College football committee got it right this time
The panel for the first NCAA college football playoff got it right with their selections of Alabama, Oregon, Florida State and Ohio State.
Maybe the order could have been different, but I really have no complaints.
The SEC, or the so-called dominant conference in college football, has Alabama at the No. 1 seed playing Ohio State with Urban Meyer's guys on a 11 game winning streak. That landslide victory (59-0) by the Buckeyes' third-string quarterback over 13th-ranked Wisconsin just couldn't be ignored.
Florida State, which doesn't have many backers because of the ACC and their polarizing quarterback Jameis Winston, really should be No. 1. I just don't get how a team is undefeated, but is ranked below the No. 1 seed. Ridiculous!
I do believe Oregon, with Marcus Mariota, deserved the No. 2 nod.
For me, though, it's about the two teams that didn't make it - TCU and Baylor. Baylor, a team I happen to like a lot, fell victim to two things: the softest nonconference schedule in the game, and failure by the Big 12 to not have a conference championship.
And 6th-ranked TCU, which also had a weak nonconference schedule, lost to Baylor straight out.
Co-champions from a division won't cut it, especially when TCU played an Iowa State team that was 2-9. The Big 12 teams need to play a tougher schedule and have a conference championship like everyone else, and then they will have a better chance of getting into the playoffs scenario next year.
My final selection would have been No. 1 Florida State, No. 2 Oregon, No. 3 Alabama and No .4 Ohio State.
How happy is Nick Saban to play Ohio State and Urban Meyer? And the Oregon vs. Florida State game will be a doozy.
I believe the championship will be Alabama against Florida State, with Florida State winning its second championship.
Let's not forget that Florida State beat the best of the SEC last year in Auburn.
Now, what changes should the committee make since this was the first year? Well, head-to-head competition should be the main criteria, and they need more clarification.
At the end of it all, though, I believe they got it right this year.
Random thoughts:
My Fox Sports Radio colleague, Jay Glazer, said Los Angeles is closer than ever to getting a football franchise, I'm not sure if he is right, but I'd rather see a team in Los Angeles than London.
• Would it be too much to ask Jay Cutler to act like he cares?
• Former Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher said the only thing elite about Cutler is his salary. I've been saying that for six years, so I'm glad we can agree on something.
• I've watched Blake Bortles throw interceptions for the unimpressive Jacksonville Jaguars, and I just don't see how he was a third overall pick in the 2014 draft.
• Happy Birthday to my mom, who on Wednesday turns 85. Love ya, mom!
Program notes:
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