San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
Playoff committee has hands full with comparing teams
The College Football Playoff rankings debut after midseason each year so that enough games have been played for the seeding committee to determine a legitimate top 25.
After all, how accurate are early rankings, anyway?
Here’s one glimpse: The AP’S preseason top 25 included five teams from the Big Ten — No. 2 Ohio State, No. 7 Penn State, No. 12 Wisconsin, No. 16 Michigan, No. 19 Minnesota, No. 24 Iowa.
Here’s the reality: Penn State (0-5) and Michigan (2-3) are having their worst seasons in years.
Who knows what to make of Wisconsin (2-1), which had lopsided wins over Michigan and Illinois in between two weeks off dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak and then lost 17-7 on Saturday to surprising Northwestern (5-0).
Minnesota (2-3) is under .500 and Iowa (3-2) would have been if it not for Saturday’s 41-21 win over the winless Nittany Lions.
Ohio State (5-0) had to hang on Saturday for a 42-35 win over surprising Indiana.
The Buckeyes are currently ranked No. 3 by the AP. But how good are they — or anyone else in the Big Ten — really when all they play is each other?
Back to the CFP committee, which on Tuesday will present its initial rankings.
The process may work in a normal year, although it always gets complaints about at least one of the four playoff teams.
But how do you judge teams that have played nine (BYU), eight (Cincinnati, Clemson, Coastal Carolina, Miami) or seven (Alabama, Florida, Texas) games with teams that have played three (Wisconsin or Oregon) or two (Washington) or one (Utah)?
Of course, the CFP committee began drawing fire even before the first vote.
ESPN reported on Friday that, despite the pandemic, the 13-member committee will meet in person in Grapevine, Texas, each Monday/tuesday over the next four weeks.
A final Friday-sunday get-together leads into the Dec. 20 announcement of the four-team playoff and bowl matchups.
Rapid-results testing will be done when committee members arrive each week, according to ESPN’S Heather Dinich.
Anyone who tests positive will be given a PCR test. Another positive result will require the person to quarantine for 14 days in a Texas hotel room, or drive home.
Is the CFP committee the only group that hasn’t heard of Zoom?
Bill Hancock, executive director of the CFP, told Dinich: “Anyone who’s been on a Zoom knows after about an hour or 90 minutes, your attention begins to wane. Can you imagine doing that for 10-12 hours over a two-day period? We know the discussion will be more detailed, more analytical, more involved in-person than it would be in a video conference.”
Added Hancock: “We’re asking players and coaches to travel every week. The least we can do is ask the selection committee members to travel.”
Hancock’s statements were met with significant disdain on social media. Two Twitter responses:
• “I have very mixed feelings about playing games, period, but of course if the games are to be played, they must be played in person. Meetings can easily be held virtually.”
• “That is incredibly irresponsible, but it is what one would expect to hear from the college football brain trust.”
Of course, the CFP could have used the opportunity to expand the playoff to eight teams this season (a 12- or 16-team format that would allow champions from all 10 FBS conferences and some at-larges would be best, but we won’t push it). Nope.
How much everyone would have enjoyed seeing the college football playoff expanded this season the way the NBA and MLB did?
CFP officials claimed it was too problematic.
Maybe they’re actually afraid it would be too popular.
Clemson-florida St. ppd.
No. 4 Clemson’s game at Florida State was a late scratch from the schedule, making it a record 18 games this week that were either canceled or postponed.
ESPN reported that medical personnel from the two schools could not agree on going ahead with the game after a Clemson player reportedly tested positive Friday for COVID-19.
Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence — remember him? — was to have returned this week after being sidelined with the coronavirus.
If Clemson plays Saturday against Pitt, it will mean that Lawrence, the Heisman Trophy frontrunner, will have gone five weeks between games.
Also sidelined
UCLA starting QB Dorian Thompson-robinson was among nine Bruins players held out of their game against Oregon either because of positive COVID-19 tests or contact tracing.
No. 11 Oregon edged UCLA 38-35 in the game.
• Kentucky had more than a dozen players out — including several starters — because of injuries and COVID-19 issues.
Not the best time to face the No. 1 team in the nation. Alabama won 63-3.
• Pitt was missing 16 players and Virginia Tech was without 12 players in Saturday’s contest. Pitt made the best of it, winning 47-14 with 404 yards passing from Kenny Pickett.