Playoff set: Alabama-Washington in Peach, Clemson-Ohio State in Fiesta

For whatever it’s worth, MI doesn’t have an unbeatable strength-of-schedule argument. Every game counts, though some seem to count more than others and good luck figuring out which ones count most.

The College Football Playoff selection committee was given something to ponder by Penn State. Anywhere sports are being discussed, that’s where you’ll find him. Yes, the goal posts move from season to season.

It’s relatively clean this year, although the absence of USC-perhaps the hottest team in the sport-being left out would certainly draw some criticism. “And we feel like mentally we have a great experience to draw on from past year”.

The Nittany Lions (11-2, 9-1) will play Southern Cal (9-3, 7-2 Pac-12) on January 2 in Pasadena, Calif. Washington. Michigan: nope. Penn State: nope.

The victor of the Ohio State-Clemson matchup will take on the victor of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl between the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide and No. 4 Washington Huskies in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, on Monday, January 9.

Despite teams like MI and Ohio State playing in their division of the Big Ten, the future is as bright as ever for Penn State, and Franklin has brought the program back to the top of the college football world.

“And we’ve been telling them the 13th data point matters, and we added a conference championship game because of that”, Bowlsby said. Ohio State, which did not qualify for the Big Ten championship game, instead will be the team representing the conference in the playoff.

But after an unprecedented 38-31 comeback over the Badgers – an exclamation mark on a nine-game winning streak – Penn State was thrust into the playoff conversation. That’s the big thing Penn State has on MI.

Freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts only completed 11 of 20 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown against Florida on Saturday night, but he had a 145.5 passer rating heading into that game with 840 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground this season.

Alabama, making its 65th appearance in a postseason game, has played in more bowl games and earned more postseason victories than any school in college football history.

“Obviously, strength of schedule favored Penn State”, Hocutt said.

You could say Washington benefited because it did not play a hard nonconference opponent. “I think this is a game and a bowl that players and coaches grow up dreaming about having an opportunity to play in and be a part of one day”.

“From a defensive standpoint, from starting field position differential, the edge was to Washington”, Hocutt said.

Things started to look hopeless for Penn State in the first half.

Does No. 8 Wisconsin (10-3) warrant a spot after losing to all three Big 10 teams ahead of it – three teams all ranked in the nation’s top 10 – by one score?

According to the Simple Rating System, which adjusts a team’s scoring margin for strength of schedule, Alabama is over three points per game better than any of the other playoff contenders. Ohio State didn’t win the Big Ten, but clearly, the Buckeyes were the league’s best team.

Maybe next season will be different.

The unbeaten Crimson Tide is in the playoff for the third straight season and is the top seed for the second time. The one crucial difference, though, is enormous. One loss is better than two.

What could provide more consistency, more objectivity while removing much of the subjectivity, is bigger playoff. The Final Four teams all have better records.

Mid-American Conference champion Western Michigan and coach P.J. Fleck – whose “row the boat” battle cry has become a signature phrase for his 13-0 team – will play Wisconsin in the Cotton Bowl. The semifinal winners will meet for the national title January 9 in Tampa, Fla.

Sounds interesting, but it is not happening anytime soon. Don’t think UA won’t tap into his knowledge of UW’s personnel, even if he is three years removed from seeing it from the inside.

Alabama is going to chase more than a national championship in the College Football Playoff. “Something would have to give”. But three years into the College Football Playoff, the Big 12 has already swallowed the outlier pill twice (2014, 2016).

The Tigers closed out the season with a 42-35 win over No. 18 Virginia Tech in the ACC title game and leapfrogged the Buckeyes in the final CFP standings to No. 2.