CFP selection committee chairman explains why Ohio State is ranked No. 1 over LSU
The LSU Tigers debuted at No. 2 despite most thinking they have the best resume in college football.
With wins against Florida, Auburn and Texas, the Tigers certainly could boast the best wins in the nation. However, the selection committee didn’t necessarily agree. The committee had Ohio State ranked No. 1 ahead of the Tigers.
College Football Playoff selection committee chairman Rob Mullens, also Oregon’s athletic director, explained why on ESPN.
“Well, two outstanding teams. We obviously recognize LSU’s marquee wins against Florida and Auburn,” Mullens said. “Two outstanding offenses with Joe Burrow at LSU and the new offensive coordinator, but when you watch Ohio State, they have performed at a very consistent level. Really good on both sides of the ball. Really explosive offensive playmakers, and Chase Young is probably as disruptive a player as there is in the country. When you look at their resume, they perform at a consistently high level every week.”
It’s clear — the committee thinks this Ohio State team is very dominant, as even Mullens rattled off Chase Young’s name.
Of course, the rankings change week-to-week and if LSU were to take down No. 3 Alabama Saturday, that would likely be enough to boost the Tigers to No. 1 over the Buckeyes.
So said differently, ….and more clearly: The committee values and rewards a reduction in the level of competition. Its recognizing consistent high level of play against lesser teams.
What’s the message here?
Might want to have an objective look at the resumes these two teams have built. Anyone saying OSU’s schedule to date has been bad is, in actuality, exposing their own ignorance. That’s not to say LSU’s isn’t possibly better or that they don’t have a legitimate argument for the top spot, but rather that the “reduction in the level of competition” as you put it, is not that wide a gulf and certainly not enough in the committee’s eyes to overcome the fact that, taken as a whole, OSU has looked objectively better against a solid schedule. In other words, they’re not giving up 38 points to the likes of 2019’s Texas OR Vandy, let alone Texas AND Vandy. I wouldn’t lose sleep over it, though: win this week and LSU grabs the top spot.
Other than Wisconsin, who has a terrible defense who have you played?
Wisconsin has a terrible defense? OK, you remember what I said about ignorance? Go reread that bit while I discard your entire opinion and have a good laugh at your expense. It’s not worth having a dialog with you if you can’t look and see that UW still has a statistically great defense even after OSU had their way with it. That is willful ignorance, and you can’t enlighten the person who refuses to learn.
You don’t shut four opponents out and have a terrible defense, I’m sorry it just doesn’t work that way.
What bothers me, @you OSU fans, is that the committee’s logic is different for each case, not necessary with you vs LSU, but with a lot of the other rankings.
@CFB Believe me, we know all about the inconsistency of the committee. We’ve been on both ends of it. With such an inconsistent process, it’s hard to have faith that the best four teams will actually make it in any given year.
That’s the case for an 8-team playoff. It’s not so you get the best eight; it’s so you know you got the best four, so that you know you got the best. No Baylors or TCUs left out despite a strong argument. No UCFs never getting a shot, despite consecutive undefeated seasons. I don’t think teams in those positions are THE best every year, but I think they’re good enough to warrant a shot to prove they are. Eight teams let’s you do that in a way four never will.
Enjoy it for a week. That eye test only last for so long. OSU was dominating teams last until they got curb stomped by an unranked team. Let’s talk about consistency. Bama hasn’t lost to an unranked opponent since 2007. Seems like every year OSU gets that little butt whipped by some crap team. Stick your chest out for a week son.
I fully expect OSU to be jumped by this week’s winner, as they should. I’m not some fan blinded by loyalty. Barring the unexpected, LSU/Bama will jump to #1, then OSU will jump back to #1 following the PSU game most likely, then, assuming the SEC West winner takes the conference, they will probably retake #1 in the final poll, because a likely win over Georgia will probably look better than a rematch against Wisconsin, or a game against possibly Minnesota or Iowa, for the B1G title. And that’s fine. It makes no real difference where you end up seeded in this playoff format, as long as you’re in.
And before you talk to much trash, I should correct you since you clearly haven’t been paying attention to OSU over the last few years. They HADN’T been dominating teams, for the most part. They’d have their weeks, but the past two years, entirely too many teams kept it far closer than they had any right to on paper. Then OSU would drop one to a team that schemed their matchups perfectly and basically confirm the narrative that OSU is a team with problems. By contrast, this OSU team is the most thoroughly and consistently dominant OSU I’ve seen in my life, including the one that rolled your sorry @$$es en route to the NC. If you want to talk about what is ultimately ancient history in college football, might as well talk about how embarrassed the Tide would have been if not for your punter having the night of his life. I’m sure you got Jim Tressel’s motor going with those 70 yard punts to save your defense from what otherwise would’ve been countless untenable positions, though OSU’s dominating, aggressive offense surely was a bit of turn off for him. “RollTide_N_Colorado” lol weakest handle I’ve seen on here yet, girl.
