The truth about the College Football Playoff
By Dante Pryor
College Football has never wanted to crown a champion. The idea has always been to find the best team.
On an AP Top 25 College Football Podcast episode, host Ralph Russo commented about a colleague’s conversation. March Madness, Russo would say, is a terrible way to find the best team.
True, his colleague would retort, but it is a great way to crown a champion. Those in charge of college football have had no interest in trying to find a champion. College football has been on an unending search to find the best team.
This week was the final College Football Playoff rankings before the selection show this Sunday. The top four did not change. This was the first time the top four did not change from the first to the final ranking in the College Football Playoff’s brief history. The top four have been some mix of Alabama, Notre Dame, Clemson, and Ohio State, with Texas A&M sitting at No. 5.
Many writers and fans have had the same two problems with these rankings. There is an issue with Ohio State’s ranking despite having played only five games and why three two-loss teams have jumped Cincinnati. Diving into the history of the NCAA’s quest to find the “best” team in college football might clarify why these things are.