State 3 - Ohio State 48
• Illinois 14 - Ohio State 52
• Ohio State 31 - Michigan 20

Then, in the Big 10 Championship Game, the Buckeyes beat a very good, and highly ranked, Wisconsin team.

Instead of being given a chance for a National Championship, Ohio State was matched against Pac 12 Champion USC in the Cotton Bowl for daring to lose to Iowa in the regular season.  In the Cotton Bowl, the Buckeyes then proceeded to beat the Trojans easily by a score of 24-7.  In fact, during the game, the sportcasters commented how it was like watching men versus boys.

But, the committee felt that Ohio State's accomplishments were not enough to give them a chance that they were willing to give Alabama, who lost to the loser of the SEC Championship Game, and who lost to the loser of the Peach Bowl.

What about UCF?  They finished as the only undefeated team in college football.  Did they not deserve a chance to play in the final four instead of Alabama (who did not even earn a spot in their own conference's championship game)?  UCF did everything they were asked to do, and they did it perfectly.  They beat ranked teams Memphis and Southern Florida during the regular season, as well as every single one of their other opponents, and then beat Memphis again in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game.  Then, after being denied a chance to play with the big boys in the final four because of the "strength of schedule" argument, they went into the Peach Bowl and beat Auburn.  Did you hear that?  UCF beat the team that beat Alabama ... yet they are being told their weak schedule means they don't deserve a chance to dance in the big dances.

What if UCF goes undefeated again next year?  Will they be given a chance, then?

I feel like it's the Boise State thing, all over again.  Remember that? They had some great one-loss years a decade ago, and went undefeated in 2006 (and beat Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl) and 2009 (beating undefeated TCU in the Fiesta Bowl); but, like UCF, weren't given a chance for anything bigger than their own conference championship, or a deserved ranking.  They were ranked #5 and #4 respectively, after all of the bowl games and all of the backroom discussions settled, during 2006 and 2009, behind teams that had losses (but stronger strengths of schedule).

I understand the thinking.  I understand that Boise State, nor UCF, had strong enough schedules to give them consideration for a shot at the National Championship.  What if they gave them the chance, and then those minor conference teams got beat to a pulp, and then the committee was criticized for letting such a small team in?

Fine.  Gutless, but understandable.

But that doesn't explain away Ohio State.  The NCAA Football powers that be gave the final spot to the championship final four playoff in this most recent season to Alabama, over Ohio State.  Ohio State won their conference, had a very strong strength of schedule, and ultimately won their bowl game against a highly ranked foe, but Alabama couldn't even beat the team that couldn't even beat the University of Central Florida, much less earn a spot in their own championship game - yet tomorrow the Alabama Crimson Tide will be playing the Georgia Bulldogs for the National Championship.

Which brings up one more thing.  How is it even allowed in their rules that it could be possible for two teams from the same conference to face each other for the National Championship?

The whole thing is absurd.

What's the solution?

For one, make it a requirement that to be in the final four, a team must have won their conference championship.  That may not have gotten UCF into the mix, but it would at least have not allowed the loser of the loser of two key games to be in the mix - and would have placed a deserving Ohio State into that number four spot, instead.

Update: a comment accused me of being an Ohio State fan. . . here's my response:

Curmudgeon, Actually, I am not an Ohio State fan.  I am an Arkansas Razorbacks fan, Navy Midshipmen, and Oregon Ducks (in order of importance to me) fan.  To me it makes no sense having two teams from the same conference in the National Championship Game.  It's like having two AFC teams in the Super Bowl, or two National League teams in the World Series.  Alabama was not the best of their conference based on the system, so why would the third place team of the SEC have a chance in the final four?  It's just common sense, in my opinion.

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