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Warde Manuel sheds light on how committee will evaluate losers of conference title games
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Warde Manuel spoke with ESPN’s Rece Davis on Tuesday night following the release of the third College Football Playoff rankings of the 2024 season.
Manuel was asked about the prevailing narrative that it could be a disadvantage to play in the SEC Championship Game under this new format. Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin said this week that he’s talked to other coaches who are (quietly) hoping to avoid a conference title game appearance due to the risk of being knocked out of the Playoff altogether with a loss.
Manuel said conference championship games will certainly be part of the committee’s final evaluation, but said the they will hold any team who makes their conference championship “in high regard.”
“That says a lot, playing 12 games in a season, making your championship game is a really valuable data point,” Manuel told Davis. “Number 2, we’re going to evaluate the games teams play and the performance on the field. That’s what the commissioners have asked us to do. They didn’t ask us to stop right before the championship game. They asked us to rank the teams through the championship games. And I think you can see over the years, how the committee has valued those championship games and who stays in and where they’re ranked.
“We’re not going to speculate. We’re going to let the season play out. But I think teams who make that championship game, the committee looks at them and puts them in high esteem.”
All SEC programs are entering Week 13 with at least 2 losses except for Texas, who sits at No. 3 in the committee’s rankings this week. Aside from Texas, any other SEC team who loses in the conference title game would be picking up their 3rd loss of the season.
The next College Football Playoff rankings reveal is set for Nov. 26.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
