By Cyote Williams | Times Vedette
It would be a shame if this column just turned into why I hate certain things, but I promise to bring the positivity back soon. For now, I have to rant again.
For the sake of your time, and Shane’s editing of this, I cut out about half of this column where I explained how we got to the current state of the College Football Playoff (CFP). This is about as short as I can put it: Two teams used to make the national championship, in 2014 it switched to a four-team playoff, and in 2024 it changed to a 12-team playoff.
The stated reason for expanding to 12 teams was that too many “worthy” teams were being left out of the four-team format. At first, it seemed simple. “Worthy” teams are getting left out, so the natural solution is to expand the playoff. Then, the powers that be made it not so simple, creating a cavalcade of problems in the process.
These are the problems I see. The simplest to me is that there are not 12 teams worthy of competing for a national title in a given season. Even worse, what was once a largely computer-model driven system of seeding and determining rankings, the 12 teams are now decided by a committee of 13 former and current athletic directors and coaches. Another problem is that the most prestigious bowl games are now playoff games as a means to reach the national championship, which has devalued their significance. Once a cherished accomplishment has become a stepping stone. Before, even one loss could kill any hope of making the national championship. Now, multiple teams with multiple losses get in every single year.
As well, teams ranked 13th, 14th and 15th all take to press conferences and social media to talk about how they deserved to be in the 12-team playoff when just a few short years ago they would not have even been considered. Now, 9-3 Texas (horns down) thinks they deserve to be in the same conversation as 12-0 Indiana. It’s ridiculous.
My main gripe, though, is with the selection committee. What are supposed to be the most important games of the season are now in the hands of a group of 13 people who arbitrarily decide, and often mistake, what teams deserves to get in and what ones don’t. This brings in a bias that is not otherwise seen in any sport. Could you imagine if the NFL determined its playoff seeding based on the opinions of 13 owners across the league as opposed to its set-in-stone system? Why are these athletic directors’ and former head coaches’ opinions THIS valuable?
The current, and arguably most glaring, example as to why the committee holding this much power is a problem is happening right now. BYU is currently 11-1 with its one loss coming against Texas Tech. BYU is ranked 11th. Texas Tech is ranked fourth. There are currently three two-loss teams ahead of BYU. Those teams — Oklahoma, Alabama, and Notre Dame — do have one thing that BYU lacks: brand recognition. Despite having a worse record, and worse resumes overall, these teams all sit ahead of the Cougars because the committee inherently comes with a bias, versus blindly judging these teams on resumes alone. BYU will meet Texas Tech in the Big 12 title game this weekend. The Cougars must win to cement a place in the CFP. Texas Tech will be in with or without a loss. So, despite BYU having a single loss to a top-five team, with the number six strength of record, the team is currently outside of the playoff due to its current constraints. Absolute buffoonery.
Here’s what it comes down to for me, and Mike Leach, a legendary college football coach who left this earth far too soon, and who also spent some of his coaching career at Iowa Wesleyan, proves me completely wrong. In a rant during his time at Washington State University, Leach tore the former four-team playoff apart. Now, the CFP did expand to his liking, but kept the committee and bucked the universal American football version of determining a champion, which is playoff seeding based on records like they do in little leagues, high schools, DIII, DII, D1AA and even the NFL. So, if you’re going to have a playoff, at least do it right and dump the committee. HERE is Leach’s rant. It’s worth the five-minute listen if you are a college football fan. Unrelated, but just for fun, here is my personal favorite Leach clip of him talking about coffee.
Reach out with comments, complaints, story ideas and more to cyote@dmcityview.com.