A Jersey Guy: CFP system was doomed from start

So you are a Florid State football fan and you are more than irate that your unbeaten, Atlantic  Coast Conference champion is not part of the College Football Final  Four package.

You are more than irate, since a once-beaten Alabama was chosen or that a once beaten Texas was also included, along with unbeaten Washington and unbeaten Michigan.

You should be mad, but this was not a conspiracy. It was the law of averages catching up with a CFP system which was flawed from its inception 10 years ago.

The system was set up with five Power 5 conferences--Pac-12, Big 12, ACC, Big Ten, and Southeastern champions as the primary contenders for FOUR playoff spots.

I was there when the announcement and format was made and asked CFP executive director Bill Hancock, the ultimate, "What if''qiestion What if all five conferences have unbeaten teams?

Hancock smiled and acknowledged the question and then explained that various tie breakers would have  to be used, but that the chances of having five unbeaten conference champions was slim at best.

Until this season, In the previous nine years, a maximum of 2 unbeaten teams were part of the Final Four package. 

No question about an unbeaten conference champion being excluded.

Next year, the Final  Four expands to 12, so leaving an unbeaten Power 5 conference champion will never be an issue.

Also part of this year's CFP was the choice of the highest ranked Group of 5 conference champion Liberty (C-USA) over SMU (American Athletic Conference).

"That was human error,'' said a disgusted AAC commissioner Mike Aresco. ""What were those (selection committee) people thinking.''

More about that later.

In terms of FSU's historic exclusion, the primary reason given for the Seminoles plight was the injury to starting QB Jordan Travis, who was lost for the season with a broken leg in a victory over North Alabama in the Seminoles 10th game.

""It is not the same FSU team (without Travis), explained CFP committee chairman Boo Corrigan.

That precludes that FSU then won its next games against Florida and Louisville in the ACC title game.

But the controversy over FSU ignores an obvious point. 

Once No. 1 Georgia lost to Alabama, the CFP committee in a no-win situation since there were remaining unbeaten teams (FSU, Michigan and Washington) plus at least 3 once-beaten conference champions (Alabama, Texas) and as well as once beaten Georgia, and Ohio State, all with resumes equal to or better than FSU.

Somebody was not going to be happy had a diminished team.

Ergo, the conclusion to exclude the Seminoles.

The system had two many good teams and only one arguable opening.

The exclusion of SMU,  which finished the season as twice beaten (but unbeaten in conference play) American Athletic Conference champion after its win at Tulane on Saturday in favor of 13-0 Liberty is harder, if not impossible, to defend.

SMU won a tougher league and played (but lost) to better non-conference competition (TCU and Oklahoma from the Big 12) as opposed to Liberty which beat Mid-American Conference also rans Bowling Green and Buffalo as well as hapless UMass.

,It's a subjective argument, but in the ''eye"" test, SMU would appear to be a better team than Liberty.

The consequences were signifcant.

Liberty is playing in a New Year's Six bowl game in the Fiesta Bowl against Oregon, while SMU is headed for a day after Christmas bowl game against Boston College in the Fenway Bowl at Boston's Fenway Park.

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With Army joining the AAC in football next year, only UMass and UConn remain as independents aside from CFB power Notre Dame.

ND can still thrive as an independent in football, UMass and UConn can barel y survive.

Not surprisingly, both schools are looking for solutions.

According to several sources, UMass is working hard at joining Conference USA in all sports, but is also working on a package which sends its teams to the MAC in all sports, but comes into the MAC with UConn as a football only member, since the Huskies are not going to leave the Big East for the second time in all of their other sports.

"We'll see,'' said UMass athletic director Ryan Bamford when asked about the switch. ""We're not sure what we will do.''

'A decision could be made in the next several weeks.

Stay tuned.