Interesting opinion piece on CFP selection by USA Today's SEC columnist
Although the link is Tuscaloosa News, the author is the SEC columnist for USA Today (and a Knoxville guy). Provides an interesting perspective.
December 4th, 2023 at 6:48 AM ^
FSU playing all season long without Jordan Travis doesn’t go undefeated and thus isn’t in the conversation.
December 4th, 2023 at 6:53 AM ^
But they didn't play all season without him, and they did finish undefeated. What's your point again?
Did you know Alabama played all season with their qb and did NOT finish undefeated? Ask yourself then, what is more impressive?
If Michigan didn't score more points than the opposing team in every game this year, they would not be undefeated.
Your logic is brutal here.
December 4th, 2023 at 10:12 AM ^
CFP Committee Logic: Bama lost to a team that was good enough to beat Bama, so it doesn't really count as a loss.
But I made the mistake of listening to ESPN radio yesterday and had the displeasure of listening to some of the most bone-headed self-defeating-argument-by-counterfactual you can imagine: someone from Ohio called in and pointed out Bama's numerous struggles and close wins against teams with losing records, and the SEC slappy radio host brushed it all aside with: "All of those teams would have played FSU to the buzzer" and his dopey co-host said "That is a good point." Apparently he didn't realize that his argument actually put FSU and Bama on equal footing, since those teams did in fact play Bama to the buzzer and in our imagined counterfactual, the same would have happened with FSU. Which does absolutely nothing to elevate Bama over FSU. How many in the audience realized the stupidity of it, though?
December 4th, 2023 at 11:25 AM ^
They have the best loss and the best win! That has to count for more than having no losses!
December 4th, 2023 at 2:02 PM ^
Georgia’s best win was Missouri. So Alabama only had the 6th best win. Michigan and Washington had better wins. Texas had a better win with Bama at home and by two scores in a game that wasn’t close. Oklahoma had a better win over Texas.
Their loss was at least 3rd best. Ohio and Oregon have better losses.
December 4th, 2023 at 2:32 PM ^
OSU has the best loss in recorded history. I think this upcoming season they will hang the "Lost close to Georgia" banner. Its a real honor.
December 4th, 2023 at 12:04 PM ^
When you've decided that an SEC team must make the playoffs under any circumstance then logic goes out the window because you've yoked it to that foregone conclusion.
December 4th, 2023 at 10:34 PM ^
And if you are really determined to place an SEC team and still want the best 4 teams, then put Georgia in rather than 'Bama. Anyone who watched their game came away unsure only whether Georgia would win 6 of 10 in a series or 7 of 10. Drop Georgia a couple of spots and raise Bama a couple of spots, but that's it. Bama's still out and Georgia's still in.
If on-field results actually do matter, then 13-0 teams should get in before 12-1 teams.
December 4th, 2023 at 11:36 AM ^
It’s Alabama is who more impressive right now.
I’d rather Michigan 160% play FSU over Alabama why? Because they’re a paper tiger.
Alabama is the better team at this juncture.
December 4th, 2023 at 2:34 PM ^
Isnt Georgia better than Washington?
Come on be honest!
12-1 Georgia should be in over 13-0 Washington
Lets keep going? I really think LSU would beat Texas I think there is a spot for them as well.
Michigan vs the SEC field lets go
December 4th, 2023 at 8:48 AM ^
every objective measure points to FSU. we don't need to hypothesize about what would happen, we don't know know and it doesn't matter.
it's offensive to the concept of sport that fsu was left out.
December 4th, 2023 at 9:54 AM ^
I think the point you make -- that we don't know what might happen -- is the key here. It seems like the committee is making decisions based on likely outcomes, which is an odd way to select who's in and who's out. Alabama's qb could go down in practice before the bowl game. Any number of important players could do the same. FSU's second string qb could easily be ready to go in a month. If you're picking Michigan and Washington because they're undefeated and won their championships, shouldn't the same qualifications be applied to Florida State since they meet the same criteria?
