Boy, that escalated quickly. Whether it's "Anchorman" or some other use of the colloquialism, this past weekend was feisty. The dust has finally settled on the pigskin pugilism that encompassed the nation. From Columbus to Tucson, from Chapel Hill to Auburn, emotions ran high during the annual tradition known as "Rivalry Week." As trophies were lifted and results flashed through, one overarching theme resonated ... there may still be something to this regular season thing in college football.
We'll return to the chaos shortly. A couple of weeks ago, I was part of a discussion at my workplace. The subject was the expanded playoffs at the FBS level and how it was taking away from the importance of the regular season. My co-worker made the argument that the widened field diluted the losses that teams may take on during their respective 12-week schedules. I could not have disagreed more and believe this holiday stint provided proof positive to my point.
Over the course of the season, teams have woven their way in and out of the playoff picture. What was clear has been so since the announcement of the postseason expansion. SEC and Big Ten teams were going to be weighted more heavily (and favorably) to schools from other leagues, even the ACC and Big XII. However, the nuances have changed. I understand that the higher-ranked teams have more wiggle room for error. However, this new system has served some punishment for continued losing. Think about the games that mattered over the weekend.
* Ole Miss was still fighting for playoff survival in their Egg Bowl battle with Mississippi State.
* The Iron Bowl meant more than just bragging rights to a 3-loss Alabama squad.
* Tennessee had everything to play for against Vanderbilt.
* South Carolina and Clemson looked like they were conducting their own play-in game...
* Until Miami may have spit the bit in a shootout loss at Syracuse.
* The Big XII race came down the one of the final matchups of the weekend, with tiebreakers needed to separate four programs at the top.
In many years, most of these tilts wouldn't have mattered in the national championship chase (well, except for the Clemson and Miami results). Because of the new 12-team field, these games had import and impact. If last year's 4-team model was in place for this season, Tuesday night's latest playoff reveal would have all but shut out most of the country. A trio of Big Ten squads (Oregon, Penn State, and Ohio State), a trio of SEC schools (Texas, Georgia, and Tennessee), and Notre Dame comprised the top seven teams in the CFP rankings. You'd have to go down to No. 8 to find an ACC team (SMU). And the Big XII barely shows up in the top 15. Regular seasons are being extended with the new format.
Now, let's take the argument a little closer to home (so to speak). Michigan had no business beating Ohio State this season. The defending champions lost a ton of talent and their head coach. The Wolverines were barely bowl eligible, rumbling into Columbus at 6-5. The Buckeyes were more talented, more driven, and hungrier. But rivalry can even things out.
After "That School Up North" shocked the crowd at the Horseshoe, a bunch of players got into their feelings. The visitors decided to start what turned out to be a trend on Saturday. The attempted planting of the UM flag at Ohio State's logo turned the emotional quotient up to 20. Was the ensuing melee bad? Yep. I continually learn that passion can easily get out of hand. But, for the sake of my argument, I would offer that the brawl exhibited the pride each team has in finishing their seasons on an up-note.
In my mind, the problem with the argument about playoff expansions diluting regular seasons is that all of the participants have to take part in the prerequisite courses to reach the graduate stage. Yes, all schedules are unequal in the world of college athletics. It's been that way ever since higher education made way for top-tier athletes to play their sports on campus. To get through the regular season is an effort unto itself ... at least, that's what pretty much every coach will tell you (no matter how dominant they've been throughout one).
The fact that committees factor strength of schedule into consideration for selecting tournament participants tell us that the makeup of a yearly opponent list, let alone playing it out, is impactful. There's still just as much risk in playing lesser-talented teams as there is in beefing up the slate to impress (said committee) and grow (from potential setbacks).
There are definitely issues that college football needs to continue addressing. The dilution of the regular season, at this point, ain't one of them. It might not be "near-impossible" to win a national title anymore. However, "barely probable" isn't a smooth ride, either.
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