The Indianapolis Colts QB Audition!!

Jesus Martinez || Main Columnist

Hey there QBs, do you like getting sacked 10 times a game?

Do you like getting hit 30 times a game??

Do you want to play with 5 traffic cones protecting you??

The College Football Playoff Committee failed us once again

Chris Giraldo|| Multi-Sports writer

By no means necessary am I implying that their job is 'easy.' No matter what direction they go, they'll always face backlash. 

Some group of five school will argue that they deserve more love and at least one power 5 conference champion will be left out. 

When you have over 120 schools competing for four spots, quality teams will be left out and controversy is unavoidable.  

Back in 2015, many were outraged with the committee for picking Ohio St ( who suffered an embarrassing home loss to Virginia Tech) over Baylor and TCU. But, they at least had an excuse that year, by punishing the Big 12 for not having a conference title game. 

Today's results however, remain mind-boggling to me. 

The Case for the Final Spot

This long awaited Sunday has finally come, and we are anxious to find out the four teams making the CFP. Three teams (Clemson, Oklahoma, and Georgia) already punched their tickets to make the playoff with resounding victories of 21+ in their respective conference championships. Barring drastic voting, they are presumed to be in. But what about the final spot? It is the chargin to much debate over the past few years as that fourth spot is the most debated on a yearly basis. Who gets in there?

Well there are three (yes, three) teams deserving of making the playoff. All of them case intriguing cases, and only one can earn that coveted fourth spot. Let's go over each teams case for the playoff.

Alabama Crimson Tide (11-1; 7-1)

Nick Saban stated recently that his team deserved an opportunity to make the college football playoff.

This team doesn't have a conference championship.

Last year, Nick Saban stated that Ohio State shouldn't have made the playoff because they don't have a conference championship win.

Oh, how the tables have turned Nick.

Alabama is in jeopardy of not making the playoff for the first time since it's inception. For the first time, Alabama doesn't control their fate. It is up to the voters to decide if they are more deserving to make the playoff. But in order to do that, the committee will have to do something never done before: admit a team to the playoff that hasn't won a conference championship?!?

Now, we all are aware of Alabama not winning the SEC title. Georgia did that yesterday. We are even more aware that Alabamas schedule is fairly weaker than previous years. But if the committee wants to select the four most deserving teams to make the playoff, and base it off their criteria, I find it difficult to see Alabama missing this. They are very well better than most of the teams in the nation, and have proved it almost all of the year. Their +25 margin of victory ranks 2nd in the nation, and the margin of victory in conference is even better (+26). Their defense is the BEST in the nation, even when injured, as it ranks 2nd in opponent yards per game, 2nd in rushing yards allowed, and 5th in passing yards. They rank 1st in the FPI (Football Power Index), and 1st in overall efficiency. They are also 4th in strength of record. All of this ranks higher than Ohio State, and they also have one less loss. Alabama very well should have a spot in the playoff without debate. Alabama is not only more deserving than Ohio State, but better. If Ohio State goes in, it will only contradict last year's selection of not putting Penn State in, who were 11-2 and conference champs. The team selected over them, an 11-1 Ohio State team, that didn't make the Big 10 Championship. The CFP committee will not reverse their decision, and let Alabama have their opportunity at the playoff.

Ohio State Buckeyes (11-2; 7-1)

If there was any doubt that Ohio State shouldn't be in the playoff, then their game vs Wisconsin erased it. Ohio State has had quite a tumultuous season. They started off slow vs Indiana, and took a loss to Oklahoma (which wasn't a blowout, but wasn't pretty either). They then won their next six games, capped off with a thrilling comeback vs No. 2 Penn State. What further way to cement your status as the best team in college football, you might ask?

Simple, just get blown out by Iowa and lose all hope for the CFB Playoff.

Or do you lose all hope? Ohio State rebounds and destroys #13 Michigan State, 48-3!! Then beats Illinois and Michigan in "The Game" to meet #3 Wisconsin in the Big 10 Title Game. There, JT Barrett puts the team on his back, not his legs. He leads Ohio State to a 27-21 victory, and to further discussion as to whether they should make the playoff or not.

Ohio State has one of the more impressive resumes in college football. They have two wins over really impressive opponents in Penn State and Wisconsin (who both are top 5 quality opponents), and wins over Michigan State and Michigan. That shouldn't be overlooked.

Its very simple.

Ohio State has a conference title. Alabama does not.
Ohio State has two wins over top 10 opponents. Alabama does not.
Ohio State has a better strength of schedule than Alabama.
Ohio State has a better resume than Alabama.

Ohio State should be in the playoff over Alabama. Simple.

UCF Knights (12-0; 8-0)

UCF makes a great case to make the playoff. Let me state some of their contentions:
-UCF is undefeated. The ONLY undefeated team left in college football.
-UCF has a conference title (looks at Alabama).
-UCF has marquee wins over #16 Memphis (TWICE), #23 USF, 8-4 FIU, and Maryland.

UCF won’t make the playoff.
UCF hasn’t been in the discussion for the playoff.
UCF isn’t a top 5 team.
UCF isn’t even a TOP 10 team.

It just goes to show the amount of disrespect that has been thrown at non Power 5 teams over the Playoff era. This team should at the very least have some consideration to be in the Playoff, with wins over 10-2 Memphis, 10-2 USF, and 10-2 Memphis again. They have proven to be one of the most exciting teams in the nation, and should be a top 10 team. It has become evident for most of the nation that regardless of what a non Power 5 team does, they won’t make the playoff. The playoff was evidently made not for Minor conferences. Marshall went 11-0 in 2014 with Rakeem Cato at QB, and didn’t crack the top 15. They would go 13-1 and ended up 22nd. 2015 Houston went 12-1 and had THREE top 25 wins in the latter half of the year (Memphis, Navy, Temple). This doesn’t include the impressive Louisville win early on in the season, and they barely cracked the top 15 once the dust settled. Hopefully, once UCF beats their opponent in whichever New Years 6 Bowl they face, this will wake up and open the eyes of the committee and future committee members.

As the rankings will be posted shortly, I leave with my pick for the final spot, and who I think the committee will pick.

My Pick: Ohio State
Committee Selects: Alabama

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