CFP selection committee chair comments on Georgia's top-10 ranking
Georgia making the top-10 (No. 9) of the College Football Playoff selection committee’s first poll of the 2020 season surprised a lot of people, especially on social media.
On a media conference call after the rankings reveal, selection committee chair Gary Barta was asked why the 5-2 Bulldogs are ranked ahead of numerous teams with either one or zero losses.
Here’s what Barta said, per the teleconference transcript:
What was it specifically that you guys liked about Georgia on film?
GARY BARTA: Well, to begin with, one of the things, we liked their win over Auburn. Their only losses were against Alabama and Florida, so they clearly had come up against a very tough schedule, and so we took that in mind.
We did note early on and throughout the season maybe some of the inconsistencies on both sides of the ball, including the quarterback position. But the quality win over Auburn, the fact that they’ve played – they’re 5-2 and their only two losses were Alabama and Florida. They landed in that ninth spot based on those things, and watching the games, as I mentioned.
Georgia will look to boost its resume on Saturday against South Carolina, a revenge game for Kirby Smart’s Dawgs.
Last year, Carolina’s players decided to eat the hedges. This year, UGA will make them eat turf.
That would be an awesome statement if you were in 2nd grade.
Who do people want ahead of them? Some cupcake in a cupcake conference that has beaten nothing but cupcakes? Oregon for instance? Or Northwestern? Perhaps they think BYU who has played high school teams and nothing else should be ranked higher simply because they haven’t lost to said high school teams?
If that’s the metric these morons want for CFP polls, then it stands to reason that every championship aspiring team should quit their conference and just go load up on cupcake teams for their independent schedule each year and beat them all 60-0.
Luckily the people in charge of the CFP don’t see it that way. It’s long past time to stop rewarding garbage conferences like the BIG?? and Pac10 or independents for playing literally nobody with a pulse all year long.
Q. Why did you put an SEC team higher in the rankings? A. Because 2/5 of the power five conferences haven’t played any games, so we can’t tell the difference between anybody in their leagues…. and because if they go to a big bowl game, their fans will show up.
You forgot B
Fans are probably less of a concern this season but no doubt positioning for Bowls has a lot to do with it no matter what the committee says. They know as well as anyone what money means. Clearly BYU for example, doesn’t deserve consideration for the playoffs, but if they continue to destroy everyone they play why not position them in a NY6 bowl? It was the P5 conferences going conference only that wrecked their schedule in the first place. I would think it’s more than fair to give them a NY6 game.
Check out their schedule. The only team they have played who has any national success was Boise State. I doubt the average fan would recognize most of their names.
And why is that? Check out how many P5 games they lost due to conferences (like the SEC) going conference only. It’s really not their fault nor the schedule they wanted to play. Additionally, if they had been squeaking by some of those teams that’s one thing, but their destroying everyone winning by an average of over 33 points per game. That’s NY6 worthy.
Boise was down to their 3rd string QB for that game as well.
Dawgs were down to 4th string at QB for the season. Until last weekend.
Why would committee members, like GT’s, Iowa’s, Wyoming, NC State, OK’s Athletic Directors want SEC teams ranked higher?
Georgia remains a talented and well coached football team.
But eight yards rushing against Mississippi State? That’s concerning if I’m on the CFP committee.
The first ranking is heavily skewed by the late conference starts, missed games and abbreviated schedules.
We haven’t played like it.