The world of college football has come a long way. Gone are the days when the Bowl Championship Series decided the national champion through a combination of polls and computer rankings. In 2014, the College Football Playoff (CFP) replaced it.
Unlike the CFP, which places more emphasis on committee members with deep knowledge of the game, computers no longer decide who makes the cut.
How Does the College Football Playoff Selection Committee Decide the Final Teams?
This process is very different. Every year, a select group of experts called the College Football Playoff Selection Committee determines which teams deserve a shot at the national title. It’s not just about picking the top 4 teams.
The committee aims to select the top teams, rank them, and assign them to the playoff bracket. It’s all about finding the best, considering various factors. First comes the rankings.
What Is Taken Into Account to Rank Teams?
- Strength of schedule: Teams that challenge themselves with tough games get noticed.
- Head-to-head competition: If two teams are close, their head-to-head result is a big deal.
- Outcomes of common opponents: This is where teams facing similar competition are compared.
- Other factors: The availability of players and coaches who might affect a team’s performance also comes into play.
Then comes the voting process. Now, things get interesting. The committee goes through several rounds of voting. They start by selecting a smaller pool of teams, then slowly rank them, working their way from groups of three to four teams per round. At the end of each round, the committee members combine their rankings to form a composite list.
The committee ranks 25 teams in total, but not all of them make it to the playoffs. The top 5 conference champions and the following seven highest-ranked teams get in. If fewer than five conference champions make the top 25, the committee ensures that the next-best champions still get a chance to play.
So now, coming to how the teams are placed. The committee considers various metrics and assigns teams with a structured system to the bracket. The four highest-ranked conference champions have some perks. They are seeded 1-4 and get their byes. The remaining teams, including the fifth champion, fill out the remaining spots.
Teams ranked 5 through 8 will host games, taking on teams ranked 9 through 12. From there, it’s a win-or-go-home showdown. Then, the teams battle until the quarterfinals, semifinals, and eventually the championship.
Once the rankings are set, they cannot be changed. It’s a done deal; the teams that are picked are the teams that play. The committee meets weekly during the season to make interim rankings, so there’s plenty of drama building up to Selection Day.
KEEP READING: What Are the Differences Between the College Football Playoff and the BCS?
It’s all about getting the best matchups for the playoff and ensuring every team is considered. The committee also has a recusal policy to ensure fairness. It removed committee members with conflicts of interest from voting on teams they have ties to. Recused members can only provide factual information about a team but cannot participate in any deliberations or decisions involving that team.
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