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Razorbacks' Season Shows Why CFP Committee Not That Far Off

Lopsided games in first round probably wasn't expected by committee or anybody else

Andy Hodges

Arkansas Razorbacks running back Ja’Quinden Jackson (22) rushes during the second quarter against the Tennessee Volunteers at Razorback Stadium.
Arkansas Razorbacks running back Ja’Quinden Jackson (22) rushes during the second quarter against the Tennessee Volunteers at Razorback Stadium. / Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — After reading some of the wailing and complaining from talking heads after not a single College Football Playoff game was competitive, don't blame the selection committee. People complaining are developing selective amnesia about the entire season.

Arkansas could be a shining example of that. People forget the Razorbacks beat Tennessee up here in September. Fans got to rush the field and cost the UA a chunk of money out of next year's payout, but they celebrated. Pollsters dropped the Volunteers like a rock in the next rankings.

By the logic some folks are using I'm starting to think maybe the Hogs should have been under consideration because they were close in a lot of those six losses this season. It just came down to a few turnovers ... or a bunch, depending on how you want to spin it.

While the argument could be made there were three teams in the SEC that should have been in the playoff, that simply wasn't going to happen. Expecting a bunch of college kids to play consistently anymore simply isn't going to happen, which is probably the reason this has been a handicapper's nightmare of a season.

Yes, Alabama, Ole Miss and South Carolina all were claiming they should have been there. The common sense reply to that is all three of those teams shouldn't have lost three games during the season. Every one has at least one game that all anybody could do is just shake their head over.

All the Rebels had to do was beat Florida and Mississippi State. Both games were taken for granted as rather routine wins. Never mind the Gators had turned things around and were playing about as well as anybody at the end of the year.

Razorback fans can just pipe down because Florida finished with a bowl game win and an 8-5 record. Arkansas can't get there if they beat the brakes off Texas Tech in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl on Friday night. It was a balancing act for the committee at best.

Teams like Texas, Ohio State and Notre Dame all shook off embarrassing losses and pretty much have their players' full attention for these playoff games. Having a legit shot to play for a national championship tends to do that and it's not going to happen in the regular season. I don't care how much people expect their little Heroes to play to 100 percent of their potential every single game.

What we found out in the playoff games is Indiana is building something interesting with that big comeback late against the Irish and SMU wasn't ready for the moment and played the first half like a deer in the headlights of a train.

Clemson simply didn't have players as good as Texas, which is pretty much the same story for the Volls, getting spanked unmercifully by Ohio State. The Buckeyes were probably making a statement to the folks screaming to run off everybody after losing to Michigan.

Besides, previous games have nothing to do with the game coming up.

"Last week has nothing to do with this week and last year has nothing to do with this season," Lou Holtz told us youngsters in the media on multiple occasions back in 1977-78. Everybody just expected it to continue week after week and they simply didn't prepare the same each week.

Maybe that's the most impressive thing about people like Nick Saban and Kirby Smart. Somehow they managed to keep their teams focused each and every week most of the time. Smart did have that problem week against Ole Miss in the middle of the season.

The Rebels found out they needed to have that focus every week after it was too late to get back into the playoffs, regardless of Lane Kiffin's comments on social media.

The media just wanted something to complain about if they didn't have a couple of overtime thrillers and games not decided until the end. That probably wasn't going to happen. Don't forget what Georgia did to TCU in the championship game a couple of years ago.

The committee put 12 teams in there I thought should have been in there based on their body of work during the regular season. You can take a microscope and point out flaws everywhere with the possible exception of No. 1 Oregon.

And no matter what there's still going to be complaining, even if they put 32 teams in there. Part of that is the ego of SEC and Big Ten fans along with the usual whining from the Big 12, ACC and some other smaller schools.

Just relax. The guess is the next round may be much more interesting. Above all, though, folks are talking about this and keeping college football at the top of the discussion meter. That probably was the primary goal all along.

HOGS FEED:

• Calipari, four Arkansas players remember Golden Grizzlies

• Will Hogs have to deal with all this again next season?

• Aidoo slowly returning to full bill of health for Razorbacks

• Razorbacks dominate paint in penultimate non-conference game

• Can Razorbacks really count on Russell for anything now?

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Andy Hodges
ANDY HODGES

Sports columnist, writer, former radio host and television host who has been expressing an opinion on sports in the media for over four decades. He has been at numerous media stops in Arkansas, Texas and Mississippi.

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