There was also a lot of drama off the field, thanks to the impressive politicking coming from coaches and athletic directors across the country.
All week, teams on the playoff bubble—or in some cases, in the market for a potential first-round bye in the CFP—made their cases to the playoff selection committee through the media. Athletic directors at SMU and Iowa State traded barbs over the latest playoff ranking earlier in the week. Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin had beef too, as did Miami quarterback Cam Ward.
Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti joined the fray on Saturday, passionately making the case for the Hoosiers to host a home game in the first round of the CFP.
Cignetti noted that of all the one-loss teams in the country, the Hoosiers’ loss (38–15 at Ohio State on Nov. 23) was not that bad, considering the Buckeyes were ranked No. 2 in the country at the time.
Cignetti wasn’t the only coach to empty the notebook while making their case on Saturday. After a dominant win in the Big 12 championship, Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham sent a message to the playoff committee in his postgame interview.
The expansion of the College Football Playoff to 12 teams has added plenty of new dimensions to the beloved, chaotic sport. One of them happens to be that coaches, athletic directors and players can’t help but plead their cases for playoff selection and ranking through the media.
On Sunday, the politicking will be over, and the first 12-team bracket will be released. If any coaches have any last exhibits they would like to show the jury before closing arguments, now is the time to do it.