The College Football Playoff delivered two major upsets, an expected result, and an unexpected, but expected, result, in the second round on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Unfortunately, there wasn't anything conclusive to take away from the results on the issue of whether rust is a deterrent for the top seeds.
As Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde explains, that's a convenient excuse the Ohio State Buckeyes can use for their 24-14 loss to the Miami Hurricanes in the Cotton Bowl Classic, but it didn't bear out in how the Georgia Bulldogs lost to the Ole Miss Rebels in the Sugar Bowl -- a blown 21-12 lead that turned into a 39-34 loss -- or the Indiana Hoosiers' 38-3 destruction of the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Rose Bowl. It's hard to tell if it affected the Texas Tech Red Raiders in their 23-0 dud of a loss against the Oregon Ducks.
"The surprises have been No. 2 seed Ohio State’s flop against No. 10 Miami on Wednesday in the Cotton Bowl and No. 3 Georgia against No. 6 Mississippi on Thursday in the Sugar Bowl. Layoff-related? Hard to say," Forde wrote.
"The Buckeyes’ floundering start, being shut out in the first half, could be an indicator of accumulated rust with 25 days between games. Georgia’s problem was the opposite, taking a nine-point halftime lead against the Rebels and then succumbing to the wizardry of quarterback Trinidad Chambliss in a classic shootout."
CFP narratives swing like Pharoah's Fury every year
We're two years into a 12-team CFP field, and everyone is trying to poke holes in the process. The popular narrative is that being a top-four seed is actually bad, but Indiana put on one of the most convincing beatdowns from the No. 1 spot on an undeserving No. 9 seed.
Things will even out over time. If those working at ESPN can wait. It seems there's a bit of an inorganic push for more CFP games. A 16-team field wouldn't have the same issues.
Just do it ESPN. We know you want to. Then we can figure out the next thing to harp on next year that'll lead to more money. I mean, games.
Same thing, right?