In explaining Alabama football over FSU, CFP committee becomes a kangaroo court | Toppmeyer
The more that College Football Playoff selection committee members explain their four selections, the more they reveal themselves to be a kangaroo court.
The committee’s public stance, for years, has been that it doesn’t project. It doesn’t predict.
Then came the great flip-flop of 2023.
In the days after the committee snubbed undefeated Florida State from the playoff, in favor of one-loss Alabama, we’re learning that certain committee members do, in fact, project. They load teams into their personal simulator and attempt to predict game results.
And their sudden gift for clairvoyance told them that Florida State couldn’t win a national championship without injured starting quarterback Jordan Travis.
One committee member told CBS Sports, under the condition of anonymity, that they didn’t think FSU could win the national championship, and that idea influenced this member’s vote.
An unnamed committee member told ESPN that multiple committee members applied this line of thinking, and it worked against FSU.
“We talked about that over and over, and we just kept coming back (to), are they good enough with what they have to win a national championship? And it just kept coming back, we didn't think they could,” that committee member told ESPN.
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In this final year of the four-team playoff, the committee members grabbed their dusty, hazy crystal balls, squinted in, and saw FSU losing – something it didn’t do all season, no matter who played quarterback.
What a farce.
I had more respect for the Bowl Championship Series computers than for this murky process.
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Boo Corrigan, the chair for this collection of charlatans, said Sunday on ESPN that the committee considered opinions from the former coaches on the committee about which teams they would or wouldn’t want to face in a hypothetical game.
This, too, is not listed among the committee’s listed criteria for playoff selection.
“The point of that was to make sure that we're … hearing every opinion that's in the room,” Corrigan said Sunday, when I asked him about this new criterion suddenly emerging, “to make sure that everyone is able to weigh everything as they look at it, and everyone has got their own viewfinder.”
Viewfinders, or crystal balls?
If we’re choosing opponents we would or wouldn’t want to play, sign me up to play any team coached by Jim Grobe, one of the 13 committee members. Grobe retired from coaching after compiling a losing record across 20 seasons. He now works in the crystal ball business.
Committee members gazed into their divination devices and saw SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey and Alabama coach Nick Saban smiling back at them.
Did Georgia’s loss cost Florida State?
If Georgia would have defeated Alabama on Saturday to give the SEC an undefeated conference champion, what would the committee have done? Georgia would’ve claimed the No. 1 seed and secured representation for the SEC.
In this scenario, I think the committee would have selected each of the 14-0 Power Five champions – Georgia, Michigan, Washington and FSU. That would have removed Texas (12-1) from the field.
Texas is the playoff's No. 3 seed, but, remember, this committee concocts the rules as it goes. It could’ve cooked up some different explanation to explain rejecting the Longhorns.
After Georgia lost, the committee faced the uncomfortable situation of needing to create a spot for Alabama, the SEC’s champion, without bumping Texas, because the Longhorns won convincingly at Alabama in Week 2.
An Alabama loss to Georgia on Saturday would have removed the Tide from the picture, and the committee could have kept FSU ahead of Texas.
With the committee needing to insert Alabama, then Texas needed to be in, and crystal balls emerged to justify booting FSU.
Emails of the week
Alan writes: You sound like a Trump MAGA man. I know you are trying to sell papers with your reasoning about how Sankey got the SEC conference champion into the playoffs. It is a typical scream about injustice thing that Trump always does. So I see the type of person you try to appeal to.
My response: This is a unique twist of an email. Normally, I’m called a liberal shill for the LEFT. Today, I’m a "MAGA man." Curiously, no one ever calls me a political moderate.
John writes: Alabama is far superior to FSU. U just like stirring up people like the Democrats do (about) TRUMP. U R A DISGRACE. Alabama again proves why they belong in the Playoff. And for u to disrespect them is the travesty here. Roll Tide.
My response: And just like that, my time is up as a "Trump MAGA man."
CC writes: You communicated this travesty perfectly.
My response: Yes, but for which political party am I shilling?
Ray writes: College Football needs a lot of help. There is no way one can logically explain how Alabama got into the playoffs. FSU was robbed. What if the team was Clemson? I live in SEC area, and may I say this: The SEC is not like GOD and to be worshipped!!!
My response: The committee would disagree with you. Sunday service will be in the SEC’s Birmingham offices.
Stephen writes: You got it 100% correct concerning Sankey’s influence. Thank you for having the courage to put it in print. Florida State, after earning it on the field, was robbed. Shameful.
My response: I just call 'em as I see 'em.
Three and out
1. The Heisman Trophy finalists are LSU’s Jayden Daniels, Oregon’s Bo Nix, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. and Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. I wrote last week that I thought Daniels would win the Heisman if Oregon lost in the Pac-12 Championship. I believe that even more today.
2. Kirby Smart will have Georgia on a revenge tour next season. Opposing coaches shouldn't want to play the Bulldogs. In fact, the committee probably already has seeded Georgia No. 1 for next season’s playoff.
3. FSU will play Notre Dame and Florida next season, in addition to its ACC schedule. If the Seminoles go undefeated in 2024, the Pop-Tarts Bowl would love to have them.
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's SEC Columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.
The "Topp Rope" is his twice-weekly SEC football column published throughout the USA TODAY Network. If you enjoy Blake’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it. Also, check out his podcast, SEC Football Unfiltered, or access exclusive columns via the SEC Unfiltered newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: In explaining Alabama football over FSU, CFP becomes a kangaroo court
