Live debate required before playoff selections finalized

[Junior]

A live, nationally televised debate with moderators, committee representatives, and a challenger panel before the playoff selections are finalized is necessary for maintaining the integrity of the sport. No more excuses, no more unchallenged gaslighting. 

Right now, the criteria seem to shift depending on which team they want to justify. One week it’s strength of schedule, the next it’s losses, the next it’s the “eye test,” and sometimes it doesn’t seem to matter at all. Everyone watching can see it. In a sport where difficulty of schedules vary so widely, falling back on simple loss count without considering overall résumé just doesn’t cut it. No more letting the committee hide behind vague talking points and the Muppets in the media who echo them. 

A panel of moderators could include a respected CFB journalist, a former coach or athletic director, and someone who understands the data — alongside a couple of committee representatives and a challenger panel of analysts, former players, and stats experts. Start with brief statements, then dive into real questions: Why does it seem strength of schedule and head to head criteria are not being honored? How does the committee weigh a team’s number of losses against the fact that schedules vary widely in difficulty? How do they take into account the wear and tear of a tough in‑conference and non‑conference schedule, and how that compounds and impacts a team over the course of a season? Other than a one loss differential, how do they justify ranking a team like Miami, which has faced only one top‑25 opponent all year, above Texas, which played the most difficult schedule of any team still in playoff contention? Or how can they explain putting Notre Dame ahead of Miami when both have the same record, ND also played a weak schedule and Miami won the head-to-head matchup? Moreover, what is the actual priority order of the criteria they claim to use?

The committee should be made to walk through a few of the most questionable ranking decisions step by step, and both sides should be able to make their case under cross-examination. We’re not arguing that an 8‑4 or 7‑5 team should be included; we understand that losses matter. But it would be naive to overlook the committee’s inconsistencies and obvious preference for win-loss records over their stated criteria.

This isn’t about getting Texas into the playoffs — it’s about halting the steady decline of the sports integrity. Previous failures don't justify continuing to turn a blind eye - this committee must be held accountable.