CFP rankings reaction: In the end, committee will have to balance eye test, body of work
Saturday comes and goes, and then the real matchup begins. Each weekly meeting of the College Football Playoff selection committee entails a battle between the many analytical metrics at the group’s disposal and the eyeball test, and only one half of the matchup can be predicted with any degree of confidence
In a conference room in Grapevine, Texas, the committee sits at computers, sips on coffee and breaks down the numbers: strength of schedule, résumé of wins, quality of losses, offensive and defensive production. But it isn’t that simple.
The poll era of college football’s national championship was too easily influenced by human error — yes, media voters and even coaches have been known to make a mistake or two, with several examples at our disposal. What followed, the Bowl Championship Series, transferred much of the responsibility to computers and algorithms, to often disastrous effect.
The Playoff’s selection format has found a middle ground. Even those who balk at the four-team field and call for an increased bracket must admit: This is an improvement. But old habits are still hard to break.
It’s an important theme to consider — that individual teams and programs are given the benefit of the doubt by the selection committee — as the Playoff search reaches its home stretch, with the final rankings just three weeks away. On one hand, the committee will have it easy should the status quo hold. On the other, the potential for one final blip of chaos could lead to a precarious situation involving as many as nine teams from four major conferences.
Begin with this week’s rankings, released Tuesday evening, which stuck to the rough outline provided by the two major polls: Alabama gained the top spot following Georgia’s first loss, followed by Clemson, Miami (Fla.) and Oklahoma. Rounding out the top eight were Wisconsin, Auburn, Georgia and Notre Dame. Ohio State was ninth. Barring an outrageous close to the regular season, the final four-team field will come from this group.
“Lots of debate on teams one through five and where they went,” said Playoff selection committee…
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