College Football Playoff Final Four – [Update] Adios Big 12

I’m writing this as I’m watching the College Football Playoff selection show. If I had to pick right now I would have to rank the top four as:

1. FSU
2. Alabama
3. Oregon
4. Baylor

Do I think FSU is the best? Nope but they haven’t lost and have played an admirably tough schedule so you need to put them at #1. In the end, the rankings don’t really matter as long as you are in the top 4.

Baylor, TCU & Ohio St. all have a legitimate argument for being the top 4. Ohio St. has the worst loss by losing at home to a terrible Virginia Tech team, Baylor has the best win beating TCU and also beat TCU head to head. Baylor has to be in. If Ohio St had JT Barrett I don’t doubt they are one of the best teams in the league given the loss you can’t put them in the top four.

This whole conversation could have been avoided if the committee didn’t give us rankings before today.

Here’s the OFFICIAL top Four

1. Bama
2. Oregon
3. FSU
4. Ohio State

Wow. We will have more later.

Here are some Twitter Reactions:

http://twitter.com/edsbs/status/541649734180433920

http://twitter.com/edsbs/status/541652975999930368

[Update]
Jeff Long speaks

“Ohio State showed they were a quality team and deserved the fourth spot”

“It was really about Ohio State” moving up, “not TCU moving down”

About JackWolf

I'm an unapologetic NC State fan but also consider myself a rational one. Hit me up on twitter if you want to talk @NCStateFootball

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Home Forums College Football Playoff Final Four – [Update] Adios Big 12

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  • #64706
    JackWolf
    Keymaster

    I’m writing this as I’m watching the College Football Playoff selection show. If I had to pick right now I would have to rank the top four as: 1. FSU
    [See the full post at: College Football Playoff Final Four – [Update] Adios Big 12]

    #64708
    Wufpacker
    Participant

    Let the whining and moaning begin. Suicide hotlines in Waco and Fort Worth go to defcon1.
    Get with the program Big12. Conference championships matter.

    Fans in Blacksburg are ecstatic: “We don’t suck as much as we thought!!”

    #64709
    Wulfpack
    Participant

    Yea, the conference championship game clearly matters. The Big 12 infighting didn’t help. Still, the committee jumped TCU over FSU a week earlier, and all they did is go out and whip Iowa State, yet they get snubbed? They fall two spots because Florida State was so impressive beating GT, and Ohio State over Wiscy by 100 points? I’m just saying, I don’t understand that. Really feel for the Frogs.

    #64711
    Wulfpack
    Participant

    “With the championship game, Ohio State demonstrated that they were a total team. They did overcome replacing two quarterbacks, and that’s a tremendous statement about the quality of their team. With a conference championship in the Big Ten, with a win over the Western Division champion, Wisconsin, it was decisive for Ohio State to move into that fourth spot,” explained committee chair and Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long.

    #64712
    TeufelWolf
    Participant

    The biggest mistake the selection committee made was previously dropping FSU (who I hate BTW – since their Duke-level flop fest in Raleigh) for no real reason other than their obvious bias towards the SEC.

    #64716
    Gowolves
    Participant

    First thing they need to change is to get rid of the weekly CFP rankings. Useless as tits on a hog.

    #64718
    wufpup76
    Keymaster

    Get with the program Big12. Conference championships matter.

    ^This. A 1000 times this. As soon as FSU was listed third you knew that TOSU would be 4th.

    Also, agree that the committee was done a huge disservice by having the weekly tv show. It’s obvious that the committee was always going to wait on complete metrics and that the weekly rankings were nothing more than just hot air ESPN talking points.

    TCU dropped from 3 to 6. ‘OMG Burn down the committee!’. TCU dropped b/c of the final weekend results reflecting overall bodies of work, including conference title games that the Big 12 is not a part of.

    #64719
    doomsday2008
    Participant

    Just read that we might be playing Georgia in the Belk bowl as of 1 hour ago. I am sure that is not official but if so WOW!

    #64720
    ruffles31
    Keymaster

    If you are an ESPN conspiracy theorist, this one goes right to the top. Move out small fanbases TCU and Baylor, bring in Ohio State and all of their Wal-Mart fans. Big ratings for both games, especially the Sugar Bowl.

