# 2023/4 NCAA Football playoffs **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** football-nfl\ **Created:** [October 22, 2023, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2023-4-ncaa-football-playoffs/991907 "2023-10-22T03:16:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2023, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2023-4-ncaa-football-playoffs/991907/41 "2023-12-03T08:20:08Z")
Looks like it might be 1 Michigan 2 Washington 3 Florida State (guess which conference the playoff committee chair is from) 4 Alabama ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2023, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2023-4-ncaa-football-playoffs/991907/42 "2023-12-03T12:37:08Z")
Assuming the committee values head-to-head tiebreakers, I can’t see what the rationale would be for putting Bama ahead of Texas, unless it’s either a) SEC bias or b) “Bama beat the No. 1 ranked team in the nation but Texas has not beaten any team higher than No. 4.” On a side note, I think that, while 4 playoff berths is too few, the NCAA’s expansion to 12 berths next year is too many. 8 is the sweet spot. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2023, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2023-4-ncaa-football-playoffs/991907/43 "2023-12-03T14:02:41Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Looks like it might be > 1 Michigan > 2 Washington > 3 Florida State (guess which conference the playoff committee chair is from) > 4 Alabama That was my thought, except the committee might rank Alabama ahead of FSU. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2023, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2023-4-ncaa-football-playoffs/991907/44 "2023-12-03T14:07:50Z")
If FSU goes undefeated and ends up left out of the playoffs, that may push them over the edge into suing their way out of the ACC. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2023, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2023-4-ncaa-football-playoffs/991907/45 "2023-12-03T14:47:44Z")
This shows the inadequacy of a four team playoff. It needs to be 16 teams, with every conference, not just the power ones, getting their champion in. That leaves about 6 teams at large, which the committee would love to have all be SEC teams. What should happen: Michigan Washington Florida State Texas What will happen: Michigan Washington Alabama Georgia ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2023, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2023-4-ncaa-football-playoffs/991907/46 "2023-12-03T15:10:17Z")
I don’t think Florida State is out because: The Chair is from the ACC. FSU has been consistently ranked above where they should be (see above) even though the committee cannot articulate why. No undefeated Power 5 has even been held out of the playoffs in 4 team mode. > [@Velocity](#): > > unless it’s either a) SEC bias or b) “Bama beat the No. 1 ranked team in the nation but Texas has not beaten any team higher than No. 4.” Both ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2023, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2023-4-ncaa-football-playoffs/991907/47 "2023-12-03T15:17:01Z")
One problem with letting FSU in is that they look like a team that could very well get annihilated 65-7 the way TCU did last year. Not only would that be an embarrassment to the committee, but it would lead to uproar by Texas/Bama fans who would be enraged about their team having been left out in favor of a weak team that gets crushed. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2023, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2023-4-ncaa-football-playoffs/991907/48 "2023-12-03T15:35:59Z")
I think that any outcome (FSU, Alabama or Texas being left out) ultimately just accelerates the date when the SEC and Big Ten discard the NCAA and dictate the postseason structure between them. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2023, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2023-4-ncaa-football-playoffs/991907/49 "2023-12-03T15:45:52Z")
> [@flurb](#): > > I think that any outcome (FSU, Alabama or Texas being left out) ultimately just accelerates the date when the SEC and Big Ten discard the NCAA and dictate the postseason structure between them Of course, there will be a 12-team playoff next year, which will create arguments as to who’s the 12th-best team in the country, but it would certainly aid the committee this year. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2023, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2023-4-ncaa-football-playoffs/991907/50 "2023-12-03T17:26:35Z")
It’s official 1. Michigan 2. Washington 3. Texas 4. Alabama Left out Florida State, Georgia ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2023, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2023-4-ncaa-football-playoffs/991907/51 "2023-12-03T17:34:38Z")
On one hand it seems wrong to leave out an undefeated Power 5 team in favor of two teams with worse records. On the other hand, that last game did not make FSU look like a team that belongs in the top 4 despite winning it. That was some bad football from both teams. ---
