There are many adages that can be used to describe the College Football Playoff but “To the rich go the spoils” is the most descriptive and appropriate.
On Tuesday afternoon, when the first CFP rankings were released, this held true once again.
Georgia, Alabama, Michigan State and Oregon were the top four teams, respectively.
The two biggest shockers, and causes of infuriation and protest, were Cincinnati at 6 and Oklahoma at 8.
At that moment, the committee made it crystal clear to everyone in sports. Forget the rules, fairness, and essence of competition.
We, the CFP, are about money, name and the SEC, period.
At this point, if they don’t expand to twelve teams, then they should formally announce that the College Football Playoff is the official home of the SEC and a select number of teams from the Power 5.
And those select few are based upon revenue, name and tradition.
In all actuality, it’s built for Alabama and fewer than 10 teams.
Now, this is nothing new. Conference and team bias in college football has always existed.
It was heightened with the BCS and accelerated with the College Football Playoff.
It’s completely different from college basketball, where all teams have a chance of winning a championship based upon the post-season tournament.
College football is a biased system that favors certain schools with bigger names and budgets.
It’s a complete reflection of American society, where fortune and tradition, not performance, too often determine opportunity.
How else can you explain how Alabama, with one loss to an unranked Texas A&M, jumped everyone to fill the #2 spot?
Colin Cowherd manifested this sentiment on Tuesday by stating “the college football committee got it right.”
His rationale is that Alabama gets a pass for their loss because they earned it.
“You earn things in life,” said Cowherd. “Alabama recruits at a higher level than Cincinnati, Oregon, Oklahoma. Alabama consistently plays in more hostile environments.”
During his show on Wednesday, Cowherd doubled down.
He felt that because Alabama lost that game in front of a raucous crowd in the fourth quarter, they earned a pass.
This exemplifies the problem with college football and why it’s a manifestation of American society.
Tradition and name carry privilege and are used as both an explanation of, and excuses for, behavior.
In a just system, the Tide wouldn’t be given a pass simply because they’re Alabama and recruit so well.
But as we’re all well aware, our systems are far from just.
One look at what’s going on in Florida, Texas, and the Kyle Rittenhouse trial makes that clear.
It’s undeniable that Alabama is one of the top programs annually in college football, yet that’s not the current question.
The real question is does the perennial college football powerhouse deserve to be ranked second in the nation this season after suffering a loss to an unranked team.
That answer is no.
College Football’s Quasi-Caste System
College football is a quasi-caste system where teams outside of the Power 5 seldom get the opportunity for advancement past their current station.
It completely ignores the essence of competition and bases decisions on bias.
Alabama is great, but that doesn’t mean they deserve a mulligan if they lose one game.
You have to earn your place each season. The previous season or tradition should not factor into current CFP projections.
Is Cincinnati better than Alabama historically? No.
But the Bearcats have proven they can play and earned a spot in the Top 4, even against the Crimson Tide.
They went into Notre Dame earlier this year and beat the Irish, who are currently ranked tenth.
The caste system of college football, particularly the College Football Playoff, doesn’t want the best teams from the Group of 5 conferences to play the top programs.
If you were Oregon or Michigan State, would you prefer Cincinnati or Temple on your schedule?
The CFP system denies them a place in the December rankings when the big money games are on the line.
The powers that be don’t want a repeat of Boise State vs. Oklahoma (2007 Fiesta Bowl) or Utah vs. Pittsburgh (2005 BCS Fiesta Bowl). It was damaging to their power structure then and it would be even more damning now.
This is why they so blatantly ignore and belittle the Cincinnati Bearcats.
They know they’re good and have earned their place in the top four. They proved that at the Peach Bowl in January when they lost to Georgia on a last-second field goal in a game they could have and should have won.
But Cincinnati doesn’t have the name or prestige of Alabama, Michigan State or Oregon, so they’re relegated outside of the velvet ropes surrounding the VIP room of the top tier teams.
Removing the Bearcats from the Top 4 prevents them from earning recognition and obtaining the CFP financial windfall that helps them grow.
In terms of revenue, the Bearcats rank 51st, so making it to the CFP would increase their fortunes and position considerably.
But the committee will flex its muscles to ensure that this move won’t happen.
“This is the seventh year [of the CFP], and it does appear the deck is stacked against us and against other [Group of 5 teams],” said AAC commissioner Mike Aresco last year.
It’s a perfect example of how a restrictive system unfairly and unjustly hampers the financial advancement and futures of programs outside of the Power 5, thus keeping them in their “place”.
And it’s an even better example of how the College Football Playoff mirrors our current society.
