For the first time ever, a committee of actual human beings will carefully curate four teams to play in college football’s inaugural playoff — the last team standing, of course, wins the national championship.
On Tuesday night, the group of 12 men and women with varying backgrounds and areas of expertise will release their first top-25 ranking.
As expected, most coaches — whether their team’s realistically in the mix or not, will voice their indifference to the affair.
Nebraska’s Bo Pelini:
“I've got other things on my mind. It won't affect me any.”
Penn State’s James Franklin:
“I didn’t know the rankings were tonight. I will not watch them."
Michigan State’s Mark Dantonio:
“I'll probably skip that one."
And there’s Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer:
“I spend zero time on that. We gotta try to find a way to win our seventh game.”
And this:
“I’m aware that’s going to happen tonight.”
This, too:
“I haven’t followed it that much I don’t know if there’s that much difference than (the BCS) ... The way I look at it now is that there’s four teams instead of two teams.”
The selection committee — which features the likes of chair and Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez, and Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne — will evaluate teams with the following metrics: wins/losses, common opponents, head-to-head results, strength of schedule, key injuries, and conference championships. That’s not an all-inclusive or definitive list, but you get the idea.
It’s why, because of an increasingly bad loss to a floundering Virginia Tech team and a watered down schedule, the Buckeyes have to win out and do in so in dominating fashion.
“I think style points are real. Does that affect the way we go about our business? Not at all,” Meyer said.
"I have no idea what their criteria is, but I imagine — everything I hear is it's very similar — the BCS and the playoffs are the same thing. Instead of the Top Two you gotta get in the top four.”
Of course, there is a balance to be struck here: Ohio State must obliterate the remaining overmatched teams on its schedule (Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota and Michigan) but it’s hard to think it’s mind isn’t on a massive bout against Michigan State two weekend from now in East Lansing — the team’s lone marquee game between now and when the selection committee determines its Final Four.
In walking that line, there is room to slip up. There always is. On the surface, a win against the Spartans feels more important because it is. But it won’t meaning anything unless the Buckeyes handle business elsewhere.
“We ain’t looking past nobody because, see, that’s how you get beat when you try to look past an opponent,” sophomore safety Tyvis Powell said.
“You take every game seriously because when you don’t — when you think you can just go in there and just slap somebody, that’s when you get in a fight. So you can’t look past no teams. I’ve never looked past Illinois.”
The Fighting Illini have been miserable under head coach Tim Beckman, but they notched their first Big Ten home under his direction after knocking off Minnesota last weekend.
“Illinois is much better. I know they lost their quarterback, but they're playing much better. I just spent all morning watching their defense, and they're much better than a year ago on defense,” Meyer said.
“Illinois is much improved from a year ago. There will be no overlooking anyone.”
He’s got his team saying the same thing.
“Nobody’s mindset should even be thinking about Michigan State at this time,” Powell said. “We’ve got Illinois up right now.
That’s true. But when the big picture is staring you right in the face, it’s hard to not look at it.
