UPSTATE, N.Y. – It was a historic day for college football on Sunday. And following up Dr. Diz’s piece from Friday made sense as the matchups for the inaugural College Football Playoff were announced. But with such a historic day comes plenty of controversy, as Alabama, Oregon, Florida State and Ohio State make up the four teams in the first-ever playoff, leaving out the top two Big 12 teams – Baylor and TCU.
If you remember my last column, I used a Late Night With Seth Meyers segment to relate to the College Football Playoff. Well, this week it’s a The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon segment, “Pros and Cons“ to relate to this new Division I football postseason system. Here we go:
More Teams are Invited to the Party
Pro: The more the merrier. With four teams fighting for a national championship, we’ll get to see matchups like Oregon vs. Florida St. that we’d never see in the regular season. And Jameis Winston and the Seminoles might have met their match in the Ducks.
Con: Four teams are not enough. Both Baylor and TCU did enough to get in the top four this season.
Rankings From Prior Weeks Don’t Matter
Pro: This gives teams the opportunity like Ohio State the chance to slide into the top four even without one of the teams ahead of them losing.
Con: So… A 52-point victory over Iowa State wasn’t good enough for TCU to secure their spot in the College Football Playoff. Essentially the selection committee is punishing the former third-ranked Horned Frogs for not running up the score against the Cyclones. It’s a shame.
Winning Your Conference Championship Means a Whole Lot
Pro: Winning your conference’s championship game is a tough task for any team, and it’s good the selection committee is rewarding the winners.
Con: But we’re going to punish Baylor and TCU because they’re in a conference that doesn’t have a championship game? It’s not their fault the Big 12 has only 10 teams these days.
Undefeated Florida State Stays in the Top Four
Pro: We get to watch Famous Jameis play at least once more this year, and against a team that he can’t throw three interceptions and still win in Oregon.
Con: Is Florida State one of the top four teams in Division I football this season? No. I beleive TCU could beat them pretty easily, but you’re not going to have the undefeated defending champs not in the College Football Playoff.
So let me ask you this MTM readers: What are your pros and cons of this College Football Playoff system?
Come back tomorrow for Grinding Ax Walter Hynes.
