Mind of Michael: Committee got it right

By Michael Leek
Sports Editor

There has been controversy due to the selection committee leaving undefeated Florida State University out of the College Football Playoffs

Alabama was put in the playoffs instead, even though it has a loss on its record. The selection committee was put in a tough position to make a historical decision.

The choice was either leaving out an SEC champion for the first time, or a Power Five team with an undefeated record for the first time.

As a fan of football myself, I believe the committee made the right decision in picking Alabama. Alabama, right now, is just the better team, and that is what the committee based its decision on.

CFP Committee Chair Boo Corrigan said one of the things members take into consideration is player availability. Since FSU's starting quarterback is injured, that played a factor in the decision.

There are multiple factors that I see, and would have taken into consideration as well, in selecting who makes the playoffs.

For Alabama, it is fresh off beating the former No.1 team in the nation, the Georgia Bulldogs, for the SEC championship.

Alabama’s strength of schedule would have been one of my main points as well.

The Crimson Tide beat four top 25 teams in the nation, compared to FSU’s three. They also had the fifth hardest strength of schedule, compared to FSU’s 55th.

Again looking at it as a fan of football, I want to see the best football possible in the playoffs. Alabama is the better team, and it will provide better entertainment and give the fans a better game than FSU would.

Because FSU suffered an injury to its quarterback, I do not think it would have given Michigan (the No. 1 seed) a run for its money in the slightest.

Now the one thing I do not agree with is only having four teams for the playoffs in the first place. Luckily, college football is changing this. Next season the NCAA will be expanding the playoffs to 12 teams instead of four.

Even just expanding it to eight teams would have been fine, but since the playoffs are still fairly new to college football (just since 2014), trial and error will continue to happen until the right formula is found.