The College Football Playoff: Controversy on The Horizon

What a college football season it has been; ups and downs, Heisman watch list and some surprises along the way. Here is what we know.  Alabama, Ohio State and Clemson are all in the College Football Playoffs, as the fourth and final spot is still up for grabs. This Saturday current holder Washington, one of the surprising teams to emerge this year, will look to beat Colorado on their way to a playoff birth. The other championship everyone will be watching is the Big 10 Championship between Wisconsin and Penn State, two teams not many expected to be matched up in the big game. Especially when the two Big 10 teams ranked ahead of them; Michigan and Ohio State. Four teams separated in the rankings, Michigan has lost 2 of its last 3, both the Badgers and the Nittany Lions both should be ranked ahead of Michigan. That is if one is basing it off the rule and outline the College Playoff Committee provides. It is definitely that time of year chuckleheads, one more week to debate this great game, the question is what or who do you think the four in the playoffs should be?

Let's look at the way the committee makes selections and what all goes into the committee. The purpose of the playoffs is to “preserve the excitement and significance of college footballs unique regular season where every game counts.” That statement contradicts itself in the current situation but we will come back to that. The goal of the playoff systemic to take four teams to start the new year, number one in the ranking will play number four and the number two and three teams will play. The winner of the two semifinal games will play for the College Football National Championship. This game by rule will be played in a different city and always on a Monday night. The Committee is comprised of “
A talented group of high-integrity individuals with experience as coaches, student-athletes, college administrators and journalists, along with sitting athletics directors, comprise the selection committee. These are the members of the 2016 College Football Playoffs committee are:Kirby Hocutt, Barry Alvarez, Jeff Bower, Herb Deromedi, Tom Jernstedt, Bobby Johnson, Jeff Long, Rob Mullens, Dan Radakovich, Condoleezza Rice, Steve Wieberg and Tyrone Willingham.” Let's just say they are going to have their hands full this year.

As stated earlier, with the season winding down the way it has there is a slight contradiction to every game counts. If that is True when Ohio State beat Michigan, think about it, losing this late in the season, two out of the last three week nonetheless, it should have killed the wolverines. However, this event has only just put them on the outside looking in. If Washington loses, as the board sits now, Michigan would benefit from them losing in the PAC 12 Championship on Saturday and would all but eliminate Washington’s hopes of being in the playoff. The other Championship game on Saturday will be Wisconsin vs Penn State. Penn State goes into Saturday riding an eight-game winning streak, a streak that was started when the Nittany Lions beat Minnesota on October 1st and have not lost since then. Since October 1st the Lions have beaten the #2 Ohio State Buckeyes, which is the only loss for the Buckeyes. How do you tell Penn State if they win the Big 10 Championship? If Wisconsin wins, the committee is in the same position; how do you tell a conference champion congratulations but sorry to a team that did not even win their division or possibly two teams are in and you are not? As one can see there is trouble on the horizon as we will all find out Sunday following the conference championships.

When the college football playoff was established three years ago, the stage was set for college football fans who were tired of the old Bowl Championship Series (BCS). Four teams battle it out for college football supremacy. “The selection committee ranks the teams based on conference championships won, strength of schedule, head-to-head results, comparison of results against common opponents and other factors.” After this weekend, it is quite possible that the Big 10 Champion could be on the outside looking in for this year’s football playoffs. The Big 10 has four teams in the top 8, #2Ohio State, #5Michigan, #6Wisconsin, #8Penn State, Penn State and Wisconsin will play Saturday in the Big 10 Championship. Let this sink in reread the quote earlier in the paragraph on how the committee selects the teams for the playoff. Some fans are screaming foul (yes I'm talking about Michigan fans), but there is definitely controversy on the horizon. It is that time of year chuckleheads, one more week to debate this great game, the question is what or who do you think the four in the playoffs should be?

Written By: Carlo Guadagnino
http://cguadagn.wixsite.com/carlo-guadagnino

Edited By: Daniel Bishop M.A.



References
http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-footbl/mich-m-footbl-body.html
http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sports/m-footbl/osu-m-footbl-body.html
http://www.uwbadgers.com/schedule.aspx?path=football
https://www.google.com/amp/www.mlive.com/articles/19751066/michigan_cfp.amp?client=safari
http://www.collegefootballplayoff.com/overview
http://www.pennlive.com/pennstatefootball/#/0