College Football

Why the CFP selection committee values Boise State over Big 12 champion

Updated Dec. 3, 2024 10:08 p.m. ET

RJ Young

FOX Sports National College Football Analyst

There were several big-picture questions heading into Tuesday night's College Football Playoff rankings reveal:

1. Where would Ohio State fall after its loss to Michigan?

2. Will Boise State be ranked ahead of the top Big 12 – or even top ACC – team?

3. What can we learn from this set of rankings that will carry over to Sunday's CFP reveal?

[More: College Football Playoff Rankings: Texas at No. 2 behind Oregon; Ohio State drops to 6]

Here are the answers we got to those pressing questions following the fifth CFP reveal:

Ohio State dropping at least four spots was expected.

The Buckeyes fell to No. 6 in the latest set of CFP rankings. After losing to an unranked Michigan team, which finished the regular season with a 7-5 mark, the Buckeyes are going to have to use some of their retirement savings and pay a penalty to remain in the 12-team CFP.

However, it's not just that Ohio State won't be one of the four highest-ranked conference champions, but that the Buckeyes – slotted in the No. 8 spot if the CFP were to start today – are currently the last team in position to host a playoff game. Imagine the Buckeyes going on the road to Knoxville if the seeds were reversed? That would be less than ideal for them and perfect for college football fans, who would relish the chance to see a heavyweight matchup like that in the first round of the playoffs.

Boise State got kicked into one of the spots reserved for the highest-ranked conference champions.

The Broncos maintain the No. 4 seed in the latest CFP reveal, but will the selection committee keep them in that spot with a win in the Mountain West Championship Game against a 10-win UNLV team?

While receiving the No. 4 seed is outstanding for the Broncos, it likely jams up the Big 12 champion — whether it's Iowa State or Arizona State — because the assumption that the four P4 champs will slot into the highest-ranked conference spot is blown to smithereens.

The selection committee can choose violence.

That is how ranking Boise State ahead of the Big 12, or even the ACC champion — if it's three-loss Clemson, for instance — will be seen by the four P4 leagues. If Clemson wins the ACC Championship Game, that doesn't mean the Tigers will be one of the four teams to receive a first-round bye. They could end up being the No. 12 seed, with the Big Ten, SEC, Big 12 and Mountain West champions occupying those top-four spots.

And, finally, the committee could use a ranking that boxes out perhaps another worthy team competing in the CFP, like Ole Miss, Miami or South Carolina.

Using the "choose violence" criteria, the CFP committee could also pick Colorado to feed into the conspiracy that the matchups are all about maximizing revenue. Given that this process has never been performed and the results are anything but sure, Tuesday's ranking only sets the stage for what will be one of the most memorable Selection Sundays ever.

RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the podcast "The Number One College Football Show." Follow him on Twitter at @RJ_Young and subscribe to "The RJ Young Show" on YouTube.

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