CFP Committee chair, executive director makes strong statement on number of teams that can still make the field

How many teams can still make the College Football Playoff? The committee's executive director weighed in
How many teams can still make the College Football Playoff? The committee's executive director weighed in / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Following the release of the first College Football Playoff Rankings since the inception of the 12-team playoff system, the Executive Director and Chair of the Selection Committee spoke to the media in an exclusive teleconference about the committee’s mission, methods, and response to last year’s Florida State controversy.

On the College Football Playoff Selection Committee’s mission and methods

Chair of the Selection Committee Warde Manuel was clear- “the committee’s mission has not changed… last year does not matter… our job is to get [the rankings] right.” 

Manuel detailed the committee’s method of “get[ing] it right,” stating that when the committee evaluates a program, they do not look at polls, past years’ performances, or the media. Rather, they focus almost exclusively on records, strength of schedule, head-to-head matchups, and results against common opponents.

Interestingly, Executive Director Rich Clark clearly stated that “we don’t factor in conference strength,” stating the committee painstakingly analyses individual matchups.

College Football Playoff Selection Committee Executive Director Rich Clark on teams’ playoff chances

“I'll say that next month and this last month leading into the playoff is going to be extremely exciting because teams that before we weren't thinking about going into the playoff are going to have an opportunity. We're still looking at 20-plus teams potentially that have a shot to get into the playoff.

The Selection Committee wrapped up their first ranking today, and you probably have already seen the 25 best teams that they laid out for us, and that's their job, to rank the 25 best teams. That's always been the committee's job for 10 years. It's just this year it's going to lead to a different format for our playoffs, and we're really excited about it.”

Rich Clark on 2023 FSU controversy and future teams’ injury disclosure

“The committee is going to look at a team's merits, and if there is a loss, the committee -- a loss due to injury, the committee is going to look at the team's performance without that player. They're going to see, just like they did last year, they're going to see how a team performs with the loss of a key player, and they're going to evaluate them on that merit, and if they know that player is not coming back, they know that that's the team moving forward that they're going to rank for the future.

Whether a team discloses their injuries or not, the committee is going to see how they perform without a player, and that's how they're going to evaluate them.”

College Football Playoff Selection Committee Chair Warde Manuel on 2023 FSU controversy

“Obviously we don't look back at decisions that were made in the past, and we're going to deal with things that happen this year. It has nothing to do with injury disclosure. It has to do with are they -- we recognize when key people are missing from a game, whether it's disclosed or not, so we can evaluate, as Rich said, and have that as a part of the decision as it relates to a team's performance in that particular game on that particular week.”