Let’s talk college football playoffs.
Unlike NCAA basketball’s “Big Dance,” aka “March Madness,” the college basketball playoffs, in which 68 college hard-court teams are invited to take a shot at the championship, college football playoffs currently invite only four teams to vie for the “ring.”
The College Football Playoff (CFP) is expanding to 12 teams in the 2024 season, but for this year, it is the Top-4. But who really ARE the Top-4 college football teams this season?
November ended with Georgia, Michigan, Texas Christian University (TCU) and University of Southern California (USC) on the inside, with Ohio State (11-1) – having just lost to Michigan 45-23 to drop out of the No. 4 position – and Alabama (10-2) – finishing their regular season with a 49-27 win over Auburn – on the outside looking in. Other worthy teams, just outside the bubble – and likely to be included or looked at closely in the 2024 format – included Tennessee (10-2), Utah (10-3), Penn State (10-2), Kansas State (10-3) and Washington (10-2).
Then came week 14. No. 1 Georgia (13-0) handled business with a 50-30 win over LSU (9-4) and No. 2 Michigan (13-0) did what was expected, and they cruised to a 43-22 win over Purdue (8-5). The teams ranked No. 3 and No. 4 went into their bowl tune-ups with confidence. Undefeated TCU prepped for K-State by romping over Iowa State 62-14 though the Wildcats (9-3) also warmed up with a 47-27 win over the Jayhawks of Kansas (6-6). The No. 4 Trojans of USC (11-1) were fresh off a 38-27 win over Notre Dame (8-4) and were poised to take on Utah (9-3), who had wiped out Colorado (1-11) the week before, 63-21.
Then the unthinkable happened … No. 11 K-State upset TCU 31-28 in overtime, and No. 4 USC was destroyed by No. 7 Utah 47-24.
In basketball, if a No. 3 lost, even in OT, they would drop several notches, and basketball rankings have always had an air of politics and favoritism for programs and head coaches. To think otherwise is folly.
College football has always had a similar look, with certain programs getting the nod and backslap on the rating and bowl charts. Money and prestige certainly seem to be in play.
With week 14 results in, Georgia and Michigan cemented their spots as No. 1 and No. 2. And No. 4 USC was dropped unceremoniously to No. 8, and out of this year’s format. But No. 3 TCU stayed at No. 3 despite their overtime loss, while the Crimson Tide, Volunteers and Utes remained outside the promised land. Even the Penn State Nittany Lions deserved a look.
True, all the teams get prestigious bowl games. No. 5 Alabama vs. No. 11 Kansas State are in the Sugar Bowl, No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 10 Clemson in the Orange Bowl, No. 7 Utah vs. No. 9 Penn State in the Rose Bowl and No. 8 USC vs. No. 14 Tulane in the Cotton Bowl Classic. In the championship grid, No. 2 Michigan takes on still-No. 3 TCU in the Fiesta Bowl for the right to go to the finals, and No. 1 Georgia gets to play reinstated No. 4 Ohio State in the Peach Bowl, with the winner advancing to the finals.
Now, you’re never going to make every team happy. Even with March Madness brackets expanded to a current cartload of 68 teams, there are always worthy schools left out. Having only four teams in a “championship” competition from among more than 100 programs (130 Football Bowl Subdivision, or FBS programs are eligible to compete for the championship) has been ludicrous from the start, and even an upgrade to eight teams will not be enough to suit those schools still in the top 10, but out of the competition.
The point is, and I am not down on TCU or Ohio State, but both teams lost their last game and still get in, while Utah, Alabama and Tennessee won their last games BIG and are out. It just doesn’t seem completely equitable.
What do YOU think? Is your team outside and looking in, or safely where it belongs? Will your team receive redemption during March Madness? Let me know at mike.blake@mountvernonnews.com.
