The Daily Player 12: What's Wrong with Parity?

There's more than enough competition, but here's the dumbest narrative in college football's national championship race: 

[Insert team here]'s loss really hurt the [insert conference here]'s chances ...

Take Iowa, for instance.

Sure, they're outta the Big Ten title picture, but who in their right mind believes they feel bad about upsetting Ohio State last weekend?

With three weeks to go in the regular season, the Big Ten has five teams with a shot at winning the title. The Big XII has three.

What the hell's wrong with parity?

Those conferences, like the other Power Fives, backload their schedules with their assumed main contenders. What's more, the bulk of their schedule obviously has teams they're told to play, ie- their conference schedules.

How and why can a team be penalized for that because of a collective opinion?

Here are this week's prevailing CFP Committee opinions:

1. Georgia	3. Notre Dame
2. Alabama	4. Clemson
5. Oklahoma	9. Washington
6. TCU	10. Auburn
7. Miami	11. USC
8. Wisconsin	12. Michigan State

For most of those teams, the brass tacks portion of their season has just begun. In essence, most of them only have 2-3 big games that are gonna move the national meter.

Is that really the way to decide anything other than ... say ... 

The Daily Player 12 is based on taking the Selection Committee's objective criteria literally. More than literally, in fact. No opinions, just data.

It considers all FBS teams with two losses or less after Week 9:

• Until a conference title is clinched, division leaders will be considered as first-place teams.
• Power Five scores in non-conference games will be measured on a win-loss basis.
• Head-to-head results will be measured separately on a win-loss basis.
• Bookies are the only evaluators who put their dosh where their conclusions are. Bovada championship odds will be factored into the rankings.
• Geeks have an unbiased place in this process; Anderson-Hester computer rankings are easily understandable and will be included.

We'll try, because that's just who we are.

Objective facts have a way of aligning the stars the way nature intended.

• Standings matter. The Big XII has ten teams; no other conference has a division that large, so a first-place team will get 10 points, a second-place team will get 9 points, and so forth. If a team is tied for a position, it will be considered to hold the higher position. A conference champion will be awarded 5 bonus points.
• Non-con Power Five wins will be worth 3 points; those losses will be worth 1 point.
• Notre Dame's schedule will be measured against ACC teams.
• If BYU ever becomes a factor, we'll figure it out then.
• Head-to-head conference wins will be worth 3 points; those losses will be worth -1 point.
• Bovada and Geek rankings will be based on a 25-point scale and factored down by a constant of 0.3; thus, a first-place position will be worth (25 x 0.3) = 7.5 points, second place for either will be worth (24 x 0.3) = 7.2 points, and so on. If a team is tied for a position, it will be considered to hold the higher position.

This results in The Daily Player 12.

Brace yourselves for a data-based snapshot in time:

Right now, you're probably asking yourself ... 

• UCF? Again? ... Well, here's a look at this week's Geek calculations:

Do know that sometime between now and the end of January, Scott Frost is gonna get paid.

In the meantime, return with us now to the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, when the football world scoffed that a Western Athletic Conference team with a brilliant coach in Chris Petersen could be paired with the mighty Oklahoma Sooners.

Or to the 2009 Sugar Bowl when Kyle Whittingham's Mountain West denizens at Utah took an undefeated record into their clash against the exalted Crimson Tide.

Perceptions aside, being a Power Five school is not an entitlement.

• Speaking of ... Sorry, but Alabama's victory over Florida State doesn't look as bright and shiny right now. The only alleged Top 25 team with any staying power they've beaten is LSU; note where the Geeks ranked Bama's strength of schedule. Now, the Tide's banged up like virtually everyone else as they get set for their opponents with résumés. Like everyone else, dudes have work to do.
• USC? ... Next up is a trip to Boulder, then the UCLA rivalry, and if they win those, a shot at Washington or Wazzu in the Pac-12 title game. Maybe all that talent can perform like a team yet.
• Notre Dame? ... They're always good for puzzling French-speakers as to why we can't pronounce the name right. What with this weekend's trip to Coral Gables and their season-ender at the Farm, if they can win both of those, they'll be able to pronounce anything the way they damn well please, if you'll pardon our French.