Everything You Need to Know About the College Football Playoff

Once upon a time there was a College Football Playoff. Schools from all throughout the country would compete each week to build the most impressive resumes, hoping to claim one of the four hallowed spots in the playoff. These four highly esteemed programs would earn their positions through nearly flawless records, dominant performances on the field, and strong schedules throughout the year. After a long and hard-fought season, these sole remaining teams would play each other head-to-head in two semifinal games, with the winners meeting to play for the National Championship. Once upon a time there was a conqueror crowned king of all the land, marking a new era of college football; that time is now.

Last year was the first time in the history of the sport that college football introduced this four team playoff system. Designed to establish one true champion, the playoff system was created to force the best teams in the land to compete head-to-head, resulting in a de facto champion. With four teams qualifying for this postseason clash, the aim was to limit the controversies created by the old system, which excluded all but two teams from the National Title game.


This image is compliments of Ryan Look.

While the College Football Playoff is widely considered a vast improvement over the old system, it is far from perfect, and extensive debates arise near the end of the year when teams are jockeying for positions. Since the top four programs for the playoff are determined by a 13-member selection committee, one can imagine how disputable the rankings may become. The committee begins publishing their top 25 rankings midway through the season, but all that matters is who sits in the top four positions in the final week's poll. For now, rankings are based on the Associated Press (AP) poll.

Without further ado, let's dive straight in with analysis of Week 1! There were few surprises in the first weekend of football, but that doesn't mean there weren't heavy playoff implications. Last year's champions, the Ohio State Buckeyes (dreaded PSU rival!), made their first title defense against unranked Virginia Tech. After a shaky first half performance, the Buckeyes used their offensive talent to pull away to a big victory on the road.

Second ranked Texas Christian University (TCU), hailing from the Big 12 Conference of the midwest, also earned a gritty road victory against a fearless Minnesota team. Last year's Southeastern Conference (SEC) champions Alabama put on a show against the Wisconsin Badgers, the 20th ranked team, in perhaps the most important game of the week. Alabama, ranked third, dismantled Wisconsin's defense in the second half and stunted the Badger's lethal running attack. Other mix-ups in Week 1 included upsets of No. 15 Arizona State and No. 21 Stanford.

Keep your hopes up for a Penn State victory this week to recover from a disappointing loss at Temple. The Nittany Lions should cruise past Buffalo, so enjoy the game! Also be sure to watch out for other key match-ups across the country. The game of the week will be No. 5 Michigan State vs. No. 7 Oregon; I'm predicting Michigan State edges Oregon in a nail-biting finish. Another fun non-conference match-up should be Oklahoma vs. Tennessee; keep an eye on Tennessee to pull off the upset!


This photo is courtesy of Nick Forrester.

Now go surprise your friends with all you know about college football!