When the College Football Playoff Committee made the erroneous decision to include the Alabama Crimson Tide into the playoffs, they made one thing clear. Playing a tough OOC game isn’t worth the risk.
We told you this 2 1/2 years ago. If you want to make the playoffs don’t lose. For all the bluster about OOC wins, conference strength, conference championships, and additional conference games – in the end it’s about not losing. It always has been, and it always will be. We thought the playoff committee would change decades old thinking, but they didn’t.
I’m not an Ohio State fan, in fact I pretty much can’t stand them. I don’t care for Alabama either. I probably equally root against them. The Buckeyes got a raw deal, and it is because they had a 2nd loss to Oklahoma.
I understand Ohio State had a 31 point loss to 7-5 Iowa. That was a bad loss. It was really bad, but a single bad loss can be overlooked. Clemson lost to 4-8 Syracuse. Oklahoma lost AT HOME to 7-5 Iowa State. I guess losing to Iowa is marginally worse, Ohio State had to play Iowa. They didn’t have to play Oklahoma, and the second loss sealed their fate.
Regarding Alabama, it wasn’t their fault Florida State tanked this year, but would it have mattered? Whether Alabama had played Florida State or SC State to open the season, they are making the playoffs today. What if the Big 10 only played 8 conference games rather than 9 and the Buckeyes had avoided Iowa – you know it and I know it they make the playoffs.
Maybe USC is in the picture without a blow out loss to Notre Dame. I hear the argument that Ohio State got in last year because they beat Oklahoma. Maybe, but it only mattered because Penn State had an additional loss to a decent Pittsburgh team. Where’s the playoff reward for playing such games other than slight adjustments to seeding? The answer is there isn’t one.
Wisconsin was going to make the playoffs with 1 ranked win had they beat Ohio State. Their schedule was universally criticized, but they were going to make the playoffs.
If I am a power 5 AD, and I’m trying to build a playoff resume I start by dropping every lose-able OOC game. If I’m the commissioner of the Pac 12 and Big 10, I drop down to 8 conference games. You want the playoff criteria? The playoff committee has spoken – don’t schedule up, don’t risk losing, make the playoffs.
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2 pings
Hokie Mark says:
December 4, 2017 at 10:04 pm (UTC -5)
Spot on, JFan! Worst thing they ever did was say the wanted the 4 “best” instead of the 4 most-deserving. You can determine the latter on the field; the former is pure opinion. There has always been too much of that in college football. Sadly, some things never seem to change…
Jfann says:
December 4, 2017 at 10:25 pm (UTC -5)
Right on!
I had hoped the playoff would remove the “don’t lose” mentality of the BCS era.
It didn’t happen. At least one of the 4 teams still has to beat 2 very good teams,
I guess that is something.