The new, 12-team College Football Playoff brings with it a promise to be larger, extra thrilling, extra profitable.
Perfect or 100% honest? Well, no person ever believed that.
The first expanded playoff bracket unveiled Sunday left a presumably deserving Alabama crew on the sideline in favor of an SMU squad with a greater report after taking part in a schedule that was not as tough.
It ranked undefeated Oregon first however arrange a potential rematch towards Ohio State, the crew that got here closest to beating the Ducks this 12 months.
It handled underdog Boise State like a favourite and banged-up Georgia like a world beater at No. 2.
It gave Ohio State home-field benefit towards Tennessee for causes it could take a supercomputer to determine.
It gave the game the multiweek event it has longed for, but additionally ensured there shall be lots to grumble about between now and when the trophy is handed out on Jan. 20 after what’s going to simply be the longest school soccer season in historical past.
All of it, fortunately, shall be sorted out on the sphere beginning with first-round video games on campuses Dec. 20 and 21, then over three succeeding rounds that can wind their means by way of conventional bowl websites.
Maybe Oregon coach Dan Lanning, whose undefeated Ducks are the favourite to win all of it, put it greatest when he supplied: “Winning a nationwide championship just isn’t presupposed to be straightforward.”
Neither, it seems, is determining who ought to play for it.
Alabama comes up brief within the bracket’s largest debate
The Big Ten will cleared the path with 4 groups within the event, adopted by the SEC with three and the ACC with two. The lasting reminiscence from the inaugural bracket will contain the choice that handed the ACC that second bid.
Alabama of the SEC didn’t play Saturday. SMU of the ACC did. The Mustangs fell behind by three touchdowns to Clemson earlier than coming again to tie. But they in the end misplaced 34-31 on a 56-yard discipline objective as time expired.
“We have been on pins and needles,” SMU coach Rhett Lashley mentioned. “Until we noticed the identify ‘SMU’ up there, we have been hanging on the sting. We’re actually, actually completely satisfied and grateful to the committee for rewarding our guys for his or her complete physique of labor.”
The Mustangs solely had two losses, in comparison with three for the Crimson Tide. Even although SMU’s schedule wasn’t almost as robust, the committee was impressed by the best way the Mustangs got here again towards Clemson.
“We simply felt, on this specific case, SMU had the nod above Alabama,” mentioned Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel, the chairman of the choice committee. “But it’s no disrespect to Alabama’s energy of schedule. We regarded on the whole physique of labor for each groups.”
Georgia, Boise State and Arizona State be a part of Oregon with first-round byes
Georgia, the SEC champion, was seeded second; Boise State, the Mountain West champion, earned the third seed; and Big 12 titlist Arizona State bought the fourth seed and the fourth and remaining first-round bye.
All will play in quarterfinals at bowl video games on Dec. 31-Jan. 1.
Clemson stole a bid and the twelfth seed with its loopy win over SMU, the consequence that in the end value Alabama a spot within the discipline. The Tigers moved to No. 16 within the rankings, however bought in because the fifth-best convention winner.
Automatic byes and bids made the bracket unusual
The convention commissioners’ concept to offer convention champions preferable therapy on this first iteration of the 12-team playoff may very well be up for reconsideration after this season.
The committee truly ranked Boise State, the Mountain West Champion, at No. 9 and Big 12 champion Arizona State at No. 12, however each get to skip the primary spherical.
Another CFP guideline: There’s no reseeding of groups after every spherical, which suggests no break for Oregon. The top-seeded Ducks will face the winner of Tennessee-Ohio State within the Rose Bowl. Oregon beat Ohio State 32-31 earlier this 12 months in one of many season’s greatest video games.
What the matchups seem like
No. 12 Clemson at No. 5 Tex as, Dec. 21. Clemson is driving excessive after the SMU upset, whereas Texas is 0-2 towards Georgia and 11-0 vs. everybody else this season. The winner faces … Arizona State within the Peach Bowl. Huh?
No. 11 SMU at No. 6 Penn State, Dec. 21. The largest knock towards the Mustangs was that they didn’t play any huge boys with that Sixtieth-ranked energy of schedule. Well, now they get to. The winner faces … Boise State within the Fiesta Bowl. Yes, SMU vs. Boise was the quarterfinal all of us anticipated.
No. 10 Indiana at No. 7 Notre Dame, Dec. 20. Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti thought his crew deserved a house sport. Well, not fairly however shut. The winner will get … Georgia within the Sugar Bowl. The Bulldogs bought the No. 2 seed regardless of a throwing-arm harm to QB Carson Beck. But what else was the committee presupposed to do?
No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Ohio State, Dec. 21. The Buckeyes (losses to Oregon, Michigan) bought house discipline over the Volunteers (losses to Arkansas, Georgia) in a matchup of applications with two of the most important stadiums in soccer. The winner faces … Oregon within the Rose Bowl. Feels like that matchup ought to come within the semifinals or later.
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