Post-season Hoopla -

Other top 4 candidates according to “committee’s list”: (#1 12-0 Oregon, #2 11-1 FSU, #3 11-1 South Carolina, #4 BYU 12-0, #5 11-1 OU, #6 10-2 Michigan State, and #7 10-2 Bama) all seem to be in the mix and conversation for the “final four”. If people though the BCS generated “talk”, “buzz” and “controversy”...holy cow, this takes it to a whole new level. There is heated debate 24/7 RE who should get in. Some are taking the “two undefeated teams should get in” take (BYU/Oregon), others the “best team” approach (which usually centers around Oregon, FSU, South Carolina and an OU/MSU split) and others taking a “best resume” approach which center around Oregon/FSU/South Carolina/Bama. It’s quite ridiculous. Bronco has been on ESPN many times reminding viewers that the Cougars have beaten as many ranked teams as Oregon, OU and FSU (3) and more ranked teams than MSU (2), they have been “perfect” this season and deserve “a shot” since they have taken care of business EVERY week and they can only play the teams on their schedule.

BYU may need some help in the conference championship games...what helps slightly is the highest ranked “group of five” teams are Houston and UCF, both of which BYU beat...handily. Bronco’s argument that they deserve more than simply a “BCS type bowl birth” because it beat two teams currently being considered for that spot is compelling. Oregon goes on to pummel UCLA, however Jameis Winston is badly injured in the first quarter of the ACC champ game vs VT (9-3) and goes on to lose! South Carolina secures their spot by beating Bama in the title game and OU has no conference championship game and MSU beats Wisconsin in the B1G champ game.

Ultimately the committee seeds the first CFP as follows: #1 Oregon vs #4 BYU and #2 South Carolina vs #3 MSU, while the ballots remain sealed Pat Haden makes a public statement RE exclusion of #5 OU, “Neither BYU nor OU won a conference championship game, however BYU went undefeated with a very similar schedule and Oklahoma lost to a Baylor team that ended up with 3 losses...so we went with the team that we thought was ‘most deserving’ since their resumes were essentially equal.” When asked if this was a veiled shot by other conferences to encourage the Big12 to have a championship game Haden chuckled and said, “Welp...not sure I should comment on that, but I will say this, had OU had to beat a ranked Texas or avenge their loss to Baylor, we might not be having this conversation...their resume would be better at that point right?” #5 OU gets “stuck” playing #20 UCF (10-2) in the Cotton Bowl, a CFP “at large” bowl.