Mock Selection Committee: Gators' loss makes picking this week's top four easy
The CBSSports.com playoff selection committee gets this week's top four teams neatly packaged for playoff readiness after Florida's 17-9 loss to Georgia in Jacksonville.
Every member of the 10-voter panel -- which mocks a weekly playoff selection two years in advance of the real, yet-to-be-finalized format -- took Alabama, Oregon, Kansas State and Notre Dame.
| College Football Final Four | |
| Semifinals | Championship |
| 1. Alabama | Alabama OR Notre Dame |
| 4. Notre Dame | |
| 2. Oregon | vs. Oregon OR Kansas State |
| 3. Kansas State | |
Not everyone agreed on order of finish. But the final tally has Alabama (150 points) strengthening its grip on the top spot, while Notre Dame's (125) marquee road win in Norman wasn't enough to unseat No. 2 Oregon (134 points) or No. 3 Kansas State (131).
The Ducks and Wildcats keep pounding teams, winning by a combined 125-38 last week over Colorado and Texas Tech. It's not their fault the preseason favorites in their conferences -- Southern California and Oklahoma -- are maddeningly inconsistent and might lessen the perceived value of the Pac-12 and Big 12.
Speaking of inconsistency, we've seen four undefeated teams ranked among the top five drop a game in each of the past four weeks. Wouldn't be shocking if at least one team from the current top four followed the path of Florida State, LSU, Florida State and South Carolina. Bill Snyder's crew might have the easiest road to perfection if it gets past two-loss Oklahoma State this week in Manhattan. After that, it's TCU and Baylor on the road and Texas at home in the finale.
If this foursome holds firm, the system will accomplish what it set out to -- pit the four best teams against each other.
Who wouldn't want to see Alabama's five-star-recruit factory against Notre Dame's take-your-lunch-money defense in a 1-4 semifinal matchup?
Winner would play Oregon or K-State. Fun had by all.
After all, Notre Dame's parachute into this year's discussion has been impressive. After a lackluster win over Brigham Young two weeks ago, Notre Dame got one top-four vote on our panel. This week, the Irish received three second- or third-place votes.
One team drops, however, and a slew of SEC teams in the Nos. 5-8 range will be making their case. Georgia vaulted into the No. 5 spot despite absorbing two seventh-place votes based on its 35-7 loss to South Carolina last month.
Don't write off Florida State just yet, either. Running through the rest of the ACC schedule and knocking off Florida in Doak Campbell in late November could push the Noles into the fourth spot should at least one undefeated team fall and Alabama defeats LSU and other craziness ensues.
As there have been heated debates about which teams belong in the BCS title game, the playoff argument surely will shift to which teams are the fourth- and fifth-best.
In that case, Sunday morning evaluations won't get any easier, especially if the SEC consistently has two teams in the top-four mix. It's been speculated that the All-SEC championship game last year nudged the BCS into a format change. The outrage could settle a bit, but it won't vaporize entirely.
On the back end, undefeated Louisville is holding strong at No. 9 but doesn't have the schedule to advance much more. No. 10 Clemson gives the ACC two top-10 teams.
Each week, executive director Jerry Palm compiles the ballots and a different committee member provides a summary of the results each week. College football presidents and commissioners, you're welcome.
CBSSports.com playoff selection committee: Tony Barnhart, Dennis Dodd, Bruce Feldman, Tom Fornelli, Jeremy Fowler, Jerry Hinnen, Matt Hinton, Chris Huston, Jerry Palm, Chip Patterson.
| Selection Committee | |||||||||||
| Team | Total | Barnhart | Dodd | Feldman | Fowler | Fornelli | Hinton | Patterson | Huston | Palm | |
| Alabama | 135 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Oregon | 122 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| Kansas State | 118 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | |
| Notre Dame | 111 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | |
| Georgia | 92 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 5 | |
| LSU | 87 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | |
| Florida | 82 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 6 | |
| Florida State | 77 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 9 | |
| Louisville | 49 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 15 | 8 | 9 | 12 | |
| Clemson | 49 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 12 | -- | 12 | 10 | 11 | |
| Oregon State | 37 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 9 | 13 | 14 | 10 | |
| Oklahoma | 34 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 13 | -- | 10 | 11 | 12 | 8 | |
| S. Carolina | 27 | -- | -- | 13 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 10 | -- | -- | |
| Stanford | 11 | -- | -- | 12 | 15 | -- | 14 | -- | 15 | 13 | |
| Texas A&M | 11 | -- | -- | 14 | -- | -- | 12 | -- | 11 | -- | |
| Miss. St. | 10 | 12 | 14 | -- | 14 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 14 | |
| Boise State | 10 | -- | 11 | -- | -- | 11 | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| Texas Tech | 8 | 15 | -- | -- | -- | 15 | 13 | 14 | -- | 15 | |
| USC | 4 | 14 | 15 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 15 | -- | -- | |
| Nebraska | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 13 | -- | |
| La. Tech | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 13 | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
