By Noah Sedmak

Staff Writer

The College Football Playoff was announced earlier this past month. College football does not have divisions that can determine the playoff race, like pro sport organizations. College football created a committee of 13 executives from the (power five) football conferences. Since there are hundreds of D1 college football teams and only twelve games, many teams can have the same record and can seem equally qualifying. One of the toughest jobs for the committee is to figure out which four teams deserve to be in the playoffs

The four teams that made the playoffs this year were Alabama(1), Clemson(2), Ohio State(3), and Washington(4). The four teams that made the playoffs this year were all exceptionally qualified to make the playoffs this year. This year there was some controversy about one of the team’s that made the playoffs: Ohio State. This past season Ohio State went 11-1 and they beat three teams that were ranked inside the top 10: Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Michigan. The one team that Ohio State lost too was Penn State. Penn State started out the season rough, going 2-2.  Then they rebounded and went undefeated the rest of the season, including knocking off undefeated Ohio State. Penn State eventually went on to win the Big 10 east and the Big 10 Championship.

One of the things the teams in the playoffs had in common was they won their conference championships. So conventional wisdom would have put Penn State in the playoffs not Ohio State since they did not win the Big 10. Also Penn State had the head to head win over Ohio State. The committee decided to put Ohio State in the playoffs because they had beaten three teams that were placed in the top ten, that were all title contenders. Penn State meanwhile had only beaten one team that was inside the top ten. Penn State had also experienced humiliating losses to Michigan and Pitt. They lost to a Pitt. team that was not inside the top ten and they got destroyed by Michigan. The one team that Ohio State lost too was a team ranked inside the top 10 (Penn State). The other reason Ohio State ended up in the playoffs instead of Penn State was because Ohio State was previously ranked 2. and Penn State was 7. before the playoffs came out. The committee was not going to throw out the number 2 team in the nation. Also Ohio State in the playoffs would draw a lot more viewers in the playoffs then Penn State.