    I hate that Ohio State is in. Ridiculous. This is very easy in my opinion as all 3 teams for the 4th spot are about identical.

    Look for the biggest warts:

    1. Ohio State lost to a 6-6 Va Tech team. TCU lost at Baylor and Baylor lost at WVU. Bye bye Ohio State.
    2. TCU lost to Baylor. TCU eliminated.

    Baylor is the 4th team.

    Did ESPN have any input into this? Hmmmm….

    #64721
    pakfanistan
    Participant

    O/U on how long it takes to move to an 8 team playoff?

    #64725
    wufpup76
    Keymaster

    O/U on how long it takes to move to an 8 team playoff?

    3 more seasons?

    #64726
    Wulfpack
    Participant

    3-5 I’d say. But it’s definitely coming.

    #64728
    wufpup76
    Keymaster

    3-5 I’d say. But it’s definitely coming.

    To paki’s question, I’d put money on 3 or under.

    #64729
    TheCOWDOG
    Moderator

    Baylor and TCU lack the pedigree. CFP chose well in the initial final four.

    #64742
    Wulfpack
    Participant

    Big 12 already looking at adding a championship game.

    It should not be about pedigree, but about the best team.

    I said several weeks ago Ohio State was going to be a huge factor. And they were. That was a very impressive performance last night with a third string QB. Meyer can coach some football, that much is clear.

    #64747
    ruffles31
    Keymaster

    Cowdog, what does pedigree have to do with anything? They were supposed to find the four best teams. If pedigree has something to do with it, take the best 16 teams in terms of pedigree and say forget the other 50 Power 5 teams. Bye Bye Wolfpack. Bye Bye Gamecocks.

    Anyone who loses to a 6-6 team shouldn’t be in the playoff. The committee fell in love with the Buckeyes and their demolition of a Wisconsin team whose only decent win was over #25 Minnesota.

    #64762
    13OT
    Participant

    Politics as usual. There is obviously power within the power conferences. Coach Briles’ analysis this afternoon was spot-on. ESPN/ABC certainly made sure that his voice was heard above all others.

    Although the selection committee may have gotten the right four teams (I don’t think so), we are more confused than ever as to how they got there. TCU could have beaten ISU a lot worse than they did, but it probably wouldn’t have mattered once the Urban One spoke last night.

    We knew that running up the scores would be a commonplace thing once a team knew that they might move up in the rankings if they looked impressive enough. OSU had last night’s game well in hand, yet kept on throwing bomb passes when all they needed to do was run out the clock with a huge lead. Would 35-0 have been enough?

    An 8-team playoff is the broad consensus of just about everyone you talk to. Had this been the BCS, we’d be left with FSU vs ‘Bama, with Oregon being this year’s Auburn. Instead, we have TWO Auburns so to speak, and unfortunately they both won a conference (not dodging a single league opponent) which is clearly stronger than both the ACC and B1G.

    But as long as ESPN is in control of the NCAA’s bank, I doubt much change will come about anytime soon. The Big XII may as well do what they don’t want to do and add 2 members to get to 12 and have a league title game. The NCAA has clearly indicated that teams are better off dodging their own league opponents and instead loading up on OOC cupcakes, like we see in the ACC and B1G.

    What needed to happen here was for each of the Power 5 conferences to have an undefeated champion, which I doubt would have changed the selection outcome, regardless of whether or not it was Baylor or TCU in the Big XII. Now had it been Texas or Oklahoma, people in Eugene would probably be the ones bitching.

    In the end, the big winner, again in college football, was politics.

    Playoff, my foot.

    #64763
    13OT
    Participant

    Since I can’t seem to adjust my last post, let me say that my comment about ESPN/ABC making sure the coach’s voice was heard above all others was meant for Urban Meyer, not Art Briles.

    #64769
    TeufelWolf
    Participant

    choosing the teams based on “pedigree” = bias
    This was obviously about the $$$.
    I expected more from renowned college football experts like Condoleezza Rice.

    #64859
    ryebread
    Participant

    Well, it’s as corrupt as it has always been, and that was on display. That was the Power 5 conference affiliation making another step towards their agenda.

