First college playoff rankings miss the mark
The first college football playoff rankings of the season were announced this week, and I really wasn't surprised by the ongoing bias in favor of the SEC.
To include a team with a loss, Alabama (7-1), in the first four with undefeated Clemson, LSU and Ohio State is unacceptable with all the other undefeated teams still out there, such as Iowa at 8-0.
I also was bothered by local and national "experts" who are misinformed about the strength of schedule. How many times have you heard on the radio or TV over the last few days that Iowa hasn't played a tough schedule and actually has an easy one?
I think one guy said it and then everyone else ran with it without doing some homework. Kirk Herbstreit, ESPN College Game Day analyst, continues to baffle me with the absurd comment that Iowa's schedule is an embarrassment.
Sorry, Kirk, but you should be taken to the woodshed because that's a clueless statement. An undefeated Iowa should be in the top four, and I can prove it to you.
Jeff Sagarin, who practically invented the strength-of-schedule concept, has Iowa's schedule ranked 36th in the nation. Iowa is ahead of the following teams: Baylor (105), TCU (52), Ohio State (68), Clemson (40), Florida State (66) and Oklahoma State (62).
Herbstreit apparently didn't research the schedule rankings, and everyone ran with the narrative.
Another important point is there are only two teams that have beaten two top-25 teams on the road: one is Alabama, the other is Iowa.
After I checked around and with some help from Blackheartpantsgold.com, a Hawkeyes website, I think it's safe to say someone at ESPN blew it.
Normally they do a great job with Game Day, and I'm sure they have plenty of researchers on staff, so how did they come up with such an irresponsible statement?
There always has been a bias for the SEC and probably a bias against schools such as Iowa that aren't yearly entries.
But let me make it simple for you: Northwestern beat Stanford, and then Iowa beat a good Wildcats team by 30.
It might be only the first rankings, but the agendas already are beginning, and for those covering college football it was irresponsible reporting.
Here are my rankings: No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 LSU, No. 3 Clemson and No. 4 Iowa.
I love that there are six weeks left to enjoy.
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