The College Football Failure
I know I’ve been perhaps conspicuously silent since the final College Football Playoff rankings were announced. That’s partly because there’s nothing to be said that I haven’t said already. However, at the risk of being redundant, and under the assumption that this is the reader’s first time through this corner of cyberspace, I will provide a quick take on the sham that is the CFP Committee.
First, it must be said that something like this was bound to happen. The longer something is allowed to fester the more costly the outcome. Which is what we have here. An undefeated college football team (doesn’t matter who it is) on the outside looking into the playoffs. The NCAA thinks this will all resolve itself next year, but it won’t. Yes the playoff is going to be expanded, ridiculously, to twelve teams, but it doesn’t resolve the issue that something a kin to a popularity committee, a pep club, will still be making the selections.
Which brings me back to my old complaint since this started. Whenever you have humans involved you have shenanigans. A decade ago when this farce began I was 100% behind having a playoff. Now if you want to make that 4 teams, 6, 8, or 12 that’s your business. I personally think 12 is excessive, but I realize greed is afoot, and we all must concede to the corporate structure that owns not only college football, but the country. However, a decade ago I erroneously thought they were keeping the computerized rankings – then selecting the top 4 and having them fight it out in a playoff format. It was logical to me. Keep the structure, and add a playoff. I freely admit my astonishment when I discovered they were going to create a selection committee, like some sort of kangaroo court, that was going to sit down, sort through various criteria, and make its own selection. Which is absolutely absurd when you think of it because it renders all these pre-season polls, and those conducted in September, worthless. Only in October do we get the rankings from the only governing body that matters. Which on paper may sound good, but in practice is applied with none of the analytics that the sports industry advocates. At the end of the day hard factual numbers do not rule the day – the emotions and opinions of flawed humans do. So at the close of business you get what you deserve. A flawed outcome that some try to back peddle on and justify. There is no justification for leaving out Florida State. There isn’t. There is no argument anyone can provide – if you have to sell me on the reasoning then you yourself know it’s flawed and are just trying to convince yourself.
Alabama and Nick Saban have been GOATS over the last decade plus, and I don’t have an issue with Alabama getting into the playoff. I have an issue with the process. Here’s an example.
A BCS simulation was released after the conference championship games. This is how it ranked the top six:
- Michigan
- Washington
- Alabama
- FSU
- Texas
- Georgia
To be honest I was a little surprised to see Alabama get in at #3, but do you know what? I’m completely fine with it because it wasn’t done by a human. This is number crunching analytics at its most cold. Strength of schedule. Poll composites. Point differentials. Most things humans consider important. You want to know another thing? I think the BCS got it right. They might not agree in Texas and Georgia, but that’s the game. College football was one of the last vestiges where wins and losses mattered. Major League Baseball and other professional sports have expanded to include watered down competition in order to line a lot of different pockets from television networks to sponsors to athletes. I get it. It’s a business. Even college football. However, it was nice to know in college football the record still mattered. Being perfect still mattered. When a figure skater falls down their competition is effectively over. There’s a beautiful to perfection. The College Football Playoff Committee not only robbed FSU of that, but college football enthusiasts everywhere.
Is it a travesty? Let’s not go that far. There are a lot more things going on across the globe with wars and human inhumanity to each other that far outweighs any college sport playoff format, but it is an embarrassment and black eye to the game nonetheless. Don’t anyone kid you. Particularly to the NCAA. Whenever you allow a flawed process to continue it only gets worse. The Florida State situation is quite simply a debacle, but not surprising. The system has been marching towards this for some time. Whenever you have humans you have the potential for shenanigans. So here we are.