The CFP Commitee has chosen Elite Program, Alabama, over Non-Elite Program, Florida State as their #4 seed. Florida State was a 13-0 conference champion that had beaten two SEC teams.
The official reason provided for this by CFP Chairman, Boo Corrigan, is as follows:
“Florida State is a different team than they were through the first 11 weeks,” Corrigan said. “Coach [Mike] Norvell, their players, their fans, you know, had an incredible season. But as you look at who they are as a team right now without Jordan Travis, without the offensive dynamic that he brings to it, they are a different team. And the committee voted Alabama 4 and Florida State 5.”
This is the first time that an undefeated Power 5 Champion has been passed over for a 1-loss Power 5 Champion. This is also the first time we have heard this specific reasoning (injured starting QB) for why a team has been left out. It should not be lost on you that we get a new excuse almost every year. Like all the other excuses we’ve even seen, a team being selected with an injured starting QB has happened before. You may remember Ohio State winning the Natty with their 3rd string QB in 2014.
As I discuss here on this site, Elite Programs getting in over Non-Elite Programs is consistent. The committee’s reasoning changes from year to year because they cannot and will not admit program history matters. Therefore, the criteria for CFP selection continues to be a moving target that is completely inconsistent with both previous and future years’ criteria. The purpose of this site is to show the more accurate reason for why teams are either selected or left out.
Imagine if Florida State had the same season with Alabama’s playoff history and national championships over the previous 15 years and Mississippi State was the 1-loss SEC Champion this year. Which one of those would be in the CFP? That’s Eliteness.
Only Elite wins change Elite perception. It often takes years of winning on the highest level to be given the kind of benefit of the doubt that Alabama was just given by the CFP Committee. This is not a bad thing for the sport whatsoever. I explain why college football has to work that way here.
The bottom line continues to be that we are more likely to believe that the teams that have already proven they can win on the highest level are the best teams. That’s Eliteness.
What exactly has to happen to flip our perception about a program? Start at the top left static menu and work your way to the right and find that out.
