Don’t hate the committee, hate the system. The 12 team Playoff was considered one of college football’s greatest modern advancements. Today marked the first and biggest stepping stone in what should be the most anticipated Playoff ever.
Here’s the elephant in the room, SMU is in, and Alabama is out. The evaluation points behind the closed doors of the committee are unknown, but for now, the field is set. The debate is on and there is much to dissect.
Here are my biggest winners and losers from the committee's decision.
SMU - Winner
Alright, the cat’s out of the bag. SMU made it over Alabama. This decision from the committee essentially favored the Mustangs for playing in a conference championship game. We all know what transpired last night. Clemson got out to a very fast start and things were not looking good for Rhett Lashlee’s squad.
SMU made a very impressive comeback and lost on a last-second 56-yard field goal. Ultimately, there was immense drama surrounding who would receive the “last” spot in the CFP after this loss. Alabama was the team that SMU knocked out of the Playoff and no matter where the Mustangs were seeded this was a major victory.
Regardless of the resumé comparison, SMU went undefeated in the ACC and nearly defeated Clemson in the ACC Championship. The biggest factor in this decision probably had to do with the prior ranking as SMU was ranked 8th and Alabama was ranked 13th heading into this week.
The clear losers in this scenario are Kalen DeBoer and Alabama.
Oregon - Loser
This is a tough one considering the Oregon Ducks are 13-0 as well as Big-Ten Champions. There really is no form of “losing” as the Ducks are the undisputed best team in the bracket. However, having to face the winner of Ohio State and Tennessee isn’t necessarily a treat.
It just seems like somewhat of a trap game considering the way Ohio State has played recently, and that Tennessee has been a very overshadowed SEC team. If Ohio State were to win this would be the second matchup for two Big-Ten juggernauts.
After watching the SEC Championship last night and Georgia defeat Texas for the second time this season, neither side has an advantage. I'm no betting man, but if I had to place a bet, I’m not betting against Dan Lanning.
What a season Oregon has had thus far. It’s just a tough draw for the Ducks.
Penn State - Winner
There may not be a bigger winner than Penn State. After putting up a great effort last night and nearly defeating the best team in college football, Penn State was rewarded this afternoon.
Many expected the Nittany Lions to get a first-round home game, which they did. However, the Lions avoided having to play an SEC team and will face SMU. Obviously, there is no overlooking the Mustangs, but this is one of the most favorable matchups Penn State could have gotten.
If Penn State wins this matchup they would get to face Boise State in the next round, which might arguably be an even more favorable matchup. There is much to be excited about if you are a Penn State fan.
Now it’s up to James Franklin to win the big games…
Notre Dame - Loser
Not playing in a conference finally came back to get Notre Dame. Heading into this weekend, many wondered what effect, if any at all, would have on the Irish. This weekend we saw that effect in full form.
The SEC and Big Ten Championships were both extremely close games, in spite of this Texas fell to the 5 seed and Penn State fell to the 6 seed. This pushed Notre Dame back to the 7 seed. The Irish will still get to host a home game, but the opponent is a bit more daunting.
Indiana will face Notre Dame in South Bend in what will be a prime-time game. This is fascinating for a few reasons, but the in-state rivalry does not benefit Notre Dame. If anything, this benefits Indiana. The travel distance is much better for Curt Cignetti’s team and there could be grand sightings of Hoosier fans.
Regardless, this will not be an easy game for the Irish and the reward of winning this will be to face the SEC Champion Georgia Bulldogs. Prior to this, the Irish held the 6 seed. In this case, they would’ve faced SMU at home, then Boise State in the second round. Instead, Penn State’s conference championship against Oregon worked out well for the Nittany Lions.
Texas - Winner
There isn’t much to dwell on for Steve Sarkisian and his Longhorns. It was certainly a tough loss in Atlanta as Texas lost in overtime to Georgia for a second time. While the Horns didn’t secure a first round bye, this is probably one of the best outcomes they could’ve hoped for.
Firstly, Texas was ranked No. 5, meaning they were the highest-ranked non-conference champion. The Longhorns will also get the luxury of playing a home game in Austin and will face the Clemson Tigers.
Let’s face it, Clemson is lucky to be here. It took a last-minute field goal in the ACC Championship for Clemson to salvage their Playoff hopes. Outside of that, Clemson would not be here without some help from Fran Brown and his Syracuse Orange.
For this reason, Clemson was ranked as the lowest possible conference champion as the 12 seed. Additionally, the Longhorns will get to face Arizona State in the next round with a win. While Arizona State is hot, I believe Texas matches up really well with this team and the Longhorns would still be favored to win this game.
Plus, Georgia is on the opposite end of the bracket, meaning we wouldn’t get a rematch till the Championship game. Let the anticipation build folks…