Cincy got shafted by the CFP Committee

Honestly, if the playoffs expand, I don't think that the inclusion of each Power Five champion will be about "creating the best field possible."

I think it will be requisite to get every Power Five university president on board, knowing that their conference will get at least one slice of the pie every year, guaranteed.

Can you imagine being any of the PAC-12 presidents (for example) and you support expansion to 8 or 12 teams and then your conference gets left out altogether for a few consecutive years, while the SEC and Big Ten get two or three teams each in the field? You would have been an idiot for not getting a guaranteed slot in exchange for your support.

I think the committee got it right (#1-4) though I would have put Georgia #4 but its clear that the committee didn't want a rematch so soon.

I was a bit surprised seeing Ohio State land at #6 (it doesn't really matter since they'd be playing in the Rose Bowl anyway).

This year's CFP matchups are intriguing: good TV. I think Cincy will give Alabama all they can handle and the Michigan/Georgia matchup should be great. As should the other 4 New Year's Six bowls.

I'm also in favor of a 6 team playoff: each Power 5 conference champion and a best Group of 5.

As a side note, I'm happy (and amazed) my 7-5 Nittany Lions got in to the New Year's Day Outback Bowl.

That's a clear indication that money matters: Penn State puts lots of fannies in the seats and brings in lots of dollars to the host city. That's the only reason they're there.

KeepGoodStuff wrote:

While I'm probably not totally un-receptive to some practical considerations of selection that keep the sport "healthy," I don't find making conference picks mandatory one of them. One, I'm not necessarily convinced that that makes a big difference in balancing, and two, I kind of don't care in any given year.

I want a playoff populated with, by-and-large, only those teams on any reasonable person's list of "the best team in college football."

Who would be shocked if USC or Washington or UCLA or FSU or Miami or VaTech or Colorado, or......rose back to sustained prominence in the near future?

Wow, some intelligent opinions. You don't easily get that on Let's Run.

I overplayed the long-term balance angle primarily because another poster pointed it out and I thought it strengthens the case. But as you pointed out, meh!

Your second point is where I see trouble. "Any reasonable person"? Good luck with that. Take Cincinnati this season. undefeated in a 2nd tier conference with a win over ND. They get in ahead of Ohio State (used as an example, not that I think they should be there). If UC played in the Big 10 would they be 12-0? 0-12? 6-6? 7-5? Would they even be on the radar nationally if in the SEC? So, in my eyes taking things out of the control of committee's guessing at such things is usually a positive. Making the Power 5 conference champions automatic qualifiers makes conference play extremely interesting and critical. The actual playoff starts at the conference level. The fact that 1-2 conferences are down right now doesn't mean a Miami, USC, VT, or FSU could not resurrect themselves at any time as you stated.

I also think making each champion from a Power 5 gives some regional representation which doesn't mean much to me but probably brings a smile to the NCAA and selection committee. Taking the Power 5 champs still leaves 3 at-large slots for teams on the "reasonable person's" list. I think it is really rare to find more than three teams nationally that would make that list and not be a Power 5 champ.

kw1954 wrote:

This year's CFP matchups are intriguing: good TV. I think Cincy will give Alabama all they can handle and the Michigan/Georgia matchup should be great.

Cincy give all Alabama all they can handle? Lol - I think the Cinderella story comes to a sober end when Bearcats take the field against the Tide. This is no ND that the Bearcats beat back in September. This is the best team from the powerhouse SEC. I remind you Cinncinati plays in that cheesy American Athletic conference. Saban will have the team ready. Bryce Young will tear up the Bearcats secondary.

Bama by 17 points. 🏈