Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- Better but not perfect, the new 12-team College Football Playoff faces criticism.
- Critics argue some teams, like Indiana and SMU, didn't deserve playoff spots.
- SEC supporters claim other teams, such as Alabama, were unfairly excluded.
SALT LAKE CITY — Better but not good enough, that sums up the first rendition of the new 12-team College Football Playoff.
Few would argue the current format is an improvement over the recent method of crowning a national champion after a four-team playoff. Going back in time, the new way is substantially better than the ancient formula of multiple polls.
For all the complaining about the seeding and handing out undeserving byes, most criticism logically focuses on the participants. Namely, not all 12 teams belonged in the field.
The first round proved as much as all four games were decided by double-digit scores. Clemson, which suffered a 38-24 loss to Texas, got an automatic berth by virtue of winning the ACC championship game, but none of the other three losing teams did much to prove worthy of their at-large berth.
As ESPN lead college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit repeated in interviews, the selection committee seemed to put undue emphasis on each team's overall records rather than the quality of wins. Yes, we're looking at you, Indiana, SMU and even Tennessee.
For all of coach Curt Cignetti's bravado in press conferences leading up to game, Indiana was outclassed in the intra-state showdown against Notre Dame in South Bend. Known as a basketball school, the Hoosiers were media darlings during Cignetti's first season as coach, but all 11 wins were against mediocre teams.
Indiana beat only one team (7-5 Michigan) that finished with a winning record, and eight wins came against sub .500 teams. The only two ranked teams (Ohio State and Notre Dame) Indiana played resulted in losses by a combined score of 65-32.
The Hoosiers were one of four Big Ten teams to make the playoffs, joining overall No. 1 seed Oregon, Ohio State and Penn State. By comparison, automatic qualifier Arizona State was the only Big 12 representative to make the field.
To a lesser extent, SMU also took heat for a relatively easy schedule and then failed to provide much resistance to Penn State in a 38-10 loss.
The Mustangs did finish 8-0 in their inaugural ACC season and 11-1 overall, leaving the selection committee little choice to include them in the playoff field despite a last-second loss to Clemson in the conference championship game.
The problem was SMU built its perfect conference record without playing any of the ACC's ranked teams. The Mustangs avoided Clemson, Miami and Syracuse in the regular season.
BYU was the only team to beat SMU during the season, but the Cougars were never seriously considered for the playoffs after losing to Kansas and Arizona State in November.
As the only Power Four conference without a one-loss team, the Big 12 had four 7-2 teams and didn't gain much traction for an at-large berth to join upstart ASU in the postseason tournament.
Going forward, in trying to gain respect, the Big 12 desperately needs the Sun Devils to give Texas a competitive game in the Peach Bowl playoff quarterfinals on New Year's Day. Picked to finish last, Arizona State started conference play at 3-2 and hasn't lost since.
SEC sympathizers quickly took note of the Indiana and SMU losses and screamed foul. Depending on preferences, they believed some combination of 11th-ranked Alabama, No. 14 South Carolina or No. 16 Ole Miss belonged in the field with SEC mates Georgia, Texas and Tennessee, which lost 42-17 to Ohio State.
"So far, the CFP selection committee has given us some blockbusters," broadcaster Paul Finebaum posted on social media platform X. "Notre Dame led late over Indiana 27-3 and Penn State just went up on the committee's final team (Indiana) 28-0 at the half. Take a bow."
Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin reposted Finebaum's original post and added his own comments, also taking shots on the committee's decisions: "Way to keep us on the edge of our seats Committee ... Riveting."
Three-loss Alabama made a decent case with multiple quality wins, including over No. 2 Georgia, but couldn't explain away losses to Vanderbilt and Oklahoma, two teams that finished 6-6. Kiffin's credibility was shot after losing to Kentucky, which won one conference game.
