The Daily Player 12: Where to Draw the Whine Line?

For the record, we've got no plans to create The Daily Player 24 for the FCS playoffs.

The reason is simple:

Every FCS conference champion has a warm and fuzzy space in the FCS playoff bracket.

Beyond that, full marks to any tournament that feels the need to include at-large berths to increase interest and revenue, and they can use any selection criteria they want, from strength of schedule to hot cheerleaders.

With a 24-team field, the FCS has pushed the whine line far, far away from its 13 conference champions who've earned their shot at the official NCAA Division I title.

The runners-up thus float on the waves of subjectivity that will create some sorta confusion every season. This year in the FCS, for example, these two squads missed out:

• Austin Peay improved from a one-win 2016 to 8-4 this year, scoring more points against UCF (33) than any FBS team did against the Golden Knights; and
• Eastern Washington is incredulous that it went 7-4 with the seventh-toughest strength-of-schedule, and they're on the outside looking in. Clearly, the Eagles now know what they've gotta do:

This brings us, unavoidably, to the CFP Selection Committee and the moving target that has become its criteria.

As we all know, there are more FBS conference champions than there are bracket spots. This is why we should never rule out USC if it wins the Pac-12.

 

What with Week 12's fireworks occurring on the sidelines, it woulda been cool if the Committee had put more diligence into coming up with something a bit less eye-testy than this:

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

Here's hoping the teams sort themselves out and we don't have a repeat of last season.

Remember? How'd snubbing Big Ten champion Penn State for an at-large Ohio State entry work out for the Committee's cred last year?

 

That's what we thought.

We thought it last year, too.

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 considered 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 produces The Daily Player 12.

Here are this week's results:

Right now, you're probably asking yourself, what are the Geeks seeing that the Committee isn't?

Facts, really. Cold, hard facts.

Here's the Anderson-Hester Top Ten:

And here are their top observations for the week:

• Wisconsin has played three teams in the Top 25 -- as opposed to Alabama's two and Miami's one -- albeit all at home;
• Clemson has played just one team in the Top 25;
• Every game played among the current Top 10 has involved the Irish: Georgia at Notre Dame, USC at Notre Dame, and Notre Dame at Miami.

Then, check out USC's strength of schedule vis-à-vis the top three teams in their list.

When you're done checking out the cheerleaders, of course.