**Author:** ![SwissMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@SwissMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwissMan)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2023, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2023-4-ncaa-football-playoffs/991907/52 "2023-12-03T17:36:13Z")
I don’t feel tremendously badly about this situation. The only real gripe I would have had would have been putting Alabama in and leaving Texas out. Putting them in this way creates a possible scenario where the two could meet again in the championship game. We will see. FSU being left out is a final exclamation point on how stupid the four team playoff was to begin with. Next year cannot come quick enough. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2023, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2023-4-ncaa-football-playoffs/991907/53 "2023-12-03T17:39:17Z")
Yeah, the committee was screwed. They couldn’t leave out an SEC team, because reasons, and they couldn’t put Bama in and leave Texas out. So, sorry, Florida State. It’ll be interesting to see how the other bowl matchups shake out. I think a Georgia/Ohio State game would be excellent, or maybe Oregon against either of those teams. Florida State could play Iowa to see if they could break the record for punts in a bowl game. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2023, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2023-4-ncaa-football-playoffs/991907/54 "2023-12-03T17:48:04Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > I don’t think Florida State is out because: > The Chair is from the ACC. > FSU has been consistently ranked above where they should be (see above) even though the committee cannot articulate why. > No undefeated Power 5 has even been held out of the playoffs in 4 team mode. Now that we know the outcome, if I’m FSU I have to think that – if we couldn’t get a playoff bid with an undefeated record AND our guy chairing the selection committee – there is no value in remaining in the ACC. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2023, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2023-4-ncaa-football-playoffs/991907/55 "2023-12-03T17:49:10Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > Florida State could play Iowa to see if they could break the record for punts in a bowl game. LOL, early in yesterday’s game I was calling it the ACC Punting Championship. That’s what it looked like. For a bit the most excitement was from how good the punts were. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2023, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2023-4-ncaa-football-playoffs/991907/56 "2023-12-03T22:51:40Z")
Another year, another kissing of SEC ass. ---
**Author:** ![Gretzky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gretzky/32/6682_2.png) [@Gretzky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gretzky)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2023, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2023-4-ncaa-football-playoffs/991907/57 "2023-12-03T23:23:54Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Another year, another kissing of SEC ass. Georgia is out of the playoffs after being ranked #1 and losing a 3-point game to a 1-loss team in a conference championship game, which TCU survived against a 3-;loss Kansas St. team last year. That doesn’t seem like SEC bias to me. FSU can’t strictly argue “undefeated” because Liberty would then be in the playoff if that was the only criteria. So FSU has to argue “Power-5” which is really arguing Strength of Schedule. SoS: Alabama 3, Texas 17, FSU 50. University of Illinois fan, if you’re wondering about _my_ biases. Love the 12-team expansion. You’ll still have debates and controversies about the last few slots, but no undefeated or 1-loss team should ever not get in, unless it’s Western Kentucky or Troy. ---
**Author:** ![2outta3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2outta3/32/15520_2.png) [@2outta3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2outta3)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2023, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2023-4-ncaa-football-playoffs/991907/58 "2023-12-04T01:03:15Z")
Spot on. I do believe that Alabama defeating a 29 week undefeated, number 1 Georgia team in the SEC championship game and Alabama being who they are from a historical perspective (“They’ve got a name for the winners in the world…”) carried enough weight to persuade enough on-the-fence voters in a way that probably wouldn’t have worked for any other one loss team vs.an undefeated Florida St. And there was no way not to include Texas if you included Alabama since that one loss was to Texas (albeit the first game of the season but still…). No matter whether the field of four is eventually expanded or not, there will always be controversy as long as a committee is involved in determining the qualifiers for whatever number of spots are available. Shoot, I remember the days when it was various organizations like the AP, UPI, and etc… that each selected the national champion and the final top 20 teams and in many of those years, they didn’t always agree. ---
**Author:** ![Chingon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chingon/32/17645_2.png) [@Chingon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chingon)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2023, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2023-4-ncaa-football-playoffs/991907/59 "2023-12-04T01:07:41Z")
> [@2outta3](#): > > (albeit the first game of the season but still…). False ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2023, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2023-4-ncaa-football-playoffs/991907/60 "2023-12-04T01:16:44Z")
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