CFB Playoff

     As a huge football fan last Sunday at 12, I anxiously awaited to see what college football teams had made the playoffs. This year is special as it is the first year that they have implemented the new 12-team playoff. This was a big change because in previous years the playoff was only set at 4 teams. This led to many people being upset that a team was left out of the playoff even though many people believed that they deserved it.  A big example of this was in last year's playoff when undefeated Florida State was left out of the 4 team playoff and replaced with a 1-loss Alabama team. The big controversy was that Flordia States quarterback had just gotten hurt and many believed that without him they would not be able to compete in the playoffs at a high level. This led the committee to put Alabama over them. Many people see this as unfair as they feel that Florida State had earned their right to be in the playoffs regardless of the injury. It was unfair to the rest of the team and they were being punished for an injury. This also led many people to believe that the committee had an SEC bias and that they found any way to put them in the playoffs. The 12-team playoffs were supposed to help solve this problem but did it?

    Even with 12 teams being in the playoffs we still see controversy on which team got it and which didn't. It first started with the conference championship games. With the new playoffs, the conference champions would all be guaranteed a spot in the playoffs. Many of these games were very close and made for some changes in the playoff bracket. A tough SMU team that was projected to make the playoff and was ranked #8 had lost to #16 Clemson in the ACC championship. Many people believed that this would bump out SMU of the playoffs and would somehow get 3-loss Alabama in. It was believed that if you had 3 losses on the year the chances of getting in would be slim but somehow Alabama would possibly slip in. There were already two SEC teams in the playoffs would they get a third in? Me and many others believed that would be the case as even with 3 losses Alabama had the tougher strength of schedule which plays a factor on who gets in and who doesn't. Another big controversy was how the bracket was laid out. With Oregon being the 1 seed they usually should have the easiest route to the championship because they earned the top seed. Well, this year the 6th seed is thought to have the easiest route because of the team they will have to play. Penn State is currently sitting at the 6 seed and will play SMU and if they win move on to Boise State. Those two teams are thought to be the weakest in the playoff bracket. Would this be fair to a team like Oregon who has remained unbeaten all year?

    Regardless of the controversy I still believe that the playoffs this year will be very entertaining. Getting playoff games before Christmas as well is also a big deal as usually we don't see any games until after the new year. I am also excited as a Notre Dame fan to see how we will play in the playoffs. I think that this years playoff is a big step for college football and I am excited to see how things pan out!

Comments

  1. Grant IsraelDecember 12, 2024 at 12:47 PM

    I am excited to watch all the games in the CFP this year and its lining up to be a very memorable set of games. Unfortunately, my Michigan Wolverines wont be in the play offs this year but thankfully we beat OSU this year!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Senior Year!

      As we start our first week of classes, it brings a lot of excitement and emotions. I am now a senior here at Ohio Northern, and looking back, it has gone a lot faster than I could've expected. From being a freshman who had no idea what he was getting himself into, to now being a senior trying to enjoy every last moment of my last year. Just four years ago, I didn't know how much I would come to love this university and the memories that I would make from it. Ohio Northern has brought me lots of friends and good times that will last a lifetime.     If I were asked to give an underclassman advice, I would tell them to enjoy every moment and try new things. As a member of the football team, I feel that being involved in it has helped me meet many different people and experience amazing memories with them. Whether it is a sport or a club, make sure to get involved in something where you can meet new people. I would also say to try new things. Don't be afraid t...
Read more

Bye Week

     Going into last Saturday's matchup against Heidelberg, we knew how much this game meant not only because it was Senior Day, but because we were coming off a tough loss the week before. The feeling all week in practice was that we had something to prove. We wanted to show everyone what Ohio Northern football really is.      From the first snap, there was a different energy on the field. Our defense was able to set the tone early, flying around and making big stops, and the offense fed off that momentum. We executed the game plan the way we knew we could, hitting some big plays and running the ball well. Every drive felt like we were building toward something bigger, and when we were able to take a 19-7 lead going into halftime, we felt pretty confident that we could continue that going into the second half.       What stood out most was how complete a team effort it was. Every position group stepped up, special teams pinned Heidelber...
Read more

Week 5

     Last Saturday’s game at Wilmington was a reminder of what we already knew about playing in the OAC: there are no easy wins. We came away with the victory, but it was a much tighter game than we expected, 41-35. Credit to Wilmington; they played with a lot of fight and pushed us for the four full quarters. Even though we weren’t as sharp as we wanted to be in certain areas, we stayed together as a team, made plays when needed, and found a way to finish strong.      Games like that are humbling in the best way. They show us that no matter who the opponent is, we can’t take anything for granted. We have to bring our best every single week. The margin between winning and losing in this conference is small, and last Saturday proved that once again.      Now our focus turns to one of the biggest challenges on our schedule: Homecoming against Marietta. There’s already a lot of energy on campus with Homecoming week, but having a matchup like thi...
Read more