Ever since the College Football Playoff became a thing, we've been told "NOW strength of schedule COUNTS!"
That never made sense to me. After all, if strength of schedule counts, we shouldn't have to worry about adding more teams to the field. Under the BCS, if 3 teams finished undefeated, the 2 with the toughest schedules should advance to the title game. This is pretty much what happened in the 2003 season when USC finished #1 in both polls and still missed out. The problem isn't that the BCS computers were less accurate than the "eye test", its that they were more accurate and people just liked the "eye test" anyway.
So now that 4 teams make the playoff, its easier for teams to back their way in by going undefeated with an easy schedule. The canard about strength of schedule mattering more is just a facade for the committee to justify picking major conference teams over mid majors with better records.
Should Cincinnati have made it? I don't know for sure, but what I do know for sure is that Notre Dame should not have. Anybody who watched both games between Clemson and ND could tell you that ND would have lost both if Trevor Lawrence was healthy for their first meeting. Cinci might get obliterated by Alabama, but ND probably will too.
The fact that Cinci finished behind 2-loss Oklahoma means its pretty much a foregone conclusion that no mid major will ever play for a national championship ever. I don't feel sorry for the mid majors tho. If they want a chance to play for a championship they could just drop down to I-AA, but they won't because who would give up all that TV money?
In the end, the NCAA either needs to impose an NCAA-sanctioned D-IA playoff just like they have in D-1AA, D-II, and D-III where every conference is guaranteed a spot, or just stop sponsoring football entirely.
That never made sense to me. After all, if strength of schedule counts, we shouldn't have to worry about adding more teams to the field. Under the BCS, if 3 teams finished undefeated, the 2 with the toughest schedules should advance to the title game. This is pretty much what happened in the 2003 season when USC finished #1 in both polls and still missed out. The problem isn't that the BCS computers were less accurate than the "eye test", its that they were more accurate and people just liked the "eye test" anyway.
So now that 4 teams make the playoff, its easier for teams to back their way in by going undefeated with an easy schedule. The canard about strength of schedule mattering more is just a facade for the committee to justify picking major conference teams over mid majors with better records.
Should Cincinnati have made it? I don't know for sure, but what I do know for sure is that Notre Dame should not have. Anybody who watched both games between Clemson and ND could tell you that ND would have lost both if Trevor Lawrence was healthy for their first meeting. Cinci might get obliterated by Alabama, but ND probably will too.
The fact that Cinci finished behind 2-loss Oklahoma means its pretty much a foregone conclusion that no mid major will ever play for a national championship ever. I don't feel sorry for the mid majors tho. If they want a chance to play for a championship they could just drop down to I-AA, but they won't because who would give up all that TV money?
In the end, the NCAA either needs to impose an NCAA-sanctioned D-IA playoff just like they have in D-1AA, D-II, and D-III where every conference is guaranteed a spot, or just stop sponsoring football entirely.