Ye olde notebook:
Over the holidays a story broke via ESPN.com that "a growing number of Group of 5 officials" favor adding a playoff specifically for those schools.
The premise is it has been 32 years since a non-Power 5 team (BYU in 1984) won a national title with no other in sight. In the first three years of the College Football Playoff, a Group of 5 team (one within either the American, Conference USA, Mid-American, Mountain West or Sun Belt conferences) has never been ranked higher than No. 13 by the CFP selection committee. That was Memphis in 2015.
Brett McMurphy quoted Northern Illinois athletic director Sean Frazier as saying, "There is absolutely no ability for [G5 teams] to be in the national title conversation. That's just reality. Anyone that says we can: That's a flat-out lie."
Frazier said a G5 playoff could be financially rewarding via networks like NBC, CBS or even ESPN, the latter of which is flooded with bowls.
You might know the highest ranked G5 champ gets to play in a New Year's 6 bowl - Cotton, Fiesta or Peach - through the 2025 regular season. But would a separate G5 playoff be a good idea? Well, at least one athletic director, unnamed in McMurphy's piece, called it the equivalent of competing for a "junior varsity championship" and said, "No thanks."
But perhaps no G5 athletic director can appreciate the question like Marshall's Mike Hamrick. The Thundering Herd was a Division I-AA (now Football Championship Subdivision) power before moving to I-A (now Football Bowl Subdivision) in 1997. It moved from the MAC to C-USA in 2005.
"We made a decision to leave and move up," Hamrick said on Tuesday. "Do we want to get back to it?"
It's an interesting question. There's certainly fun - and probably money - to be had. But there's also the issue of status.
"Here's the big concern," Hamrick said. "If you're a Group of 5 power school and you go to this kind of playoff, you basically sign the final contract saying we're in a separate status. There are a lot of Group of 5 schools that don't want to do that, i.e. [commissioner] Mike Aresco and his American Conference schools.
"That's hard for a Boise State or a Houston or a Marshall, schools that have had great success over the years. That goes to a Division I/Division II kind of deal. It would separate you more."
Some may chide Hamrick for those remarks after his school's recent football season, but remember Doc Holliday had the Herd hitting double digits in wins immediately before that. It was set up with a schedule that included Pitt and Louisville. And back in 1999, 2001 and 2002, MU finished in the Top 25 polls.
"In 2020, we play East Carolina, Ohio, Pittsburgh and Boise State as our non-conference games," Hamrick said. "Let's say Marshall wins all 12 games. Would we or would we not be in the [CFP] Final Four? That's the question everybody is asking. If one [Power 5] team is undefeated and the next ones have two or three losses and a Group of 5 team plays a difficult schedule like that, what happens?"
Hamrick, by the way, is active within the NCAA community. He's on the Football Oversight Committee. But here's his final take on the subject:
"Those whispers have been out there for the last two or three years," he said. "You hear them, but I don't see that having any legs right now.
"I can tell you my phone isn't ringing off the hook from people saying that's what we should do. Also, we've had no discussions within Conference USA about that."
nnn
I mentioned Top 25 polls a few paragraphs ago. And with college football down to the national championship, I figured I'd take pen to paper and look at what the final Associated Press poll might look like - and specifically where WVU might finish.
In case you're unaware, I'm West Virginia's state representative in regard to the poll, so I pay particular close attention. Yet I came away with many questions after most bowl action.
I wonder, for instance, how high Oklahoma, the Big 12 champ, might finish. Could the Sooners jump all the way to No. 3 after routing Auburn in the Sugar Bowl? Does Washington stay ahead of OU? Maybe. But Ohio State certainly has to fall after getting blanked by Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl. In fact, the Buckeyes could fall to No. 7, behind USC and Penn State. That's where I have them tentatively slotted anyway.
Also, could Wisconsin win the Cotton Bowl yet fall in the rankings? The Badgers are No. 8, but one has to make room for USC, which defeated Penn State in the thrilling Rose Bowl. Also, No. 10 Florida State nipped No. 6 Michigan. Again, make room. Heck, should Oklahoma State, which crushed No. 11 Colorado, slide ahead of Wisconsin, which nudged past Western Michigan? And do the WMU Broncos stick at No. 12?
It'll be fascinating to see how it all shakes out. And for Mountaineer fans, my best guess is WVU, which entered the bowl season at No. 14, will tumble to either No. 19, 20 or 21. I'd say Louisville will finish No. 19 with WVU No. 20 and Colorado No. 21, but you could put the three teams in a bag and simply draw. Toss South Florida in there, too, if you wish. (In case you're wondering, I have Miami, which vanquished WVU in the Russell Athletic Bowl, tentatively at No. 17.)
Likewise the final three spots will be fun to watch. With Iowa, Pitt, Temple and Nebraska all losing, it's a total crap shoot at the bottom. Kansas State? Tennessee? Georgia Tech? Western Kentucky? Utah? San Diego State?
We'll see Jan. 10.