College Football Playoff committee makes clear it will use the 'eye test' to sort out contenders

The College Football Playoff enactment committee came into its meetings equipped with a twelve metrics to assistance it tease retired the differences that volition yet determine which teams play for a nationalist championship.

When the first acceptable of rankings were revealed Tuesday night, committee president Mack Rhoades said the members were conscionable arsenic apt to look astatine crippled portion alongside each the statistics.

“I deliberation we notation to it arsenic creation and science,” said Rhoades, the diversion manager astatine Baylor.

If you're speechmaking betwixt the lines, which is each you tin truly bash erstwhile it comes to the committee, the “eye test” — that decades-old splash of subjectiveness that the 12-team playoff was built to subvert — volition play a meaningful relation successful mounting the bracket.

What's known aft the archetypal reveal: Defending champion Ohio State is No. 1 but is considered hardly amended than 2 different undefeated teams down the Buckeyes, Indiana and Texas A&M.

There's no large contention there, though the Aggies did person an argument. Their 41-40 triumph astatine Notre Dame aboriginal successful the play mightiness beryllium the astir awesome successful the athletics truthful acold this year. They besides person played a tougher docket — one of the metrics — than either of the Big Ten teams up of them.

Rhoades' reply to that: Ohio State and Indiana person been amended connected defense, a decision the committee drew from some the stats and their eyes.

"I deliberation the creation is watching the squad connected movie and portion and however bully they are, however carnal they are up front, violative line, antiaircraft enactment play, however bully are they up the middle, their backmost play, their accomplishment players," Rhoades said. “And past surely contemplating and looking astatine metrics.”

If the playoff was held based connected the initial CFP rankings, the matchups would be:

— No. 12 effect Memphis astatine No. 5 Georgia, victor vs. No. 4 Alabama.

— No. 11 effect Virginia astatine No. 6 Ole Miss, victor vs. No. 3 Texas A&M.

— No. 10 effect Notre Dame astatine No. 7 BYU, victor vs. No. 2 Indiana.

— No. 9 effect Oregon astatine No. 8 Texas Tech, victor vs. No. 1 Ohio State.

The archetypal 3 teams out: Texas, Oklahoma, Utah.

If the playoff was held based connected the latest AP Top 25 rankings, the matchups would beryllium somewhat different:

— No. 12 effect Memphis astatine No. 5 Georgia, victor vs. No. 4 Alabama.

— No. 11 effect Virginia astatine No. 6 Oregon, victor vs. No. 3 Texas A&M.

— No. 10 effect Notre Dame astatine No. 7 Mississippi, victor vs. No. 2 Indiana.

— No. 9 effect Texas Tech astatine No. 8 BYU, victor vs. No. 1 Ohio State.

The archetypal 3 teams out: Oklahoma, Texas, Louisville.

Memphis, which would've made the bracket this week, is obscurity to beryllium recovered successful the committee's archetypal apical 25.

Despite that, the Tigers of the American Conference would beryllium the 12th effect this week based connected the information that they are the fifth-best rated league champion.

The automatic byes for league champions person been eliminated this year, but 5 champions are inactive guaranteed spots successful the tourney (No. 14 Virginia of the ACC besides would displace a top-12 team).

Memphis, which is 8-1 and is ranked 22nd by the AP, vaulted into this spot with a triumph 2 weeks agone implicit South Florida, which has victories implicit Boise State and Florida and had an wrong way connected the Group of Five spot.

Now, it's up for grabs. There is nary 2024 Boise State retired determination and the 5th league champion figures to leap up of astir 15 teams to marque the bracket, which volition undoubtedly person immoderate interaction connected however the SEC and Big Ten presumption automatic bids successful discussions connected playoff expansion.

Coming disconnected a 45-14 thumping of Cincinnati, Utah ended up 13th successful the CFP rankings. The Utes are tied for 4th successful the Big 12 — not perfect — but their docket isn't truthful tough.

Oregon is ranked sixth successful the AP poll, but the committee didn't spot it that way, dropping the Ducks to ninth. They play 3 ranked teams down the stretch, which could chopped some ways. Wins implicit each would marque Oregon a cinch for astatine slightest an at-large bid. But Iowa, Washington and USC volition each beryllium looking astatine a triumph implicit Oregon arsenic their accidental to get successful the playoff conversation.

— No. 7 BYU astatine No. 8 Texas Tech: Winner successful the driver's spot for an at-large bid if the Big 12 Conference rubric doesn't enactment out.

— No. 3 Texas A&M astatine No. 22 Missouri: What does spot of docket mean? We'll find retired if the Aggies triumph and Ohio State (minus 29 1/2) handles Purdue and Indiana (minus 15 1/2) beats Penn State.

— Auburn astatine No. 16 Vanderbilt: Everyone loves that Vanderbilt story. A triumph implicit a struggling squad that conscionable fired its manager is simply a indispensable to support the imagination alive.

___

Get canvass alerts and updates connected the AP Top 25 passim the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP assemblage football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football