Who Should be in College Football Playoffs?

By Peyton Wesner

Well wasn't that simple? All the problems solved. Now we know who the final four College Football Playoff Teams are right? Uh...no! After yesterday's games many things have been cleared up but there is the bear in the room, or is it a horned frog, or is it a buckeye? I honestly have no idea who will make it in for the inaugural College Football Playoffs tomorrow but this is my take:

Alabama, Oregon, and Florida State are in.

All these three teams had to do was win their conference championship game to get in. Two of the teams won convincingly therefore they will be the top two seeds. Oregon was the first team to clinch with their blowout 51-13 win over number 7. ranked Arizona. Less than 24 hours ago Alabama, stomped all over number 16. ranked Missouri 42-13. Although it won't matter this year, getting the number one seed is important. The number one seed gets to pick what location they would rather play at (the Sugar Bowl or the Rose Bowl in this case). Now since one semifinal is in the Southeast and the other is in the West, it will work out for both of the top two seeds to play fairly close to campus. Alabama will play in New Orleans while Oregon will play in Los Angeles.

Florida State survived yet another chance to choke in the weak ACC, with their 37-35 win over number 11. ranked Georgia Tech. For some reason the Seminoles like to allow everyone to get excited that they are going to lose since the whole nation hates them, then come back and say "Hey we are still undefeated." Winston played a Heisman-like game last night as he threw for three touchdowns on 309 passing yards with no interceptions. If FSU wants to win in the College Football Playoffs, Winston will need to play like he did against Georgia Tech instead of the way he played against Florida and Miami (FL). Lastly, Florida State cannot play only  half of a football game because they will not be able to come back as they have done in the past against Alabama or Oregon.

2. Spot #4

Does it not feel like Selection Sunday for the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament this morning? I think it will feels exactly like that.

Team Resumés

11-1 TCU Big 12 Co-Champion

Best Non-Conference Win

Minnesota in Fort Worth by the score of 30-7.

Wins Over Ranked Opponents

37-33 vs. 4. Oklahoma

42-9 vs. 15. Oklahoma State

31-30 @ 20. West Virginia

41-20 vs. 7. Kansas State

Loss

@ 5. Baylor by the score of 61-58 (H2H).

11-1 Baylor Big 12 Co-Champion

Best Non-Conference Win

Buffalo in New York by the score 63-21.

Wins Over Ranked Opponents

61-58 vs. 9. TCU (H2H)

48-14 @ 15. Oklahoma

38-27 vs. 9. Kansas State

Loss

@ West Virginia by the score of 41-27.

12-1 Ohio State Big 10 Champion

Best Non-Conference Win

Home against Cincinnati by the score of 50-28.

Wins Over Ranked Opponents

49-37 @ 8. Michigan State

31-24 @ 25. Minnesota

59-0 vs. 13. Wisconsin (Big 10 Championship)

Loss

Home against Virginia Tech at the score of 35-21.

Question 1: Baylor or TCU

Baylor beat TCU in Waco, but the committee put TCU in the top four last week rather than the Bears. Are they really going to judge what team is better based on their losses? Baylor lost to West Virginia on the road who is now no where to be found rankings-wise while TCU lost a team they are fighting for a playoff spot with.In my opinion I slot Baylor ahead of TCU because of the head to head victory. It should not matter who TCU has lost to since Baylor holds the head-to-head victory.

Question 2: Ohio State and Big 10 or Big 12

Ohio State has the worse loss of all three teams against Virginia Tech in T.J. Barrett's second career start. I feel it is unfair for the Buckeyes to get chosen in the Final Four because "their QB and offensive line were new and inexperience at the time of the loss." That is an unvalid excuse many analysts use. Injuries happen in football, it has somehow turned into a game of attrition. If this is the reason the committee chooses Ohio State over Baylor and TCU, that is a terrible precedent to set. So if Baylor's Bryce Petty (SR) and TCU's Trevone Boykin (JR) got injured like Ohio State's Braxton Miller (SR), and their backups played terrific would they receive a spot? No way! Don't do it committee, that is not a good reason to declare Ohio State better than TCU and Baylor. Besides, Barrett is hurt and now his back-up (third string at the beginning of season behind Miller and Barrett) Cardale Jones (SO) is starting, meaning they have almost not chance to compete against Alabama in the Sugar Bowl unless Bama plays like they did last year in the Sugar Bowl against Oklahoma.

Do not Punish the Big 12 Because they do no have a Championship Game

Technically Baylor is the Big 12 Champions because they hold the tiebreaker on TCU and they have the same conference record. I do not understand how the conference names them "co-champions" when one beat the other in the regular season. So I have heard a lot of people say Ohio State should make it because they steamrolled Wisconsin. Guess what? If Ohio State steamrolled Wisconsin, I guarentee Baylor and TCU would have killed them as well. Please committee don't put Ohio State in for trivial reasons because America wants to see a Nick Saban/Urban Meyer rematch.

My Playoffs

1. Alabama

2. Oregon

3. Florida State

4. Baylor

5. TCU

6. Ohio State

God Bless.