B1G has been a punching bag since 2014 in the CFP. Lofty 0 points scored or left out completely. Weak teams. And why would I pay attention to B1G football during the regular season. Powder puff football has never been appealing to SEC fans. The only reason OSU is ranked 1 is because of the brand name and the narrative pushed by the soft media. B1G is so weak you are on the SEC sites. Charmin soft.
Can’t get an argument out of a B1G fan. They’ve seen the wanton destruction OSU wreaks and want no part of it. Anyone with an IQ higher than room temperature knows better than to step in front of the freight train.
For me, it’s not that you’re ranked #1, it’s that the committee is so inconsistent with their reasoning.
That’s fair, and it’s not like there aren’t arguments to be made, especially because of the committee’s inability to really pin down criteria. The outright dismissal of THIS year’s OSU team by some because they haven’t played a 2-loss top-10 team is almost astonishing, though. A list of stats, rather than a list of names, puts OSU’s resume to date on par with anybody’s. LSU’s record will clearly separate them next week if they beat Alabama, and at that time, there won’t be a question. Later in the season, things could very well shift again. It’s really not as big a deal as people are making out of it as long as you win. In a few weeks, the discussion will rightly turn to the battle for #4, which is ultimately way more meaningful than who’s #1.
Oh please. Ohio State’s signature win is over Wiscy, who lost to Illinois. Illinois! A competent defense turns Wiscy into a one dimensional offense. Otherwise, they beat up on a Cincinnati team early coming off a 10 point win over 4-5 UCLA. Whoopi!
Compare that to LSU’s victories at Texas, against Florida and Auburn, it’s really not even a discussion. Florida and Auburn alone are better signature wins than Ohio State has.
I’m not saying Ohio St is a bad team. They belong in the top 4, unlike PSU. They’re just getting way too much love at #1 IMO.
LSU has an argument, sure, and opinions can differ, but @Texas? You really think @Texas helps that argument? The fact of the matter is, if you could strip the names off every team and compare them on a purely statistical basis, INCLUDING the assessment of the quality of their respective schedules on a purely statistical basis, at this point in the season there would be a pretty clear #1, a close but definite #2, and everybody else. I’d bet the overall best team you’d pick out of that mess of numbers would be OSU, not LSU. I know that because virtually every computer model, looking at football from every angle except “what’s your name?” is already putting OSU at the top. Through eight games, they are the consensus computer #1. The only things anybody takes seriously that disagree with that are the AP and Coaches Polls, which should never be taken too seriously. The writer for my local rag has an AP vote; these guys aren’t THAT expert in their opinions. With a win over Alabama this week, LSU would pass OSU in both the computers and the CFP poll, and they should in that case. If OSU wins out, they’ll probably jump right back over LSU in a few weeks, only to probably be jumped again after the CCGs are played. It’s fluid, man. The Committee has shown to usually be much less prone to giving teams inertia and being unwilling to shuffle things dramatically week to week. OSU was 16th in the inaugural CFP Poll, made it to the playoff and won it all, if you recall. Being ranked 2nd or 3rd or even 5th right now is in no way a slight or anything that will prevent a team from winning the NC. Unbeaten Minnesota is sitting there at 17th with clear control of their destiny. They’re obviously not expected to manage it, but if their playoff status is “win and you’re in” starting out of it by 13 spots, everyone in the top five is sitting pretty.
Theyre clearly trying to make it look hard for both of yall to get in
This OSU team hasn’t (yet) done what every other OSU team has done…tank a game against inferior opponents.
Or play superior teams
2nd that
Lol.
I think a better fluff explanation would be that their defense has performed better.
I’m a bit surprised by this, but these polls don’t really matter. It’s the last one that everyone should want to be in. Also, unlike the NFL or the FCS, the top-seeded teams don’t get home-field advantage. It’s played a “neutral” site instead of on the team’s campus. I was once a non-believer in the OSU hype, but I’ve watched several of their games this year and they are no joke. Bama, LSU, and OSU are the three top teams this year and they will get sorted out as to who is number 1 when December and January come around.