GEORGIA
The final debate for the College Football Playoff committee was widely believed to be between Oklahoma and Georgia for the final playoff spot in the top four.
During his regular weekly appearance on Birmingham-based WJOX, 94.5 FM program “The Roundtable,” SEC Network host Paul Finebaum offered his opinion on the debate between Georgia and Oklahoma.
“I think the committee probably felt Georgia should go in, but it’s like trying to overturn a play on the field,” Finebaum said. “But when they used some of the catchphrases that they did, unequivocal, that’s telling you they couldn’t pull the trigger. Someone in that room said, ‘You know what guys, if we put Georgia in, we are going open up Pandora’s box and we may never get the genie back in there.’
“I think spirited wasn’t the right word, I think the word was contentious and it should have been. I think the right choice was Georgia. I understand the decision, it was the path of least resistance, but if you’re looking at the best teams in the country, Georgia is better than Oklahoma, and yeah it’s debatable, but you can’t win that debate. You could argue Georgia is one of the two best teams, I certainly don’t think you could argue Georgia is is one of the three best teams because they are”
Georgia largely had the “eye test” argument with the way it played Alabama being fresh in the minds of the college football world. But Oklahoma avenging an earlier loss and ultimately beating every team on its schedule en route to a Big 12 Championship became the ultimate trump card on the argument against two-loss Georgia.
They have to set the criteria. I think this year will be an anomaly in that the 2018 Georgia team will probably be one of the best 2 loss non-conference teams in comparison to the 1 loss conference champs they were trying to jump, if that makes sense.
Short answer — the committee didn’t want to send the 8-team playoff debate into overdrive. That’s the “Pandora’s Box” they don’t want to open, and taking 2 SEC teams 2 years in a row would have opened that box.
I’m not sure that was the Pandora’s issue he was referring to. I think he meant if they open the door to 2 loss teams, there would be melee in coming years, if not this one. They’ve set a precedent for qualifying for the CFP contest — a mark in the sand.
I do agree the Pandora’s box is the 2 loss team in the playoff. Bottom line is the Dawgs need to win em all and then there’s no discussion. The LSU loss did em in! 12-1 and the game against Bama they still move on. They did however prove that they are one of the 4 best teams right now. That’s why there needs to be an 8 team playoff and no CCGs. Do you think Bama really cares about the SEC CG? Take the 8 best teams after 12 games and let em go at it! That would end 99% of this discussion as well as the UCF noise…. they’d get their shot at #1 Bama and get kicked all the way back to Orlando.
How many times are we going to beat this dead horse? The decision was made and we all should move forward. UGA just needs to win every game next year, and then there won’t be all this drivel for SDS to keep harping about.
I think it is 2 losses. It sucks you lose to the #1 team in an extra game. I heard 2 things though that does make sense. Georgia lost to the 2 best teams they played. You can’t say we looked good in a loss. I agree that UGA outplayed Bama for a lot of the game but not enough of it. They gave up 14 points in 8 minutes and only scored 7 in the second half.
Don’t you love mixed metaphors?
Um It’s over I get it, not necessarily bothered by OU over UGA, but I am curious if the committee recuses themselves for rivals as well as “their” teams?? No one reported in all this hullabaloo that the ADs from UF AND GT are new to committee…. wonder if that played a role…..
UGA wins and they’re in. Not a lot of teams can say they still control their own CFP destiny going into game #13. Conference Championships SHOULD matter in the current format. Last year had Auburn won in Atlanta, they would’ve been the 1st 2-loss team in the CFP. Winning the SEC matters…except for Bama.