Could Alabama or Florida State left out of College Football Playoff?

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Pulse in your pocket, you can play anywhere. P-U-L-S-Z.com. Championship weekend chaos. I am so here for this. Me too.

I want nutty things to happen. Alright, here's the chalk. The chalk is Georgia wins, Michigan wins, Washington wins, Florida State wins, no changes. Georgia, Florida State, Michigan, Washington, boom. That'll probably give us a Georgia, Michigan national championship game, which I think most people would sign up for. Yeah, right.

That's fine. Most people would sign up for that. But there is a, there is a growing sentiment that even if Florida State wins, they might not make the top four.

And I can't figure out why that would be the case, but that's the growing sentiment. Greg McElroy of ESPN, an Alabama grad, offers this. They will be in the playoff because they're an undefeated Power Five champ that played a Power Five schedule with a win against Louisville this weekend that would give them three ranked wins, one of which against LSU in a non-conference who the committee greatly respects, one against Louisville, who's currently ahead of Tennessee. That's one of the better wins for both Georgia and for Alabama, and one against Clemson, who's in the 25-ish range, kind of comparable to that of Tennessee, which also compares favorably. So one, they have the resume to back it up, and two, you cannot tell me after what we witnessed 10 years ago with Ohio State and Cardale Jones, the quarterback is a sole indicator of future success in the playoffs.

Thank you. Logic from Greg McElroy. All right, now you're ready for the chaos? What happens if Alabama beats Georgia and, for giggles, Texas wins? What happens? What happens if Alabama and Texas both win? Texas has the win at Alabama.

It would be pretty difficult for the committee to ignore that, wouldn't it? I'm not saying that Texas is definitely better than Alabama because what the committee can do is, oh, well, Alabama's got the better loss because I think Texas lost to Kansas. Oklahoma proved to be kind of a fraud after winning that game. Anyway, Oklahoma lost other games too, otherwise they'd be playing in this game, and they're not. It is Oklahoma State.

They lost to Oklahoma State, Oklahoma. What happens if Alabama wins and Texas wins? Could the SEC get left out? Greg McElroy, could they be left out? I think it's probably top to bottom, the toughest league.

I mean, that's the way I've always felt. I think NFL talent evaluators will reflect that thought, but it doesn't necessarily mean that they will be the most deserving, and I think that's the big problem right now is that the SEC is in a tough spot because Alabama could very well be their champion with one loss, and that one loss would also be coming to a contender that's going to be a champion from another league in Texas, potentially, if they can hold serve against Oklahoma State. So while I certainly sympathize with Nick Saban's thought process, and I certainly share in his regard and admiration for the league, I think there's a real possibility they could be on the outside looking in.

There is a possibility, something that Nick Saban cannot wrap his mind around. The SEC is one of the best conferences in the country. I think Georgia is one of the best teams in the country. I think if we beat them, we'd be one of the best four teams in the country. I think it would be a disrespect to the SEC if there is an SEC representation in the Final Four.

I do believe that. Disrespect? So how would Nick Saban view Florida State or Washington if they were to get left out while being undefeated?

What would be more disrespectful? I'm sorry, it ain't a birthright. No matter how much we want to believe it's true, it's not a birthright. If Alabama beats Georgia, and depending on what happens elsewhere, it does throw into the mix that we could have a four-team playoff that does not involve the Southeastern Conference.

Again, ain't a birthright. Because here's the thing, like you mentioned, Texas wins the Big 12, Alabama wins the SEC. Head-to-head has to matter, right?

Otherwise, what are we doing here? The committee has said we look at head-to-head, right? It's not the criteria, it's a criteria. So all things being equal, well, we have Texas, and it wasn't even in Texas.

It was in Tuscaloosa. So I want chaos to happen. I'm not sitting here wanting the SEC to miss out, okay? I want the best four teams in, right? But to me, you prove the best four teams by what you do on the field. And if Florida State is 13-0 with wins over three teams in the college football playoff rankings, and they would have that, and Alabama is 12-1 with, I think, three wins over the – including the win over Georgia, which would be awesome. It doesn't mean that you get to go and Florida State doesn't, because losses also matter.

Kind of – I forget who said it the other day, like two weeks ago, that the BCS – actually, it was Evan Cohen from Unsportsmanlike on ESPN radio. Like, if we're just trying to crown a national champion, the BCS, the formula, that was the better way to do it. It takes – it really, it takes – well, it doesn't take all the subjectivity out of it. Because they're still voting goals that are in there.

Or objectivity out of it. Because they – because they dumbed that down because coaches put on a PR campaign to take out data. The computers have a pretty good read. That's what – you add six of them, too.

Some of the computers seem to have some inherent bias, but when you're covered by multiple computers, the consensus of them is pretty accurate. Anyway, I am just here for chaos. And if Florida State loses to Louisville, then they lose to Louisville. But if they win, they're in. Washington wins, they're in. I think if Oregon wins, I think Oregon wins, they're probably in. I'll be curious if Michigan wins, and Florida State wins, and Alabama wins, and Texas wins, and Oregon wins.

