Shane Beamer identifies his biggest complaints with College Football Playoff selection process

Much of the debate around the College Football Playoff selection this season has been debating SMU and Alabama. However, the Crimson Tide aren’t the only team that feels it was snubbed, including South Carolina and head coach Shane Beamer.

For his part, Beamer has made it clear that he has complaints about the selection process, including how unclear it is what the criteria the selection committee is basing its decisions off on an annual basis.

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“There’s a lot of things that can be — as I said I was in Atlanta yesterday with a lot of media members, with a lot of people from the SEC office,” Shane Beamer said. “Players and coaches on both teams, fans, and heard from a lot of them about their opinion of Gamecock football and it was very positive. I think my biggest frustration right now was maybe just the inconsistencies of what’s important.”

One challenge annually is that the members of the College Football Playoff selection committee change. These are different people from last season, so what they value is bound to fluctuate to some extent at least.

“Injuries were a factor last year,” Beamer said. “Florida State got left out, and I know there were only four teams compared to 12, injuries were a factor last season but, apparently, injuries weren’t a factor this season when you look at our quarterback situation when he gets hurt on the last play of the LSU game and we’ve got 265 yards of offense at that point. Still had an opportunity to win that game, but that is a factor to me.”

Shane Beamer is referencing the injury that starting quarterback LaNorris Sellers suffered against LSU. That kept him from playing the second half of one of their losses, which had they won presumably would have put the Gamecocks in the Playoff as a 10-win team. So, if injuries matter, shouldn’t they be accounted for there too?

Another point where the selection committee has shown some inconsistency is strength of schedule and just how important it is to them.

“Is strength of schedule important or not? Is it just important to go win games and it doesn’t matter who you beat? This year, apparently, strength of schedule didn’t matter,” Beamer said. “Because we’ve got four ranked wins in the month of November alone and there’s teams in the Playoff that are 0-for. I think I read that there’s three or four teams that haven’t even beaten a ranked team this year, if I’m not mistaken. So, how are they going to look at strength of schedule?”

This year, the selection committee was chaired by Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel. He made comments following the end of the regular season that the committee would be unlikely to re-evaluate the teams not playing in conference championship week.

“I read a quote today, the chairman say they absolutely look at it. Well, no they don’t. Can’t tell me they do. Is injuries a factor and then I’ll have a hard time forever or ever getting over his comments on Tuesday night that no matter what happened this weekend, nothing was going to change. That really bothers me. We didn’t play. Alabama didn’t play. Miami didn’t play. Ole Miss didn’t play,” Beamer said.

“But when you sit there and you say we’re going to evaluate the total body of work, how in the heck you don’t take into account South Carolina just beat the ACC Champion on their home field seven days ago and that’s not a factor in the Playoff. That one is mind-boggling. Again, the committee has a tough job and, as I said, I know we’re flawed. Ole Miss has some flaws. We lost head-to-head. I get all that, but to sit there and say we’re not gonna evaluate South Carolina further after their Clemson game because their resume is complete. That’s bull crap. I mean, we beat the ACC Champion and to say we’re not gonna take a step back, really re-evaluate everything, determine the 12 best teams, I have a hard time with that one.”

In the end, South Carolina didn’t get into the College Football Playoff. Neither did any of the 9-3 SEC teams vying for the field and, in the end, the only team to make the Playoff without having at least 10 regular season wins was Clemson, winners of the ACC.

“So, are we evaluating the total body of work or are we just evaluating what makes things convenient for your rankings?”