December 4th, 2023 at 11:19 AM ^
Wendy, it might be because upsets never happen in sports.
December 4th, 2023 at 9:13 AM ^
I remember when the Patriots thought their season was finished because All-Pro QB Drew Bledsoe went down with an injury in game 2. Insert Tom Brady. You also appear stupid because you make stupid comments about knowing the future and alternate histories of the ultimate team sport.
December 4th, 2023 at 9:23 AM ^
Okay, so when a starting QB goes down in a playoff game, the refs need to end the game. There is no way a team can win with a backup QB.
Actually, let’s expand that. QB gets hurt = end the game. All American gets hurt = forfeit a possession. All conference gets hurt = forfeit a down.
/s
December 4th, 2023 at 9:28 AM ^
How do you know this? Because you are guessing.
It's entirely possible that their backup QB has more reps and becomes a better player.
December 4th, 2023 at 10:04 AM ^
If having a significant offensive contributor break his leg late in the season is cause to be excluded from the playoff, shouldn't we be also be missing out. I do not like this one bit! The result of the games already played needs to matter.
December 4th, 2023 at 2:42 PM ^
The point we are missing is this injury info was out there when the committee put..
FSU 4
Texas 7
Bama 8
There was an emergency reaction put in place when Georgia lost.
Forget Alabama how the hell is Texas better than FSU now? FSU just beat basically the same team on its way to 13-0. What happened in that Okie St game to vault Texas 3 spots and over FSU? Texas got bundled with Bama. Lucky Texas.
December 4th, 2023 at 10:40 PM ^
Not "lucky" Texas. They earned that win.
But they do get the benefit of the fact that, when the selection committee had to re-write the rules at the last minute, they ran out of time to come up with a bullshit excuse to put Texas behind a team they defeated. If the committee only had had one more day...
December 4th, 2023 at 10:17 AM ^
Would be fascinating if the whole FSU team did something crazy, like take a couple of buses to Pasadena and show up to play there.
December 4th, 2023 at 11:49 AM ^
Interesting thought. Would be pure chaos if FSU wholly boycotted their consolation game.
December 4th, 2023 at 12:56 PM ^
Bama barely beat four teams. That has to be considered too. FSU GOT HOSED.
December 4th, 2023 at 2:30 PM ^
My opinion > Overall record
That is why I suggest we just move the playoff to Bama/Georgia and 2 at large teams and call it the SEC invitational. EyE tEst and FoUr bEst teams guaranteed every year!
December 4th, 2023 at 6:56 AM ^
On the surface, that seems like a brave position to take "down there."
December 4th, 2023 at 7:15 AM ^
FSU definitely got boned but I'd feel worse about it if I didn't always think of them as Free Shoes U. Thanks Spurrier.
December 4th, 2023 at 8:08 AM ^
Complimentary crab legs
December 4th, 2023 at 8:47 AM ^
Man, I must be getting really old. The kids are mixing up Bowden and Spurrier.
December 4th, 2023 at 9:15 AM ^
I believe Spurrier coined the phrase. Just like his awesome dig at Peyton Manning's 0-4 record against UF, "you can't spell Citrus without UT"
December 4th, 2023 at 10:44 AM ^
Bowden didn't call his own team "Free Shoes University." It was his rival, Spurrier, who did.
December 4th, 2023 at 7:28 AM ^
Imagine how we'd feel if we beat Iowa let's say 14-3 because JJ got hurt in the first quarter. Undefeated, B1G Champions. And the committee decides to drop us to 5 because he got hurt. Yes, we'd probably lose the playoff game. Does it mean that they shouldn't get to go?
December 4th, 2023 at 8:05 AM ^
Hell no we wouldn't lose. We hang our hat on our defense anyway. Same people saying FSU cant win without the QB are the same ones who said Oregon was better than Washington despite already losing to Washington.
