College Football Playoff STILL Doesn’t Satisfy Some

It is the first year of the college football playoff (exhales.) Finally, a system that will pin the top four Power 5 conference teams against each other on the field. The BCS is finally over! No more, “They are undefeated, why are they not in the national championship game.” No more, “Wow yet again another one loss SEC team trumps over another one loss, Big 12 or ACC team, i.e. Oklahoma state in 2012 and Virginia Tech in 2011. But there will be always an argument on why a team got in and how another team didn’t get in.

Everyone including myself sat around the TV Sunday morning. Eagerly awaiting the playoff committee’s final playoff bracket. So many questions were still unanswered. Will TCU still be in the top 4? Can Baylor jump Ohio State with a bad strength of schedule? Will Ohio State climb into the top 4?

The Saturday games determined most team’s fate for the college playoff. Oregon took care of business against Scooby Wright’s Arizona Wildcats 51-13 and pretty much started to carve Marcus Mariota’s name on the Heisman Trophy (sorry Melvin Gordon.)                                                                                                                    Since the Big 12 doesn’t have a conference championship, Baylor and TCU played conference foes to determine who will be a conference champion.  TCU manhandled Iowa State, and Baylor took care of business against Kansas State. College Gameday was in Waco for the matchup so everyone knew the Bears were out for blood. Big 12 commissioner, Bob Bowlsby, decided that if both teams won out, they would share the conference championship. Everyone was confused why he stated that claim because according the Big 12 tiebreaker rules, it states, “If two teams are tied, the winner of the game between the two tied teams shall be the representative.” Baylor beat TCU 61-58 with a redshirt freshman kicker, Chris Callahan.

Finally Ohio State, they only lost both their quarterbacks during the season and are down to their 3^rd string. Here comes Wisconsin, favored by four points. No one really was giving credit to Ohio State. Well, Ohio State took that to heart and absolutely destroyed Wisconsin. 59-0. Yes, that is correct. Heisman candidate, Melvin Gordon was held to 76 yards. His second lowest total other than against Ohio State was against Western Illinois. A FCS school in a little town called Macomb. It’s beautiful there.

So every team that needed to win, won. No upsets. Entering the last playoff bracket, it was Alabama 1, Oregon 2, TCU, 3 and undefeated FSU 4. That left Baylor, and Ohio State on the outside looking in. Baylor hired their own PR firm so they can try to get their Baylor Bears into the playoff. I mean they really wanted it. Everyone was playing what if game.

Finally around 11:45, the ESPN released the committee’s final bracket. Alabama number 1, no surprise there. Oregon number 2. Florida State at number 3. And then the fourth spot, three teams were fighting for that last spot to face Alabama but that wasn’t on their mind. They just wanted to get in. Baylor, Ohio State, and TCU. Who was going to get in? Ohio State gets in. Baylor and TCU nation was causing uproar. Art Biles after the games the night before said if Baylor doesn’t get in the playoff, it would be “Un-American.” “Baylor hurt themselves with scheduling FCS teams, start scheduling harder teams,” said Layne Stapel, Western Illinois’ manager.

            After 15 weeks, of rivalry’s and heartbreaks, the first playoff bracket was announced. Nothing can change, but everyone just can play the why didn’t my team get in card.

            With all the chaos, I believe they got it right. That’s really hard for me to say when your sister attends Baylor. The first three teams in wasn’t a shock to anyone. Alabama played in the best conference division in football, the SEC West, only losing to an Ole Miss team that had a disappointing year when they started undefeated. Oregon blew through the Pac 12 with a little hiccup against Arizona. I’m sure Arizona wasn’t happy after that beat down from them in the conference championship game. Then here is Florida State. Jameis Winston was in all kinds of trouble this year from stealing crab legs and having an alleged sexual assault pinned against him. But those 2^nd half comebacks led them to another undefeated season. Now the debate is Ohio State vs. the Big 12.

Every team had one loss going in the final rankings. Ohio State lost to a pretty bad Virginia Tech team in the Horseshoe. Baylor lost to a West Virginia team that held the Bears to 27 points, and TCU lost to Baylor 61-58. I was at that game and wow, a 21-point comeback against one of the nation’s top defenses. Many questions need to be answered. Who had a better loss? Who’s nonconference schedule been better? All three teams won a share of their conference championship but would the committee look at a shared Big 12 championship less than a Big Ten championship. Whose conference is better? All of these questions need to be addressed.  

