Greg Sankey, SEC Commissioner, has weighed in on the backlash surrounding the College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings, particularly as criticism mounts over perceived biases favoring the SEC.
The release of the penultimate Top 25 rankings stirred controversy, with Alabama (9-3) securing the No. 11 spot, just ahead of Miami (10-2) at No. 12. This decision sparked a wave of complaints online, with some accusing the CFP selection committee of valuing "brands over merit."
Sankey addressed the criticism during an appearance on The Paul Finebaum Show, challenging the narrative of favoritism.
Sankey defended the selection committee’s process, emphasizing its thorough analysis. While acknowledging that disagreements are inevitable, he stressed that decisions are based on what happens on the field, not branding.
“I think the reaction to the rankings about brands, I’d ask people on the outside that are commenting about brands: Are you watching the football games?” Sankey told Paul Finebaum on Friday via On3. “I know the committee is. The committee engages in really in-depth analysis. You may disagree. (But), I could make the case we have two other teams (No. 13and No. 14) that merit the kind of consideration even compared to some others who are outside our conference, but the committee makes that decision and we’ve entrusted them with that.”
The commissioner also pointed out metrics like strength of schedule, a common talking point when advocating for SEC teams.
“Fourteen of our 16 teams have stronger schedules than the next CFP team outside our conference,” Sankey claimed, referencing composite rankings from sources like Massey and Sagarin. He reiterated the importance of considering these factors over win-loss comparisons.
Conveniently, he didn't mention how Alabama had lost to unranked teams like Vanderbilt and Oklahoma.
He also didn't point out that Missouri remaining ranked artificially inflates strength of schedule metrics, while teams like Duke and Syracuse — who have just as much merit as Missouri — remain behind the Tigers, or out of the Top-25 rankings altogether.