This is an opinion piece about the College Football Playoff.
After years of respecting the Playoff Selection Committee for its almost impossible task, I changed my opinion this season. In my opinion, a major overhaul is needed because, as currently designed, the process is flawed. Weekly committee explanations this season were inconsistent and more subjective than objective.
As an Alabama football fan, I am happy the committee gave the Crimson Tide a shot. Alabama's overall body of work justified the inclusion, but the FSU game and the SEC Championship Game made strong arguments for Alabama to be dropped to the No. 10 or No. 11 slot.
Notre Dame, BYU, Texas, and Vanderbilt fans are justified in believing their teams were worthy playoff teams. Speaking of the Commodores, a hat tip to Clark Lea, who said, "... you have to seize your opportunities to prove yourself. And it was clear that we didn't do enough to get across the line."
It is worthwhile to consider that the CFB Playoff, as currently structured, is nothing like the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. If it were, Tulane and James Madison would be in a play-in game. Instead, the Green Wave will play an Ole Miss team that beat them 45-10 in September. The Green Wave has one 'semi-quality' win over North Texas, ranked at No. 25 by the Selection Committee. Tulane also has a bad loss, 48-26 to UTSA, ranked No. 69 by the ESPN FPI.
The James Madison Dukes are 12-1, with their best win being over Washington State, ranked No. 66 in the ESPN FPI.
College Football Playoff not about best teams
The Playoff competition has lost any claim to selecting each season's best teams. In the 12-team format, it has moved toward becoming more of an invitational event. A 16-team format or 24-team format is unlikely to be much better.
What the CFB Playoff has become is two things. One, it has become a huge TV series, with staggering popularity, and two, it has become the greatest cash cow college football has ever known. Just as big-budget movies and TV shows rely on proven stars, the CFB Playoff needs proven brands. It needs the top SEC and Big Ten brand teams. It has eight of them in this cycle. Evidently, eight of 12 were enough big brands, or a ninth might have been added by selecting Notre Dame.
I do not claim that members of the Selection Committee make decisions based on team brands. They try their best to choose the 12 most deserving teams. The role of enhancing the Playoff brand rests with ESPN execs and Playoff decision makers above the Selection Committee.
Some college football fans prefer a return to the BCS system. If used this season, slots No. 8 through No. 14 would have gone to Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Alabama, Miami, BYU, Vanderbilt, and Texas.