Tennessee AD Danny White wants BCS-like computer rankings for the College Football Playoff

Tennessee athletic director Danny White loves the College Football Playoff’s expansion to 12 teams. He wouldn’t mind seeing another round of expansion to get the bracket 16, either.

But one major change he wants to see moving forward is how the teams are ranked and seeded. More specifically, White wants less committee and more computers. 

“With respect to this process,” White said Tuesday during an appearance on SportsTalk on 99.1-FM The Sports Animal, “I would like to see us a little more objective. I don’t think there is anything wrong with the ranking system of the old BCS. 

“The problem with the old BCS was it was only two teams. So we got the number of teams right, with 12. I would love to see it go all the way to 16. But we’ve introduced this really subjective rankings process that I think is unnecessary.”

The College Football Playoff selection committee on Tuesday night had Tennessee ranked No. 7 in the new CFP Top 25 and seeded ninth in the 12-team bracket.

The projection had the Vols (10-2) going to Ohio State (10-2) in the first round. The Buckeyes dropped to No. 6 in the rankings and No. 8 in the bracket after losing 13-10 at home against unranked Michigan on Saturday.

Teams seeded Nos. 5-8 host in the first round of the playoffs while the teams seeded Nos. 9-12 go on the road. 

Danny White: ‘Hosting a (playoff) game at Neyland Stadium would be a pretty amazing environment’

Tennessee unofficially clinched its playoff spot with the 36-23 win Saturday at Vanderbilt, but would need help in conference championships this week for a team to fall below the Vols when the official playoff bracket is released Sunday afternoon. 

“Excited to be in position to be where we feel pretty confident we’re in the playoffs,” White said. “I think we know we’re in the playoffs. It’s a testament to our team, the first year of an expanded 12-team playoff, to accomplish what they’ve done so far.

“And looks like, according to the committee, maybe we need a little help to host. I know one thing. Hosting a (playoff) game at Neyland Stadium would be a pretty amazing environment.”

The selection committee on Tuesday night had Oregon, Texas, SMU and Boise State as the top four seeds, respectively, receiving a bye into the quarterfinals as the four highest-ranked projected conference champions.

The other first-round matchups were No. 12 Arizona State at No. 5 Penn State, No. 11 Alabama at No. 6 Notre Dame and No. 10 Indiana at No. 7 Georgia. 

Alabama was in the field at 9-3 over 10-2 Miami, after Miami lost at Syracuse on Saturday. 

College Football Playoff Selection Show: Sunday, Noon ET, ESPN

Warde Manuel, the Michigan athletic director and chairman for the selection committee, was asked Tuesday night about the difference between Ohio State and Tennessee, with the Buckeyes being projected to get the final host spot in the first round. 

He said the two teams have “very similar resumes” and that there was “constant conversation” as to how to rank them.

“A lot of deliberation on them,” Manuel said. “It was a lot of conversation and the outcome of the vote had Ohio Sate ahead of Tennessee.” 

Ohio State got the nod thanks to a road win at Penn State and a home win over Indiana, two teams ranked highly by the committee the last month. Tennessee’s best win was over Alabama at home in October.

“I’m not going to throw stones at a committee that I’m sure they’re all doing as good of a job as they can,” White said, “and they’re trying to work through it. And I think they’re good people working in earnest. I’m certainly not going to throw stones at other teams. You know, people want to compare us against one or two specific teams in this moment. But that’s not fair to those teams either.”

What White wants to seem is less committee voting and more computer calculating.  

“I will criticize the fact, though, that we don’t have a more objective, computer-based rankings system that just makes it very clear,” White said. “Everyone understands what the parameters are and it is what it is. I think it would leave a lot less consternation on the back end that we’re seeing all across the country right now.”