    I’ve argued that in the age of the playoff, the leagues with the best chances to put teams in the playoff (and multiple teams when this thing goes to 16, which it inevitably will) will be the conferences without conference championship games. Look at Baylor and TCU. Neither took a loss that moved them down, like GT, Mizzu, Arizona, etc. did. They’re perfectly positioned for making an 8 or 16 team playoff. Even in a 16 team playoff, championship game losers like Mizzu, GT and Wisconsin might have been on the outside looking in.

    I thought this might actually reverse the trend, eliminate championship games, add another conference game to the schedule as opposed to a cupcake, and ultimately signal smaller conferences. It’s much easier to grab one of those 8-16 play off slots from a weaker league, than playing some murderer’s row schedule and then have to navigate a championship game. Drop that championship game, and insular leagues (I’m looking at you SEC) would jump at another in-conference game to risk the chance of being exposed in the non-conference.

    Well, this sent a clear message. Those conference championship games clearly make money, the Power 5 leagues want to continue their Super-Conference consolidation plan, and no real change is coming. The most we can really hope for is a larger playoff.

    I’ve watched all of those teams play this year. TCU looks better than Ohio State to me. Heck, Oregon and TCU look better than Alabama or FSU to me. They may not win head to head, but they have blown out almost everyone they’ve played, including some pretty talented teams. Alabama and FSU have both looked more shaky to me.

    I’ll give it to Urban. The coaching job he’s done has been tremendous, and that was a dominating performance with a 3rd string QB. The Big 10 is weak though, and there’s no way they should have been rewarded in this fashion. Outside of Michigan State, I expect this to be a rough year for the Big 10 in bowls.

    #64862
    Greywolf
    Participant

    This will never happen but it’s a fun idea to play with.

    Here’s a plan that should produce a season of good football games and an undisputed National Champion.
    Split the FBS (128 teams) into 2 Divisions – Majors and Mid-Majors (64 teams each)
    Each Division has 4 conferences of 16 teams
    Divide the conferences into 8 team divisions.
    Each team plays 1 inter-conference game – first game of the season.
    Each team plays 3 crossover games – next 3 games — don’t count in conference championship determination. This replaces OOC cupcake games.
    The 8 Division teams play each other to determine Div. Champ.
    Div. Ch. Play for the Conference Championship (12th game)
    Bye week for teams playing on Thursday night and their next opp has bye week also.
    Season starts 1st Sat. in Sept. and completes last Sat. in Nov.
    Major Conference Champions play Semis 2nd Saturday in Dec and Finals 4th or 5th Saturday depending on how Christmas falls. (14, 15)
    Mid-Majors play 1st and 3rd Saturdays in Dec.

    Scheduling is the easy part. Getting conference affiliations that satisfy everybody is next to impossible.

    #64864
    Greywolf
    Participant

    Alternate plan:
    Create eight 16-team conferences. Each conference has a Major Division and a Minor Division. At the end of each season, relegate 2 “major” teams to the Minor Division and promote 2 Minors to the Major Division. Keep the playoffs the same.

    This should keep the strong Mid-majors happy and help keep the geographics under control.

    #64869
    bill.onthebeach
    Participant

    Learned Hands like C.Tudor are already saying… the CFP will be at Eight teams NEXT season… one each from the P5 and 3 at large…

    And if you’re surprised, the sun is also too bright, ’cause your head’s been stuck in the sand…

    There was never any intention by management to have a four team CFP… except as a temporary – baby step – between nothing and all… The primary objective the first season was to put the BCS out of business… nothing more, nothing less.

    There’s too much money involved to realistically think otherwise.

    And after Jan 12… all we’re going to hear in the media is how “wonderful” the CFP is.. regardless of who wins.. The TCU and Baylor folks will have long since quieted down and the MORE TEAMS IS BETTER Crowd will be in full voice…. singing to the choir….

    #NCSU-North Carolina's #1 FOOTBALL school!
    #64873
    Valdez
    Participant

    It is all based on the cfb playoff committee rankings. Highest ranked ACC team gets the bid if FSU goes to the playoff. I find it hard to think that the committee is going to move them down a good 7-8 spots for losing to FSU unless they get absolutely blown out.Clemson Tigers

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