In the wake of the season’s penultimate College Football Playoff rankings being launched on Tuesday and with convention championship weekend forward, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark forcefully advocated for his league champion to earn a top-four seed and first-round bye within the 12-team Playoff format over any Group of 5 contributors.
“In no means ought to a Group of 5 champion be ranked above our champion,” Yormark mentioned Wednesday.
The Big 12 championship will characteristic No. 15 Arizona State (10-2) and No. 16 Iowa State (10-2) battling in Arlington, Texas, with the winner assured to earn one of many 5 computerized Playoff bids reserved for convention champions. But with No. 10 Boise State (11-1) internet hosting No. 20 UNLV (10-2) within the Mountain West championship on Friday, the Broncos are in place to earn a kind of 4 first-round byes over the Big 12 with a victory.
Yormark took problem with that logic in a media availability previewing the Big 12 title recreation alongside Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham and Iowa State coach Matt Campbell.
“The (choice) committee continues to indicate time and time once more that they’re being attentive to logos versus resumes,” mentioned Yormark. “Strength of schedule ought to matter and wins towards Power 4 opponents ought to matter.”
Yormark highlighted that Arizona State and Iowa State every performed 10 of 12 video games towards Power 4 opponents this season, whereas Boise State confronted only one: top-ranked, undefeated Oregon, which handed the Broncos their solely lack of the season in a 37-34, last-second victory on Sept. 7. Boise State additionally defeated Washington State and Oregon State out of the Pac-12.
The committee makes use of an unpublicized strength-of-schedule method, however based on ESPN’s metric, Iowa State ranks 68th, Arizona State 72nd and Boise State 86th. According to ESPN’s power of report, Boise State is thirteenth, Iowa State is fifteenth and Arizona State is sixteenth.
The commissioner additionally used his criticism of the choice committee favoring one-loss Boise State as justification for the Big 12 champion being seeded above different three-loss Playoff groups — an obvious nod to potential at-large bids for three-loss Alabama and a possible three-loss Georgia, in addition to a possible three-loss ACC champion ought to Clemson upset SMU on Saturday.
“The committee clearly focuses on the win and loss column,” mentioned Yormark. “Going by that precept, no three-loss group from a Power 4 convention ought to get a bye over a two-loss champion from the Big 12.”
No. 11 Alabama (9-3), which is idle this weekend and won’t play for the SEC championship, is already ranked forward of the Sun Devils and Cyclones.
Yormark famous his prior help for the 12-team Playoff format and that it’s “taking part in out with the joy we thought,” however urged he could possibly be in favor of future modifications primarily based on how issues have unfolded so far.
“At the conclusion of the season the administration committee will come collectively and we’ll work out what that format ought to appear to be transferring ahead and do we have to enhance it in any means,” mentioned Yormark, who additionally appealed for higher readability on how the Playoff choice committee determines its rankings.
“The one factor that I’m involved about, candidly, and one thing I’ll handle with (CFP govt director) Richard Clark on the proper time, is that I would like to raised perceive — and I feel I converse on behalf of the total administration committee and the commissioners: What are the important thing metrics which might be getting used as we take into consideration the rankings every week?” mentioned Yormark. “Because power of schedule was one thing that was recognized for me early within the fall as a really, very, critically essential metric, and I’m undecided that has occurred, no less than to this point.”
Asked about his religion within the committee’s decision-making course of with the season’s ultimate rankings set to be unveiled on Sunday, Yormark provided a supportive but wait-and-see perspective.
“Obviously I problem what I’ve seen to this point,” Yormark mentioned. “But I do have belief within the committee that in the end we’ll land the place we’re purported to land, and that in the end will imply (the Big 12 will) get a bye, which we’re deserving of, primarily based on all the important thing metrics that ought to come into play.
“It will come all the way down to the choice committee making that call, however I’m hopeful will probably be the fitting one.”
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(Photo: Jay Biggerstaff / Imagn Images)
