NCAA Champion's League Update

After seven chaotic weeks of football, the job of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee looks harder than ever.  Four undefeated FBS teams remain (Florida State, Mississippi, Mississippi State and Marshall), but only two of the "Power Five" conferences have one. Upsets have blemished many of the preseason favorites, while suspensions and questions surround others.  The selection process promises to be adventurous, which is great TV but not great for the Committee or the sport.  Fortunately, there is a better way.  Here is how the postseason is shaping up in an alternate universe where a tournament of conference champions decides the national title:

*The B1G and ACC champions were swapped to preserve the traditional Rose and Sugar Bowl tie-ins.

 

As a reminder, this scheme gives every conference champion a place in the playoff, creating an unbroken chain of domination from the national champion to every conference in the country.  There will also be a chain of victories from the national champion to most of the teams in the country.  Sagarin rankings were used to seed the tournament, indicating who would likely be favored by Vegas in a head-to-head matchup at a neutral site.  For conferences with divisions, the higher-ranked division leader was used for ranking purposes.  Traditional bowl tie-ins are preserved by making the Rose and Sugar Bowls the semifinal games, and swapping one pair of teams if needed.  The Orange Bowl's traditional tie-in is accomplished by making it the ACC's Elite 8 game.

 

The current outlook provides some intriguing matchups, with #39 East Carolina likely traveling west to meet Oregon in the desert, if the Ducks can survive a PAC-12 championship game against USC.  Marshall (#31 in Sagarin's ranking), if it wins Conference USA, earns a first round bye (at the expense of the Mountain West), and lucks into a game with the 4th seeded B1G instead of the 3rd seeded ACC as a result of the swap to preserve the bowl traditions.  It's reward is a likely date with the #11 Spartans, who will be playing to meet Oregon and take revenge for their early-season loss.  The 3/5 matchup between Florida State (likely) and Kansas State promises to be the highlight of the Elite 8, while the winner of San Diego State/Boise State/Toledo/Bowling Green will get valuable exposure against an SEC champion that could be looking ahead.  But best of all, no team will make the playoff based on history, image, or storyline.  Everyone will qualify on their merits and play it out to determine the best team.  What a crazy universe.