Unraveling the College Football Playoff Ranking System: A Comprehensive Explanation of Polls and Criteria for Postseason Selection

Unraveling the College Football Playoff Ranking System: A...

By Arslan Saleem August 13, 2024 22:26

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

The College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings have become a complicated but regularly criticized method of crowning college football's national champion. The CFP has come a long way since it started in 2014, changing from four teams to the current format of eight, which will become twelve starting no earlier than the 2023 season. To do this, we will cover the polls and rankings in detail but also look at what metrics are important to help keep a team climbing up or down those ranking systems, as well as how both the systems have changed over time & began and broke firmly entrenched trends that permeated college football for nearly 100 years.

Explaining the Polls and Rankings

AP Top 25 Poll

The Associated Press (AP) Top 25 Poll is the fabled college football rankings powerhouse. The AP released its pre-season poll Monday, an objective top 25 voted on by sportswriters and broadcasters. In case you're wondering, every voter will rank their top 25, and a point system is used to determine the totals.

Coaches Poll

Like the AP Poll, another major ranking system that depicts what college football coaches think of is the Coaches Poll. Another poll conducted by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) polls coaches from around the country to compile a top-25 ranking. The Coaches Poll has historically been a component of the BCS and now is part of the CFP's ranking structure.

College Football Playoff Rankings

College Football Playoff rankings are revealed weekly, with release beginning in mid-October. The rankings are determined by a 13-member selection committee featuring more former Alabama and BCS level coaches and players administrator-journalists than any poll. The committee ranks teams based on several factors and selects the top four programs to enter semifinal action. The CFP rankings matter most since they determine which teams will make the four-team playoff.

Criteria for Selection

The selection committee looks at many factors when evaluating and ranking teams. The factors that are taken into consideration by the CFP guidelines include:

Win-Loss Record

The most basic and primary criterion is a team's win/loss record. A team with a single loss to a quality opponent may be ranked higher than an undefeated team with less competition.

Strength of Schedule

The strength of the schedule (SOS) is also important. The higher the number, the easier a team's opponents throughout the year are. A victory against opponents ranked higher is worth more than one against opponents who are not as difficult to beat.

Head-to-Head Results

When teams are bunched together in the standings, head-to-head results weigh heavily. The winning teams will usually be ranked higher when a team has played another. The most common criterion for determining the order in which teams appear when this happens is one that gives direct competition its proper due and can lead to some pretty wild rankings.

Conference Championships

One key differentiator is claiming a conference title. Generally, the committee rewards teams that prove they can win their conference titles, demonstrating prowess within one competitive frame. The four highest-ranked conference champions under the 12-team playoff plan will also receive automatic bids, expanding the significance of its use to identify and program future preseason contenders from conferences.

Common Opponents Comparison

Part of the formula also includes how teams fared against common opponents. The committee leans heavily on this comparative analysis to sort out teams that have not faced each other directly. Doing so provides more context when comparing a 5-0 team that has not played any bowl teams to one that beat three Power Five opponents on the road.

The Ranking System Would Go on to Evolve

From BCS to CFP

When college football moved to the College Football Playoff from the Bowl Championship Series (BCS), it radically changed how we would know who won a national championship in our beloved sport. The BCS, which existed from 1998 to 2013 and used a mix of polls and computer rankings to determine participants for most years, frequently decided that two teams should be in the title game, usually prompting an argument over who got left out. The College Football Playoff was formed to create a more transparent and equitable process of selecting the FBS national champion with a multi-game playoff system.

Controversies and Criticisms

Even though there have been improvements, the CFP has improved controversy. Critics suggest that the human piece of the selection committee can be subject to bias and hold back teams from outside Power Five leagues. For example, teams such as UCF and Cincinnati have encountered significant hurdles in receiving recognition for their successful seasons.

The Expansion to 12 Teams

In June, the College Football Playoff Board of Managers approved a proposal allowing the CFP to expand to 12 teams beginning in time for the 2024 season. The new format will increase representation and opportunities for teams outside the Power 5-enabling conferences. The first four highest-rated conference champions gain automatic bids and byes, while the five through two highest-ranked teams will get home-field advantage in round one. The expansion will address some of the complaints with the previous system and will give more teams a fair shot at playing for the national title.

Strategically Positioned for Playoff Locations

Here are the top 4 ways teams try to put themselves in good shape for potential selection into the CFP. Cliches are made about the strength of the schedule, and coaches preach to athletic directors that they have to play somebody. Furthermore, teams will be motivated to win their conference championships not only for a spot in the playoff but also to obtain something that gets them closer to being ranked higher overall.

Ranking In Team Strategy

The higher the ranking, the more recruits, funding, and visibility for a program. Your best teams will have better recruits, and your successful program will become self-perpetuating. Coaches often use rankings as motivational tools to make players more aware of the stakes at play every victory can improve their playoff odds.

What Does This Ranking System mean?

Fairness and Access

There have been hot takes over the last few years, and even today, about the CFP ranking system regularly regarding fairness in college football. The current system is essentially viewed as stacked in favor of Power Five conferences, and critics will argue that it is at the expense of Group Of Five conference teams. Given that the playoff model has grown to 12 teams, seeding among top-ranked SEC schools is a likely topic that will continue to be discussed in future years.

The College Football Playoff ranking system is extremely complex and constantly changing, but its primary function remains the same: choosing a champion from college football.

You can also check out the various polls, selection criteria, and what all this means for teams on both sides of the country to keep up a little better with where we stand. College football will keep evolving with the CFP moving 12 teams, meaning more challenges and fewer opportunities for a playoff spot across America. Debates have always raged regarding fairness and access to college football; however, how these conversations progress will be interesting as we continue to pay more attention to bowl games in the long term.

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