Written by: Eric Meyer

Published: December 5, 2023

The favoring of one-loss teams over the unbeaten isn't new, and it started with the first College Football Playoff selections.

In 2014, the NCAA shook up the landscape of college football’s postseason by moving to a four-game playoff as selected by a committee and away from the BCS system that placed two teams in the National Title Game. It was a welcome change for people who wanted to see worthy contenders get their shot on the field instead of praying that an algorithm liked the cut of their quarterback’s jib. It has also proven to be a ratings bonanza, drawing eyeballs from tens of millions every New Year.

This season, however, the CFP committee’s decision crossed a red line. Florida State, the 13-0 ACC champions, were ranked 5th behind undefeated Michigan and Washington as well as one-loss Texas and Alabama, excluding them from the playoff and denying them a shot at the National Championship.

Numerous fans and talking heads took to their social media accounts, TV sets, and podcasts to lambast the decision as an unprecedented violation of the sport’s integrity. A common refrain was that the four teams should be ranked in order of who was most “deserving,” and Florida State’s status as an undefeated team entitled them to selection over one-loss teams. To even suggest that teams with blemishes on their record can surpass the undefeated teams within the Power 5 was blasphemous.

Okay, then. Quick question: why didn’t anyone complain during the first year we did this playoff thing? Two one-loss teams were ranked ahead of undefeated Florida State then, too! The Noles sat behind Alabama and Oregon despite their 13-0 record, clearly because of their weaker schedule and a series of unflattering wins against lesser opponents. Everyone agreed that both Alabama and Oregon had proven themselves to be better and more deserving teams with what they achieved during their seasons, even with a loss on each of their résumés, so why the hand-wringing now?

You might be thinking I’ve made a false equivalence. After all, the 2014 Seminoles were still selected for the College Football Playoff (and got steamrolled by Oregon). The situation in 2023 is different because Florida State was denied entry altogether. But the committee’s job is to rank the teams, period. To alter their standards because it would have a more severe consequence would be a true violation of any supposed “integrity” that the committee purports to have.

It’s simple. Either 12-1 Alabama is better than 13-0 Florida State, or it isn’t. College football viewers have always understood that a 12-1 team could be ranked above a 13-0 team in certain contexts. That doesn’t change when it’s a decision of who gets the final playoff spot. The criteria is the same, and to claim that an undefeated team has to qualify for the playoff effectively creates an automatic bid, which is the opposite of selecting the most “deserving” team.

The committee got it right in 2014 and we were thrilled with the results. They applied the same logic two days ago, got it right again, and we will all be better for it on New Year’s Day. So just sit back and enjoy the show.