College Football Playoff Selection Show 2017: Date, Start Time and Live Stream
The monthslong debate regarding which teams should make the College Football Playoff will come to a conclusion, at least in the eyes of the selection committee, Sunday afternoon.
The committee has done a decent job deciphering who belongs in the top four based off a plethora of criteria, but Saturday's conference championship games could throw plans for a loop.
Time will be of the essence for the committee, which has to settle on four teams before noon Sunday after three major conference championship games that start at 8 p.m. ET.
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Selection Show Information
Date: Sunday, December 3
Start Time: Noon ET
Live Stream: Watch ESPN
The decision-making process late Saturday night and early Sunday morning could be easy for the committee—or it could turn into a long night of discussions about who deserves to play in the Rose and Sugar Bowls on New Year's Day.
The current top four is Clemson, Auburn, Oklahoma and Wisconsin, all of whom take to the gridiron in Week 14 in conference championship contests.
No. 1 Clemson plays No. 7 Miami in the ACC Championship Game, No. 2 Auburn squares off with No. 6 Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, No. 3 Oklahoma lines up against No. 11 TCU in the Big 12 Championship Game and No. 4 Wisconsin faces No. 8 Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game.
If everything goes to form Saturday, the discussion surrounding the top four will be simple. Clemson, Auburn, Oklahoma and Wisconsin will be the playoff teams.
Even if Miami and Georgia win along with Oklahoma and Wisconsin, the decision should be easy for the committee, as it would place the ACC and SEC champions into the playoff positions. All that would have to be settled in that scenario is where each team deserves to be seeded.
The playoff scenarios become more odd after that, with potential situations that could see Clemson remain in the top four with a loss, Alabama getting in over Ohio State and the Big 12 not having a participant in the playoff.
Perhaps the most difficult decision would come between Alabama and Ohio State if the top three in the rankings are victorious and the Buckeyes emerge as Big Ten champions.
Committee chairman Kirby Hocutt noted Tuesday night that there's little difference between the teams ranked No. 5 through No. 8, per Bill Rabinowitz of the Columbus Dispatch:
If it were to come down to the Crimson Tide and Buckeyes, the committee could use last year's selection process as a guideline as to how things should go down. In 2016, Penn State won the Big Ten Championship while Ohio State did not participate, but the Buckeyes still qualified for the playoff.
There's no indication as to what the committee might do in that situation this time around, but there are likely to be a few decision-makers hoping it doesn't come down to that.
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