Notre Dame's Iconic Brand Has Playoff Committee Between a Rock and a Hard Place
The selection committee finds itself in a most precarious position—one that transcends selecting the top four teams in college football. If push comes to shove and all things are generally equal, would a College Football Playoff so deeply concerned about eyeballs and interest really tell Notre Dame, the sport's most polarizing brand, to try again next year?
Stay tuned. (Well, maybe.)
In the latest College Football Playoff rankings, the top four didn't budge: Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State and Notre Dame made up the "current" playoff as teams below them bounced around like pinballs.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
The Irish, with a win over Wake Forest, withstood pushes from Iowa and the Big 12 once more. Those pushes will likely grow stronger in the coming weeks, although Notre Dame is not without its own opportunity. After playing Boston College in Fenway Park this weekend, Brian Kelly's team will head out to Stanford to deliver its final selection-committee impression.
One of the teams it's most directly competing with, Oklahoma, will have multiple opportunities to impress. After beating then-No. 6 Baylor on Saturday, the Sooners could add wins over No. 18 TCU and No. 6 Oklahoma State in the coming weeks. This is shaping up to be the 2015 version of Ohio State.
With that in mind, the doomsday scenario for the College Football Playoff is looming: If Oklahoma and Notre Dame are left fighting for a single vacancy, which team does the selection committee take?
The Irish aren't just a big brand out of place. While they might be absent a marquee win, their schedule's consistency trumps just about anyone not named Alabama. And a victory over Navy, now No. 16 in the latest rankings, could end up morphing into a marquee win whether the world is ready to embrace it or not.
This isn't some farce. Notre Dame is exceptional. Its resume is excellent. And its close loss to No. 1 Clemson—a 24-22 road defeat—could be a tipping point in this discussion. It certainly looks meaty compared to Oklahoma's still unexplainable loss to Texas.
But with the Irish, especially in a year this convoluted, it can't just be about football. While the Sooners are no slouch in the branding department, few teams match the intrigue—the deep love and even deeper hate—that Notre Dame provides.
There's a weight to this that the committee will have to carry. The conspiracy theories, whether they're warranted or not, will rain down.
In a way it's not fair to the Irish—an exceptional team that has battled through injuries to deliver a remarkable year—one that might be playoff-worthy. It's also not fair to the selection committee. Whether the members realize it or not, politics could play a role. And even if they don't, the perception of politics playing a role could loom large.
Notre Dame is far more than a fantastic and resilient football team; it is a potential golden ticket. The committee, if it comes down to it, will have to decide just what to do with the Irish.
As for other thoughts on the latest playoff standings, let's get to it.
So the Pac-12 Might Not Be Dead After All
I'd like to take a brief moment to apologize to the Pac-12. This will only take a second.
In the heat of the moment, after a long day of maddening results, I closed the door late Saturday night on the Pac-12's chances of making the College Football Playoff.
After seeing the selection committee's work Tuesday night, I've decided to wedge that door open a wee bit. An average house cat—one with a regular exercise plan—could not fit through the opening. My bad, Pac-12.
Stanford didn't plummet from its No. 7 spot. In fact, after losing to Oregon, the Cardinal should be thrilled about checking in at No. 11 in the latest rankings.
This wasn't a TCU-esque tumble; this was a modest fall during the right week. Many others did the same.
With a game against Notre Dame still looming—along with a likely spot in the Pac-12 Championship Game if all goes as planned against Cal on Saturday—Stanford has enough firepower to inch closer to where it needs to be.
To climb that far, however, the Cardinal will need help. This is not an optimal spot by any means. Chaos of the most chaotic variety is necessary, but perhaps it's not as much as originally believed.
Oklahoma, As Expected, Is a Contender Once More
In some ways, Oklahoma's Tuesday night was mildly disappointing. Some questioned before the reveal whether the Sooners' convincing victory over Baylor in Week 11 would propel them as high as the top five. That was not to be.
Instead, Oklahoma had to "settle" for the selection committee's No. 7 spot. While this wasn't the shocking rise some were anticipating, make no mistake about it: The Sooners are in lovely shape to crash the playoff, even with that loss to Texas sitting uncomfortably in their sidecar.
Bob Stoops' team debuted at No. 15 just two short weeks ago. Now, it only has to rise three more spots in order to complete an Ohio State-like climb. With those games against TCU and Oklahoma State on tap, Oklahoma could state an emphatic case.
The Sooners are not a lock, but no team has done more to improve its chances over the past few weeks.
The Lurking Contender
Of all the teams currently in complete control of their seasons, Florida is, without an ounce of doubt, the program being discussed the least. In fact, this feels like a good time to point out that the Gators are right there—sitting at No. 8 with ample opportunities ahead.
Now, this is the part of the Florida playoff hopeful section where I point out the obvious: Unless something drastically changes with the offense, the Gators will not realize this potential. Let's get that straight.
After barely getting by Vanderbilt, Florida let an overmatched South Carolina team hang around for quite a while Saturday. Still, after everything, there is only one loss on its schedule.
This weekend, the Gators draw Florida Atlantic. After that, they will play Florida State and likely Alabama in the SEC Championship Game. There will be no debate if they win those two games—and that "if" should probably be presented in size-72 font.
They win out, and they're in.
It may seem unlikely with a backup quarterback leading the push, but there are only a handful of teams still fortunate enough to make this assertion. This is one of them, even if we don't care to talk about it.
North Carolina Watch: Week 12
The Tar Heels have become a pet project of mine. Over the past couple of weeks, few teams have looked more dominant in conference play. And yet, it's abundantly clear that the selection committee isn't as high on North Carolina as everyone else
After spending time at No. 23 last week, the Tar Heels made a nice jump to No. 17 in the latest rankings. But given the way this team has played—and the way others have not—this is frustratingly low. Selection committee chairman Jeff Long, while making his weekly ESPN appearance, gave some insight as to why that's the case.
"They do have two FCS wins on their record," Long said. "The committee certainly is aware of that."
Long tied a bow on the subject, bringing up the team's Week 1 loss (via Fox Sports' Stewart Mandel):
"Jeff Long on UNC: Two FCS wins, and opening loss to South Carolina "weighing them down."
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) November 18, 2015"
Please note: "Weighing them down" is not a term any team wants to acquire in this system. It might as well be a giant anchor. This is a tag that cannot be shed, no matter how well the Tar Heels play in the weeks to follow.
With a potential matchup against Clemson in the ACC Championship Game still likely, North Carolina can no doubt rise. But after hearing Long carve apart its journey to this point, it seems unlikely that a dream finish would be enough.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
