The College Football Playoffs conversation is starting to turn toxic under the 12-team system. Much like the recruiting trail, the SEC is dominating the conversation. More fuel went on the fire when SEC commissioner Greg Sankey issued some veiled shots at rival NCAA football conferences, sparking up a new NCAA College Football Playoff (CFP) controversy. It was not hard to decipher exactly who was not being mentioned by Sankey, who might have drawn a flag for targeting had this incident happened on the gridiron.
“Interesting to read analysis from others as they examine “strength of schedule” in college football,” Sankey tweeted. “It does seem there is a trend to be identified…”
Interesting to read analysis from others as they examine “strength of schedule” in college football…it does seem there is a trend to be identified… pic.twitter.com/pXSfxRMxvL
— Greg Sankey (@GregSankey) November 21, 2024
That trend is of Southeastern Conference contenders having some of the most impressive strength of schedule numbers in the nation. Alabama and Tennessee are allegedly getting credit from the CFP committee that is denied to Clemson, Indiana, and Miami. And that’s before getting to making a case for or against presumed Group of Five champions like Boise State or Tulane.
The usual social media trolls, Paul Finebaum callers defending the SEC, and CFP fact-checkers under Sankey’s missive had plenty of counter-evidence. They started by pointing out Sankey’s three formulas that are not public-facing. Some felt ESPN, Massey, and Sagarin show an SEC bias when compared to other rankings.
The SEC’s schedule was being questioned mostly due to some teams facing off against FBS competition in mid-November. Taking what some football gatekeepers view as a mini-bye week while other conferences slug out rivalry games is not the best look. At least, not when a committee is choosing the final championship bracket instead of the players on the field.
Another issue is the perceived SEC bias by ESPN and other power brokers who depend on preseason rankings for attention. The SEC’s middle class never falls far from the Top 25 because, well, they lost to a ranked team in a tough conference. Or so the debate goes.
These debates will continue in different forms and fashions until the NCAA’s next overhaul of the system. However, right now it is the best college football fans can expect. The firestorms will really stoke up once the final bracket is set. At least one big-market, blue-blood name is going to be left out in the cold once the teams are set in December.
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