It's time to shut the whole thing down and start over.
asserted
It → shut → thing
That's the only lesson to take away from the first installment of the College Football Playoff selection committee poll and what a debacle it, and the entire process, has proven to be.
asserted
it → take → debacle
As with most seasons, the Associated Press Top 25 Poll has been a disaster, with no consistent ranking philosophy, certain conferences enjoying an unearned boost among voters based on Nick Saban's coaching in the 2010s and an overreliance on preseason polls that mean nothing and are hopelessly inaccurate.
asserted
that → enjoy → nothing
But this week's College Football Playoff poll is so bad it made the Associated Press look competent.
asserted
Press → make → ?
There's just one problem: This poll is what actually matters.
asserted
what → be → ?
The other is using school athletic directors, who are subject to their own biases, to be the public face of the committee.
asserted
who → use → committee
But we'll get back to that.
asserted
we → get → that
The Alabama Crimson Tide have no case to be No. 5 in anything, let alone the College Football Playoff poll.
asserted
Tide → have → anything
Ohio State is No. 12, while the team they just lost to is No. 20.
asserted
they → lose → ?
Indiana is No. 4 for some reason, and Texas has been given a complete free pass after two horrific losses, including to an awful, legitimately terrible, Oklahoma team.
asserted
Texas → give → team
Seemingly what happened here is that the committee members sat down for a few hours, talked about their vacation homes and golf memberships, then threw some team names in a hat, tossed it in the air and ranked based on which piece of carpet they landed on.
asserted
they → happen → carpet
What should have happened?
asserted
What → happen → ?
Well, opinions vary, but a preferable outcome would be a transparent process with clearly communicated metrics and measurements.
asserted
outcome → vary → metrics
Instead, we have some vague references to a "strength of conference" number.
asserted
we → have → number
Which has never actually been defined for anyone.
asserted
Which → define → anyone
Instead, what we got is Hunter Yurachek rambling nonsense about Alabama's quality wins and quality losses.
asserted
Yurachek → get → wins
"Yes, they had that loss to Tennessee.
asserted
they → have → Tennessee
But Tennessee doesn't have that same level of quality wins.
asserted
Tennessee → have → wins
Yes, they beat Alabama, but you have to go deeper," he said while "explaining" the difference in ranking between the Tide and Volunteers.
asserted
he → beat → Tide
Therein lies the problem.
asserted
problem → lie → ?
The committee gives credit for "quality wins" based on their rankings.
asserted
committee → give → rankings
South Carolina is good, they say, because we ranked them.
asserted
we → say → them
Kentucky is a top quality win, they say, because we ranked them No. 6.
asserted
we → say → them
That's circuitous "logic" and it undermines the entire credibility of the process.
asserted
it → undermine → process
The committee seems to be saying Mississippi State would be good if not for injuries.
asserted
State → seem → injuries
But no other conference is afforded that same deference, assumption or apparent dismissal of the Bulldogs’ epic defensive collapse.
asserted
conference → afford → collapse
Just look at how Mississippi State has played of late:
- Lost 56-23 to Alabama
- Lost 31-0 to LSU
- Lost 23-15 to Oklahoma
- Lost 31-3 to Texas
This is what the committee gives Alabama credit for.
asserted
committee → look → credit
Does Kamario Taylor play defense too?
asserted
Taylor → play → defense
Would he have stopped his team from allowing over 35 points per game?
asserted
he → stop → game
Or are they just making things up as they go?
asserted
they → make → things
Ole Miss gets credit for their wins over No. 14 LSU and No. 18 Missouri, but little punishment for losing to Texas and the laughably ranked three-loss Gators.
asserted
Miss → get → Texas
Yet Ohio State has a win over No. 4 Indiana and No. 19 Iowa, and their two losses are to the same No. 7 Texas team and No. 20 USC.
asserted
losses → have → team
How does that justify one team at No. 10 and the other at No. 12?
asserted
that → justify → .
Well Yurachek had some brilliance to share there too.
asserted
Yurachek → have → brilliance
According to his explanation, the Buckeyes didn't look like the same team after Julian Sayin's injury, and they gave up "explosive plays" to the Trojans in their 30-18 loss.
uncertain
they → accord → loss
There's just one problem, the Rebels have been worse at giving up explosive plays than Ohio State.
asserted
Rebels → be → State
As one post on X noted, OSU "allowed two 40+ yard plays in that game, its first two such plays allowed this season."
asserted
OSU → note → game
Ole Miss has allowed 10 plays of 40+ yards this year.
asserted
Miss → allow → yards
If that sounds like they're just making it up as they go, it's because they are.
asserted
they → sound → it
But we also have some data to demonstrate how absurd, and absurdly slanted and biased these rankings are.
asserted
rankings → have → data
…and 24 more, not listed.
The Aporia