December 4th, 2023 at 9:04 AM ^
Sankey peacocked and politicked Saturday, telling anyone who would listen that the SEC deserved a playoff auto bid
As stated in the (heavily sarcastic) article, Sankey (peacocking!!) was getting an SEC team in the playoffs by hell or high water.
December 4th, 2023 at 9:12 AM ^
Whatever happened to doing the right thing?
December 4th, 2023 at 10:42 PM ^
Whatever happened to doing the right thing?
It gave way to "do the money thing." College football choked to death on money. RIP.
December 4th, 2023 at 9:16 AM ^
FSU's defense is brutal. I would rather face a cocky Bama team for a chance at a generational win.
December 4th, 2023 at 9:36 AM ^
I can't say I disagree with you here. We may have dodged a bullet.
December 4th, 2023 at 10:01 AM ^
I'm also tired of the articles on Michigan's team reaction to drawing Bama in the playoffs. Maybe they were as confused as everyone else why FSU wasn't selected.
December 4th, 2023 at 11:22 AM ^
This is just another example of the "interpretation" - double standard - and "disrepect".
If Michigan replies they way they did - "Michigan is not pleased with having to play them."
If Michigan storms the ballroom - and begins high fiving each other, then it's - "Michigan is overconfident and disrespecting them."
I wonder what interpretation can be drawn from the team's reaction to being seeded #1 - and their #1 AP ranking. Is that recorded anywhere? I thought I saw someone actually sipping their OJ when they were announced as the #1 seed. Oh the humanity.
December 4th, 2023 at 11:11 AM ^
An undefeated big ten champion is not getting left out of the playoffs.
December 4th, 2023 at 7:32 AM ^
Leaving out FSU is ridiculous. Have a computer pick the playoffs in August if the games don’t matter.
December 4th, 2023 at 8:37 AM ^
That’s the worst part, “the computers” don’t really think Alabama is better either. The “eye test” says they earned 99.9% of a loss to a mediocre Auburn and were struggling in games against bad Arkansas and UCF.
As Brian said on the pod today, the CFP committee sounds like a bunch of casuals, just looking at Alabama’s record and SEC reputation (a reputation that looks a lot weaker this year).
December 4th, 2023 at 7:51 AM ^
There is so much truth in this - and the BiG needs to think about the comparison of what Sankey did for the SEC and what Petitti did to his conference.
There was quite a bit of chatter about the awkward jab Sankey took about 'sign stealing' in that ESPN appearance, but the salient point of his doing that: in the SEC they have the self control not to sabotage each other, off the field, to the costs of the conference.
December 4th, 2023 at 8:17 AM ^
So if Alabama had lost its QB and persevered in close wins to finish undefeated (which healthy they didn't) and all agreed their starter would have added two more TD's per contest (theoretically) should they be left out...?
Whores led by the devil are still whores.
December 4th, 2023 at 8:18 AM ^
It was a not a choice between Alabama and FSU. It was a choice between Texas and FSU. The SEC was always guaranteed a spot.
December 4th, 2023 at 9:33 AM ^
Sorry, you could not put Bama in without including Texas. That's the reason Fla St got left out.
December 4th, 2023 at 10:45 PM ^
Not in the short amount of time they had, since they also had to completely rewrite their rules.
December 4th, 2023 at 8:27 AM ^
That is a hella article coming out of SEC territory. Guy may need to pull a Herbstreit and move after this. Someone better pick him up after he gets fired for writing the truth rather than the popular narrative. Great job.
December 4th, 2023 at 8:29 AM ^
His tires will probably get slashed in TTown.
December 4th, 2023 at 8:48 AM ^
The whole story is cringe-worthy. If that ball goes off Isaiah Bond's hands and Alabama loses to Auburn. And then they still beat UGA in the SEC CG, are we still leaving FSU out? Alabama would be exactly the same team they are now except for that one play.
The 12-team playoff is a year late.