TCU had the “best” loss that came against Baylor in McLane Stadium. Baylor and Ohio State had a tough time against those Virginia schools.  The next question is the strength of their nonconference schedule. Baylor’s best nonconference opponent was Buffalo. TCU was Minnesota, and Ohio State’s was Cincinnati. TCU’s rank on strength of schedule was 43, Ohio State was 52, and Baylor was 61. All three have very terrible schedules. But the debate rages on about why aren’t these team scheduling hard opponents. Michigan State played Oregon this year and if a few dominos fell their way, they could have been in the discussion for a playoff spot. The committee made it really clear that if you don’t schedule teams from the Power 5 conferences, they will hurt you at the end of the year rankings.   It’s fun for Baylor to face SMU for an in-state rival, but not they will have to consider playing against a more competitive team. Yes, it is fun to beat up on those teams; all most of us did in high school. But the committee will penalize you.

After all the drama, the four teams are set and will battle on January 1^st to see who will make it to the first ever playoff championship (here comes the excitement.) Alabama will be playing Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl and Oregon will be playing Florida State in the Rose Bowl. So who’s going to win? It’s like March Madness but in the winter. ‘To be honest, Oregon. When you have the best player in all of college football and when he is so dominate, no one will be able to stop him. I really don’t care who you are. 38 touchdowns and 2 picks, good luck Florida State,” said Bob Reynolds, Sports Editor of The Daily Eastern News.

To many it seems clear, that Jameis Winston and his Seminoles can’t keep coming back in the 4^th quarter to win ballgames, especially a high-powered offence like Oregon. I can’t see him beating that offense. Winston has 17 interceptions and throw four against Florida were yet again they almost lost. Mariota will have a great game and solidify himself with the Heisman trophy. Oregon will be lead by their DEFENSE to win this game while put up 40 points. Oregon 44-Florida State 27.

            Next is Alabama against Ohio State. The spread is nine points in favor of Nick Saban’s Tide. Blake Sims, a five year senior, is coming off a very productive season. It also helps that he has All-American Amari Cooper to throw to. But you can never count out an Urban Meyer coached team. But Coach Saban has a 2-1 record against Meyer’s teams but all while he was at the University of Florida. Two out of the three matchups were in the SEC conference championship game. Both won one of the games to send them to the national title. This game has the same prize, a chance to claim the first playoff national championship. This game could be close but some say otherwise. Out of the four teams, Ohio State will be the biggest disappointment. “Biggest disappointment will be Ohio State. They might lose by 30 to Alabama. The pressure will get to Jones, and he won’t be able to handle Alabama’s defense. This could get ugly really quick,” said Reynolds. I think it will be a close game going into half time but that front seven for the Tide will cause Cardale Jones and the o-line problems. Alabama 34- Ohio State 14. Another win for Saban against Meyer.    

Oregon vs. Alabama. Two high-powered offenses square off for the nation championship. This is what the playoffs are about pinning the two best teams in the country for the ‘ship. Mariota vs Sims, Marshall vs. Cooper, Yeldon vs. Freeman. So many skill players will be going head to head. But it could be the defenses that have to have a big game. Alabama is averaging 16.6 points a game, which ranks 4^th in the nation. While Oregon defense, gives up 22.5 points, that is 29^th in the nation. Bottom line, Tide contains Mariota. Tide win. But after he collects the Heisman, he will be collected that national championship trophy. Even though the old one was way more beautiful, the Ducks will love to add that to their shelves. Oregon 31- Alabama 27.

Some teams and fan bases were upset after the final rankings but they just have to accept the way it is. The issue isn’t here anymore. The BCS isn’t here and that was the biggest issue for college football fans. Still fans will complain and want a 8 team playoff. Baby steps, that’s what the NCAA is doing. They will never be happy until their team plays for a national championship. So sorry TCU and Baylor but schedule tougher opponents. Also, Big 12, if you want a team in the playoff, make an outright conference championship. Bob Bowlsby, I think you need to take the play on that one.

8 days until the Bowl season begins! It’s the most wonderful time of the year!