The expanded playoff is arguably the most consequential change in the history of college football — one the sport “has needed for a long time,” College Football Playoff executive director Rich Clark said last week.
But the move from four teams to 12 includes complicated changes to the selection and seeding processes.
Here is an explanation in eight steps:
1. The CFP has ballooned from two rounds of play to four.
It begins Dec. 20-21 with four opening-round games played on the campus of the higher seed (i.e., No. 5 vs. No. 12, No. 6 vs. No. 11, etc.).
The quarterfinals will be played on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day and hosted by the Fiesta, Rose, Peach and Sugar Bowls. The semifinals are Jan. 9-10 at the Orange and Cotton Bowls. The championship game is Jan. 20 in Atlanta.
2. As has been the case for the CFP’s decade-long existence, a 13-person selection committee will release its Top 25 rankings each Tuesday for the remainder of the regular season. The only rankings that truly matter are Dec. 8, following the conference championship games.
The 12 teams participating in the CFP come from one of two categories: The five highest-ranked conference champions receive automatic bids, while the next seven highest-ranked teams receive at-large spots.
The highest-ranked team from the Group of Five conferences (American, Conference USA, Mid-American, Mountain West and Sun Belt) is guaranteed a bid.
Notre Dame and the two Pac-12 teams, Washington State and Oregon State, are not eligible for automatic bids and must qualify through the at-large pool.
3. The committee’s job is to “pick the best teams,” Clark explained on a webinar for college football media. “They aren’t trying to pick the most deserving.”
The committee will take the following factors into consideration when compiling its rankings: win-loss record; schedule strength; head-to-head results; outcomes against common opponents; and the so-called eye test.
The strength-of-schedule ratings will be provided to the committee by SportSource Analytics and take into account the outcome, location and score differential (which is capped).
Teams with two and perhaps even three losses will make the field.
“The beauty of this is a loss early in the season may not completely derail a team,” Clark said.
4. The four highest-ranked conference champions will receive the top-four seeds (in the order of their ranking) and the accompanying bye into the quarterfinals.
The lowest-ranked of the five conference champions will be seeded according to its ranking and participate in the opening round games matching the No. 5 through No. 12 seeds.
5. The Group of Five team will be seeded according to its ranking.
If it’s ranked 12th or lower, it will receive the No. 12 seed.
However, if the Group of Five team is ranked higher than a Power Four champion, it will receive a top-four seed and the opening-round bye.
6. The committee won’t manipulate its ranking to avoid opening round rematches of regular-season games.
“If (rematches) happen naturally,” Clark said, “they just happen.”
As a result, it’s possible for teams to meet three times: once during the regular season; once in the conference championship; …read more
Source:: The Mercury News – Entertainment