What happens? Washington gets left out? It's possible. It's possible that Washington and Oregon both go.

The whole thing is weird. Actually, Washington would probably get left out because nobody has any respect for the Pac-12. It wouldn't be disrespectful to the Pac-12, even though they might have been the best league. Yes, top to bottom, they probably were actually the best league.

They might have been the best league this year. Which is a shame because now they're going to go away. There's always a new reason to play.

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18 plus terms and conditions apply. See website for details. It's going to happen. Will we have chaos? Let's talk to Roddy Jones of ESPN. He joins us, college football analyst, ACC legend at Georgia Tech. First of all, last time we spoke, we weren't sure if Georgia Tech was going to have the season that they had.

Just real quick on your on your guys. I thought they had a good year. Yeah, I thought they had a great year.

You know, I always think when you get to this time of year, it is about what were your expectations at the beginning and how did you meet them? And the expectation for Georgia Tech was that if this was going to be a bowl team, it was a good season. It's a ball team. So it's a good season and it was a pretty good performance against Georgia. Overall, I get the team that was banged up, but still probably the best team in the country. So so, you know, proud of what Georgia Tech was able to do. Very cool for them to go to a bowl game for the first time since 2018, 2017.

Wow. So yeah, it'll be great. Look, man, they they've been good.

They should be good. I understand there are academic requirements. Roddy, I get it. And there it is difficult to recruit there. But man, in the state of Georgia, there's a lot of smart kids who want to play football, too. Because I know Duke, Duke recruits there and Wake recruits there and all the other schools want smart kids, too.

You probably could have gone to a lot of different places. Let me let me ask you about Florida State. There is a there is a sentiment out there that Florida State could beat Louisville and not be in the playoffs.

Do you agree that that's possible? No, I think I think that's sort of a narrative that has been perpetuated among people that, well, reasonable may have a reason to doubt Florida State's resume. So anybody who's involved with the SEC that sees the potential of Alabama beating Georgia and an SEC champion being left out probably benefits you to put that out there.

If anybody who is involved with Texas, you know, probably benefits you to put that out there. So. So, no, an undefeated Power Five conference champion is going to get in the playoffs 10 times out of 10.

And the fact that they would have been able to win on the road in Gainesville and win an ACC championship with a backup quarterback, I think just further pushes pushes back to the forefront and the fact that they'll be in. So. So, no, I don't buy that one bit yet. I don't either.

But it is interesting to see the lobbying. What did Nick Saban say yesterday that it would be disrespectful if the if Alabama beat Georgia and somehow the SEC got locked out of the playoff because maybe Texas won the Big 12 or, you know, I guess Oregon, Washington would eliminate one or the other. But if Texas beats Oklahoma State and Alabama beats Georgia, could Texas get that nod over Alabama? Who do you think would get that spot if Alabama beats Georgia and Texas wins the Big 12?

I think it's Texas. Again, for the reasons that we just sort of talked about, like winning your game has to matter. And we can sort of talk ourselves in circles with who's got the best loss. Well, that would be that would be Alabama because you lost to Texas, although you did lose at home by double digits and it was in September.

There's the well, who's got the best win? Well, that would be Alabama because they beat Georgia. Well, Texas beat Alabama. Who beat Georgia?

So you want to go down that path? You look at the metrics and you can't really split the team offensively, defensively, special teams wise. You could, you know, look at the eye test and say, well, hey, you know, Alabama looks like a better team. They didn't look like a better team at Auburn. They didn't look like they needed a Hail Mary on a fourth and goal from the 31 yard line to win that game.

So I think ultimately, if I was in that room. There is a counterpoint to every point that you make for each team so you can make the point on Texas. I've got a counterpoint for Alabama. You can make the point on Alabama.

I've got a counterpoint with Texas. I think ultimately the way you sort through it all is they played. They decided it on the field. That has to matter in college football. And we certainly and I think it will.

I do too. But I also think that George is going to beat Alabama and we're going to not even have to worry about this. How do you see that game?

I think Georgia should win as well. My question about about that game really kind of stem from George's health. How healthy is Brock's hours? Looks like he's on track to play. How effective will he be? How healthy is Lad McConkie?

His status a little more up in the air from what I had last seen and how he had been practicing and whether or not he had been participating in 11 on 11 drills. So I think those things sort of worry me about Georgia. But they're the better football team than Alabama and I think offensively especially they are much more complete than Alabama. I think they are too. We'll see how easy it is to win another one of these because it's not. I mean, I heard this.

The other thing is I heard this the other day. Like Nick Saban is undefeated in the conference championship game against Kirby. Isn't he like Kirby? He's only beat them in the college ball playoff.

So there's something there to it. He is so good in SEC Championship. He's good. And I mean, isn't that wouldn't that be true for Nick Saban in any situation?

