ESPN’s David Pollack, Kevin Negandhi debate ‘best wins,’ whether Alabama or Notre Dame should be No. 1
By Keith Farner
Published:
As we reach the end of the regular season, the debate about the eye tests and resumes for teams in contention for the College Football Playoff only intensifies. This year, the debate is largely between Alabama, Notre Dame, Clemson and Ohio State.
ESPN’s David Pollack and Kevin Negandhi joined the fray on their podcast, “CFB Podcast with Herbie, Pollack & Negandhi,” as they discussed the merits with each team’s best wins.
Pollack said he didn’t agree Negandhi’s point of Ohio State getting in ahead of Alabama if the Buckeyes have a conference championship and the Crimson Tide don’t. Pollack doesn’t see a 6-0 Ohio State team over an 10-1 Alabama team.
“That’s why this debate’s fun, it’s not cut and dry,” Pollack said, then ran down each team’s resume. “I want to look at what people have done, you know how I am, that’s a big deal with me. So you beat A&M, you beat Georgia, you beat Auburn, your three best wins.”
For Notre Dame, it’s Clemson, the best win of the season “with a caveat,” along with a win over North Carolina.
“Who’s my next best win? FSU? Pitt? Boston College,” Pollack said. “Clemson, I beat Miami, again this is what we have to go through, we have to go through resumes. I beat Miami, who’s Clemson’s next best win, Boston College? Pittsburgh? Those are two and three. Clemson hasn’t beaten anybody besides Miami that’s really good. I question whether Miami is that good, to be honest.”
He then pointed out that Ohio State’s best win was Indiana, but questioned, “Did they look good against Indiana? Do you feel more confident about Ohio State leaving that game?”
Negandhi also pointed out a “nightmare scenario” for the committee was if Ohio State didn’t reach the Big Ten Championship Game because of a lack of games, and instead played Wisconsin on Dec. 19.
“They go 6-0 and then Florida beats Alabama,” he said. “Then Alabama doesn’t have a conference championship, Ohio State doesn’t have a conference championship, Ohio State’s undefeated, it’ll be interesting to see how the committee plays that out because again, you raise a good topic, because when you’re No. 1 right now for Alabama, it feels like they have something locked up.”
Pollack added, “I feel like they’re an overwhelming No. 1, and then 2 and 3 play.”
Negandhi replied, “You don’t think Notre Dame’s closer to Alabama, you think the gap is that big?”
Pollack, using on-field performance and eye test replied, “It’s very clear, there’s a big gap between Alabama and Notre Dame.”
Negandhi said he thinks Notre Dame is much closer to Alabama than Pollack does.
Pollack also said Florida won win a potential three-way tie with Alabama and A&M if Florida beats the Crimson Tide in the SEC title game, which would be the best win, and he added that the Aggies are a “really good” team.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
