Urban Meyer, FOX broadcast crew update College Football Playoff rankings during ACC, Big Ten title game

The College Football Playoff picture was broken down into eight teams entering the conference championship games. And with three of the Power-5 conference championships decided, the image has become clearer. Unfortunately, controversy and chaos are beginning to creep in.

During the halftime of the Big Ten title game, the Fox Big Noon Kickoff crew shared their thoughts on which four teams they believe will earn a spot in this season’s College Football Playoff.

“You know who’s in,” said Mark Ingram. “I told you championship weekend ultimately became the first round of the playoffs. Alabama went and beat Georgia in the SEC Championship. They deserve a berth. They are one of the best four teams in the country. Washington very convincing win over Oregon. They’re one of the best teams in the country. You talk about Michigan; they win today they’re in the playoff.”

You can take the player out of Alabama, but you can’t stop them from bleeding Crimson Tide. And following Alabama’s 27-24 victory over Georgia in the SEC championship game, Ingram has a solid case for why Alabama should be in this year’s field of four. However, their Week 2 loss to the Texas Longhorns, who beat Oklahoma State 49-21 in the Big 12 title game, looms large over their head. And all signs point to it being unlikely that they jump the Longhorns in the standings.

As Ingram continued, he highlighted that there is one team he could see Alabama vaulting over to earn a spot in the CFP field. But that would call for the College Football Playoff committee to make an unprecedented move, alienating another Power-5 conference champion.

“Now you talk about Florida State with a third-string quarterback; how have they looked the past two weeks? Are they deserving if they win? 13-0. Undefeated. Yes, they are deserving. But you can’t sit here and say that they’re one of the best teams in the country. Texas, Michigan, Washington, Alabama, I think if you line Florida State against any one of those four programs right now, I think they take an L.”

While Ingram believes everything will be all right for the crimson and white, his co-host, former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback for the USC Trojans, Matt Leinart, believes there are far too many moving pieces, which will make for a wild selection Sunday, while subtitling co-signing with Ingram’s four.

“Yeah, I think Texas, [the] last two weeks, has been absolutely dominant,” said Leinart. “I think today was just the cap on the season 12-1, Big 12 champs. They have to be in. I think Bama’s in. Texas has to be in because they have the head-to-head. They beat them in Tuscaloosa.

“The debate, honestly, I think it comes down to maybe a Georgia team that was number one all season long when the playoff rankings came out. How far are they going to drop? We can still sit up here and say they still might be one of the four best teams, but they’re not a conference champion. Texas has a stronger strength of schedule than them. It’s going to be wild. And Florida State, right now, [is] struggling vs. Louisville, only up 3-0 at halftime.”

The other resident quarterback of the group, Notre Dame’s Brady Quinn, agrees with Ingram’s four teams in Washington, Michigan, Texas, and Alabama. But he can’t help but sympathize with Georgia, who has been the top team in the country for much of the 2023 season and, not to mention, are the reigning back-to-back national champions and Florida State who could be undefeated.

“It’s tough to make the case for them, although it would be unprecedented if the College Football Playoff committee didn’t put them in, and they’re a 13-0 Power 5 conference champion,” said Quinn. “We’ve never seen that before. And it’s heartbreaking, too, for Georgia. Talk about the strength of the schedule. They do have three top-25 wins, but they wouldn’t be a conference champion. I’m with you. I’ve got the same four teams in there as well. I think all four of those teams have beat three teams in the top-25 current rankings, and they’re all conference champs.”

The final word on the topic belonged to legendary Florida Gators and Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer. Meyer has won championships in the BCS era and in the College Football Playoff era and relied on his familiarity with both to articulate why, albeit unprecedented, the committee is likely to knock Florida State out of the College Football Playoff picture.

“That would be a shame for Florida State, but that’s reality,” said Meyer. “They have to win and win big. How about this? Just for argument’s sake, BCS, we were there. That was supposed to eliminate all the arguments about [the] top team in the country. Top two teams, BCS. Playoff top four teams, there’s still arguments. I’ve got news. Even when they go 12 teams, there’s going to be arguments. There will continue to be arguments. But I got the Wolverines, Washington, Texas, and Bama. Florida State, the way they look right now, they’re not one of the top four teams in the country.

“The hardest thing is to stand in front of that team in Florida State and say you did everything I asked you to do. Everything.”

Regardless of what the committee decides on Sunday, there will be three teams with legitimate cases to be in this year’s College Football Playoff who are left out.

As mentioned above, Georgia, who entered championship weekend at No. 1, could be on the outside looking in, along with Ohio State, who lost a battle of No. 2 vs. No. 3 against Michigan in Week 13. Joining them will be one of the five teams of Washington, Texas, Michigan, Florida State, and Alabama. Needless to say, the final year of the four-team format for the CFP has made a valid case in most individuals’ minds as to why the expansion of 12 teams is needed. Just don’t expect the arguments to end, according to Meyer.