Depends on how you look at it I guess. One of the best 4? I think so...they handled everyone all year but Auburn and Moo State. I say I THINK so because they didn't play a very tough schedule. If it's about the best 4 though, yeah, they certainly were on the cusp and making it in isn't that surprising if that is the standard. I guess I thought the playoff was to serve as a mechanism thru which the champion was selected.

I guess I just don't see how you can win the national championship if you don't win your own state, or conference division, let alone conference. Not winning your conference should be a disqualifier until we have an 8 team playoff.

That said, if any conference should be able to get someone in that didn't win the conference, it's the SEC...and I won't argue that Bama isn't one of the 4 best teams.

Also, this particular year, there just were any dominant teams. No power 5 undefeateds and of the 4 in the playoff, the resume is as good as any I suppose

This post was edited on 12/4/17 at 5:38 am

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Posted by higgs_boson

State College, PA

Member since Sep 2014

22456 posts

Posted on 12/4/17 at 5:34 am to DonaldDuckworth

I am happy they created a playoff, but it was flawed when created.

Four spots and five conference champions. It will always leave a conference feeling screwed. This year, it leaves two feeling screwed.

It did not help that they put Ohio State in last year and then they got humiliated.

I still hope one day we get to six teams, just because then you could make sure conference champs matter and still leave room for either a great non-conf champ or a non-power five team.

But when it comes to Alabama, some try to remove the context.

Alabama may not have much in quality wins, but they only lost one game. And there is no other team outside of the top three that look as good as Alabama does.

IF Ohio State had not been beaten so handily by Iowa, they might have had a better argument, but they just never looked as good as Alabama.

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Posted by LanierSpots

Sarasota, Florida

Member since Sep 2010

61938 posts

Posted on 12/4/17 at 5:34 am to DonaldDuckworth

There is no requirement to win your conference. That precedent was set last year.

Everybody needs to just pour your latte out and man up.

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Posted by thatthang

Member since Jan 2012

6780 posts

Posted on 12/4/17 at 8:06 am to DonaldDuckworth

quote:
I guess I just don't see how you can win the national championship if you don't win your own state, or conference division, let alone conference. Not winning your conference should be a disqualifier until we have an 8 team playoff.

I see the argument but how do you treat Notre Dame in such a scenario (and you know they won't be left out of the system)? Change the playoff eligibility requirements to "you must win your conference, OR you must be Notre Dame." That seems wildly arbitrary to give an exception to one school like that.

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Posted by coachcrisp

pensacola, fl

Member since Jun 2012

30605 posts

Posted on 12/4/17 at 8:34 am to DonaldDuckworth

quote:
I guess I just don't see how you can win the national championship if you don't win your own state, or conference division, let alone conference. Not winning your conference should be a disqualifier until we have an 8 team playoff.

If this is the case, then the main premise for a committee, being to select the BEST 4 teams to play for the championship, is destroyed. This isn't the 1st time that several top teams have come from the same conference, and it won't be the last. Hell, the fact that all the teams have a loss shows that even the best team can/will lose a game along the way. If that loss keeps a true top-4 team out of the playoffs, how is that fair?