CFP Committee Explains How Losing Teams in Conference Championships Will Be Evaluated

Winners of the SEC, Big Ten, ACC and Big 12 championship games secure a spot in the College Football Playoff. But what about the losers?

Warde Manuel has served as the athletic director at Michigan since 2016. / ESPN

Championship weekend has finally arrived in college football.

There is plenty at stake on Saturday, as teams across the nation battle for the title of conference champion while eight programs in particular fight to secure a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff bracket.

Five of the 12 CFP spots will be awarded to the highest-ranked conference champions, meaning the winners of the SEC, Big Ten, ACC and Big 12 championship games will join Mountain West champion Boise State and clinch a spot Saturday. And at least three of those winning teams on Saturday will earn a first-round bye into the quarterfinals.

While the winners of those championship games will enjoy a stress-free Sunday during the College Football Playoff selection show, the losers will be sweating it out in hopes to claim one of seven at-large bids.

So, how is the College Football Playoff Committee viewing the losing teams in those conference championship games? ESPN's College GameDay host Rece Davis asked CFP Committee chair Warde Manuel if those losing teams will be evaluated similar to the rest of the "at-large pool" that includes teams not playing in a conference title game.

"Probably fair to say that, yeah," Manuel said. "We don't look at it as an at-large pool, but we will evaluate the teams and how they play. Again, Rece, this is something that has been done every year in the final week we've evaluated teams. Teams can move up and down, but what you won't see is teams who are not playing move above or below other teams who are not playing."

Manuel then gave the example of No. 4 Notre Dame and No. 6 Ohio State, who are not competing in a conference championship game this weekend. The Buckeyes could move up or down in the final rankings revealed on Sunday, but they will not be able to leapfrog the Fighting Irish.

"Ohio State will not move above Notre Dame, and Notre Dame won't move below Ohio State," Manuel said. "But they can fluctuate and move in terms of where they are set in the rankings in the top 25. And that's based on the championship games."

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