Alabama Football: Why should teams play the big games anymore?

The College Football Playoff Committee will possibly be left with sending a massive message to all of college football in a few weeks and it continues to state its message without saying it directly. There’s currently a scenario where a One-loss SEC Champion Alabama Football gets left out of the playoff or a one-loss Big 12 Champion Texas is left out in favor of Alabama. By leaving out Alabama or Texas the committee will be saying to all of College Football to not play big games anymore.

For the 8th ranked Alabama Football team, the only blemish on their record would be a second-week loss to the Texas Longhorns. The committee would be sending a message to teams like Alabama to play a non-conference schedule like the teams ranked ahead of them. The Michigan Wolverines are getting credit for being undefeated while facing a nonconference schedule of East Carolina University, UNLV, and Bowling Green. Washington is getting credit for their undefeated record while their non-conference schedule was Boise State, Tulsa, and Michigan State. Florida State’s non-conference title at least consists of a ranked win over LSU but, Southern Miss, and North Alabama aren’t world-beaters.

If both Alabama Football and Texas were to win out and the committee chose Alabama over Texas it would send a different terrible message. Why would teams even play big games if Texas beat Alabama but, Alabama made the playoffs over them?

The issue with the playoff committee right now is what they’re crediting teams with and it’s resulting in a worse product for the viewers and the sport. By devaluing the strength of schedule and rewarding teams like Oregon for beating one ranked team ranking them ahead of Alabama and Texas both of whom’s best wins are far more impressive than Oregon.

Alabama Football: A year that would be perfect for a twelve team playoff.

This year would be perfect for both an Alabama Football team to make the playoff as well as for the sport as a whole. The gap between the first ranked Georgia Bulldogs and the eighth ranked Alabama Football team feels closer than the gap of teams ranked the same ever has. College Football seriously has ten teams that all would feel confident in their chances to win a national title if they found themselves in the future’s 12 team playoff format. The NCAA missed it’s best possible 1-12 this season as it would ensure them both the best teams and some of the biggest brand names in the sport. The debate around whatever the committee decides will most likely be bad for the sport as a team or two will be rewarded for not losing to teams they were heavily favored to beat.

Note: All rankings via ESPN.