CFP Committee Breaks Down Evaluation of Losers in Conference Championships

The champions of the SEC, Big Ten, ACC, and Big 12 title games not only celebrate their victory but also secure their spots in the College Football Playoff. But what happens to the teams that don’t win?

The excitement of championship weekend in college football is upon us.

This Saturday holds significant implications as teams vie for their conference championships, with eight teams in particular aiming to lock a place in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff bracket.

Five of the total 12 CFP spots are reserved for the highest-ranked conference champions. This Saturday, the winners of the SEC, Big Ten, ACC, and Big 12, along with Mountain West champion Boise State, will guarantee their playoff spots. Furthermore, at least three of these victors will receive a first-round bye, advancing them directly to the quarterfinals.

While the winners can relax on Sunday during the College Football Playoff selection show, the teams that didn’t win will be anxiously hoping to snag one of the seven at-large bids available.

But how does the College Football Playoff Committee view these teams that didn’t come out on top in their conference championship games? ESPN’s College GameDay host Rece Davis posed this question to CFP Committee chair Warde Manuel.

“It’s probably fair to say that, yes,” Manuel responded. “We don’t really consider it an at-large pool, but we do assess how the teams performed. And as you know, Rece, we’ve always evaluated teams in the final week. Teams can rise or fall, but you won’t see teams that aren’t playing leapfrogging others that aren’t playing either.”

Manuel provided an example with No. 4 Notre Dame and No. 6 Ohio State, neither of whom are in a conference championship this weekend. While the Buckeyes’ ranking might shift up or down when revealed on Sunday, they won’t overtake Notre Dame.

“Ohio State will not move ahead of Notre Dame, nor will Notre Dame drop below Ohio State,” Manuel clarified. “They can shift within the rankings based on the outcomes of the championship games.”

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