SEC Bias By The CFP And College Football Media Is Shameful And Harmful

Watching college football this weekend would have you thinking that no other conference exists except the SEC.

Every sports talk show debated whether the SEC would/should get one, two or (gasp!) zero teams in the College Football Playoff (CFP). It was an embarrassing love affair with a single conference that, while worthy of praise, showed that parity and fairness no longer exist in the world of big-money college football.

On Sunday afternoon, that love affair was confirmed when Florida State was bounced from the CFP in favor of the one-loss Alabama Crimson Tide, making the Seminoles the first undefeated P5 team not to make the CFP.

This was an atrocious decision, one that gave the middle finger to competition and concretely signaled not only the CFP’s bias toward the SEC conference but also that college football is solely about ratings and revenue, not competition or fairness.

“To me, this is a travesty of the sport,” exclaimed ESPN’s Booger McFarland. “One team has a loss and that’s Alabama. One doesn’t in Florida State.”

Defenders of the committee’s decision, including the committee itself, justified the decision by deferring to what would be the best matchup and where the teams were now instead of a few weeks ago, insinuating that the Seminoles were not worthy of a CFP appearance without star QB Jordan Travis, who suffered a season-ending injury a few weeks ago.

“Florida State is a different team than they were through the first 11 weeks,” said CFP committee chair Boo Corrigan. “Coach Norvell, their players, their fans…an incredible season. But as you look at who they are as a team right now without Jordan Travis, without the offensive dynamic that he brings to it, they are a different team, the committee voted Alabama four and Florida State five.”

Corrigan’s response completely disrespects Florida State’s defense and ignores their two wins over SEC teams (LSU and Florida) and that they were still undefeated despite losing Travis.

Every year it feels like the committee will try anything to get Alabama into the playoffs, including ignoring early-season losses and ugly performances. This year it was a loss to Texas at home and the prayer the Tide needed to beat a 6-5 Auburn team in the Iron Bowl.

The CFP’s unwavering loyalty to the SEC is shameful. It has now disrespected a Power 5 program that won both its regular season and conference championship titles.

And ESPN should not escape blame either.

The network brought SEC commissioner Greg Sankey onto the set of College Gameday on Saturday and let him weigh in on the possibility of the SEC getting blanked by the CFP committee.

In reality, it was a free lobbying session for the SEC’s commissioner.

“If Alabama were to upset Georgia, SEC being left out, what would be your response to that?” asked Rece Davis.

“That’s not the real world of college football,” replied Sankey. “Let’s go back to like, Sesame Street, so we’re really basic. One of these things is not like the other, and that’s the South Eastern Conference.

“We stand alone regardless of today’s outcome. I think the opportunity in front of the committee is to acknowledge that there could be, depending upon the outcome, two of the best four teams from the SEC.”

If you think Sankey’s comments didn’t carry weight, Sunday’s decision should convince you otherwise. How else could the eighth-ranked Tide jump four spots after beating Georgia to secure the final spot in the playoff?

Did you see ACC commissioner James Phillips given the same opportunity to sway the committee on Saturday? What about Big 10 commissioner Tony Petitti being allowed to promote Ohio State?

Let’s not forget that ESPN and the SEC begin their exclusive, 10-year, $3 billion media rights partnership next season, so it’s not a coincidence that Sankey was on ESPN before CBS Sports’ final SEC broadcast.

Penalizing the Seminoles for losing Jordan Travis conveniently ignores CFP history regarding backup quarterbacks. Third-string QB Cardale Jones led Ohio State to wins in the Big Ten Championship Game, the Sugar Bowl win and the CFP National Championship game in 2015. So Florida State still had a chance to win.

But to the committee, the draw of Jordan Travis was absent, which tells you their decision was based on ratings and not righteousness.

That alone damages the credibility of the committee.

“The consequences of giving in to a narrative of the moment are destructive, far-reaching and permanent,” said FSU AD Michael Alford in a statement. “Not just to Florida State, but college football as a whole.”

If the SEC was blanked from the CFP for the first time since it was launched in 2014, so what? There’s no requirement in the CFP bylaws that the SEC must be included in the playoffs (although it certainly feels that way).

ACC Commissioner Phillips addressed that sentiment and the committee’s selection process.

“It’s unfathomable that Florida State, an undefeated Power Five conference champion, was left out of the College Football Playoff. Their exclusion calls into question the selection process and whether the Committee’s own guidelines were followed, including the significant importance of being an undefeated Power Five conference champion,” railed Phillips. “My heart breaks for the talented FSU student-athletes and coaches and their passionate and loyal fans. Florida State deserved better. College football deserved better.”

The decision was so egregious that it had poor Jordan Travis lamenting for not breaking his leg sooner.

“I wish my leg broke earlier in the season so y’all could see this team is much more than the quarterback,” tweeted Travis.

In 2024, the CFP expands to 12 teams. If I were Commissioner Phillips, Petitti, or Brett Yormark (Big 12), I would be livid about Florida State’s exclusion because it sets a dangerous ranking precedent for next year, one that is clearly biased towards the SEC.

And it doesn’t just hurt FSU’s players. The ACC loses out on $6 million in revenue distribution by Florida State being excluded from the CFP.

So Alabama stole a spot and the ACC’s check.

Sunday’s decision by the CFP committee proved that in college football, which has seen media rights deals and realignment decisions driven to ridiculous heights, equal opportunity and on-field results is a farce for it boils down to two choices.

The SEC and then everyone else.