The advent of the playoff has obviously changed college football in a myriad of ways, and the Mailbag is not immune. Longtime readers know well my stubborn refusal to entertain hypothetical doomsday BCS scenarios — like perennial favorite, “What if these seven teams all finish undefeated?” — before about late October. For whatever reason, though, I’ve got no such problem going down the potential-selection-committee-headaches-road after just two weeks. You bring up an interesting scenario with the Big Ten having a shot at two playoff teams should Michigan State lose a close one at Ohio State and finish 11-1. But what if the Spartans were to win in Columbus? Without a similar marquee win as Michigan State’s over Oregon, would the Buckeyes be similarly deserving as a non-division winner? –Kelly, Tuscaloosa, Ala. Last year we saw how much the selection committee values a conference title. But how will that compare with a head-to-head result like Michigan State over Oregon? Say Michigan State finishes 11-1, while the Ducks go 12-1. …
Continue Reading: Mandel’s Mailbag: How playoff committee could wind up with big headaches