Yeah, very, very ready ready. Jones is joining us here on the Adam Gold show. Yeah, he's got it. It's sort of like Nick Saban against former assistants. His record is like, yeah, that's the same record. He's got against Earth. I mean, he just doesn't lose a lot of games. He has not lost a lot of games.

Ronnie Jones is joining us here on the Adam Gold show. I don't think I've asked you this because I think the last time we talked it was before the scandal really hit. What are your thoughts on the Michigan? It's not really a hardball scandal. I guess the Michigan sign stealing electronic surveillance scandal.

You know, I'm kind of one of those things that everyone's retreated to their corners about. I think overall, Michigan probably got off easy on their punishment. I think what they did is in the grand scheme of things, not that big a deal. However, it is a rule that they blatantly and brazenly broke. And so I thought that the punishment should have been pretty severe. I thought they should have been banned from the big 10 championship game, which would have all but eliminated it. Nominated them from the from from the college ball playoff. And then, you know, they could have had fun in the Rose Bowl or whatever the Rose Bowl alternative is this year for the Big Ten.

Right now that it's done like, you know, it's kind of whatever. It's not it doesn't matter if they're stealing Iowa signals or not. Probably actually help Iowa if they did have their signal because I don't know because anything could help Iowa. But ultimately, I think it became one of those things that people were treated to their corners. And we weren't able to have a real good discussion about why Michigan should be punished or what the right time people. It was for my whole take on it was the NCAA moves too slowly to do anything. The Big Ten was never going to take their best team out of the mix for financial reasons. Not to mention they would have had the pants sued off of them by Michigan, even if they were right, even if they turned out to be right. They were still going to have to deal with it. And even though there was a big cry from member schools to do something about Michigan, they really weren't they weren't inclined.

The only the only entity that was going to punish Michigan was going to be Michigan. And they decided, nah, man, it's cool. Everybody does it. That's what they that's what everybody wants to say.

Dion said it. Oh, man, everybody does that. Like, I don't think everybody does it. No, I just everybody doesn't do it.

It's just a fun thing to say, hey, everybody does it. And so-and-so had our signal a lot about Clemson, this whole thing. People have known for years, years that when Brent Venables is at Clemson, they were going to figure out your signal. They had some of the best in the business to be able to do that. The thing is, like that falls in the honor among thieves portion that everybody does do in game, you know, do your best job and go for it. And there's ways that you can get around that. Ohio State did it the second time they played in the college ball playoffs. But overall, like to do it the way Michigan did is organize as it was and finance as it was.

But if you get caught doing that, you're stupid and you deserve to be punished. Are they going to win the national championship, though? No, I don't think so.

I don't think so. Just something about that team that doesn't that I don't think like they haven't been able to cross the first hurdle. They got to get to the national championship game first, right? And then I'll believe that they're going to win it.

Just something about the hurdles. They were much better than CCU last year. They overlooked them. They have focused so much on Georgia this year that like, I don't know, man. I feel like they get tripped up again. Oh, yeah, they could get tripped up if it's Oregon that could that could absolutely be a problem.

So let's real quick. Give me your winners of the four. Let's just exclude Texas, Oklahoma State for a second. I'm assuming Texas. You think Texas is going to win that? So Georgia, Alabama.

Who you got? I'll go. I'll go Georgia. All right, Michigan, Iowa. Let's not even go.

Let's just move on. Washington, Oregon. I think Oregon wins that one. And Florida State, Louisville. I have picked Louisville all week. So I guess I'll have to stick with Louisville.

I don't really have a great reason. It's more of a feel with the way these teams are playing right now, or at least with the what they experienced last week. There's questions on Tate Rademacher. I think health of key on Coleman's the question as well. Health of Florida State in general. So I'll go Louisville.

I think Jeff problems really good in in these types of underdog situations team coming off of a loss. So our four teams would be Georgia, Michigan, Oregon, Texas in that order. I think so. Yeah.

Yeah. Georgia, Texas. Who would you take there? Georgia, although not, but I'm not super confident in that. Texas with a chance to get super healthy has a chance to get Georgia again. And Michigan, Oregon. I would go Oregon in that scenario. I would I think could the Heisman Trophy would win a title because I think Bo Nix is going to win the Heisman Trophy. Or maybe Jalen Daniels wins.

They probably do. If I would give it to Jane Daniels, no matter what happens in the pack. So a championship game, but but if Oregon loses, I think it's Jane Daniels. But but no, I don't think I think Georgia three-piece, honestly. Gosh, it's choppy and I'm a Georgia Tech grad become accustomed to the to the school up the road being the dominant force in college football. That's got to be painful for a yellow jacket to say that. Um, look, we've been talking about it for really, you know, since since second and 26 the fact that this was going to happen.

I knew Georgia was going to get on a run at some point is they got too many resources. So is it painful? I mean, not really when you have that much pain you kind of get numb to it.

It just is what it is medication. It's wonderful. Ronnie Jones. I appreciate your time, man. Enjoy enjoy Championship weekend. We'll talk to you down the road. Yeah, you got it. We'll talk to you down the road. We'll talk to you down the road.