We know from his hiring and management of Bobby Petrino that Jeff Long, now the man in charge of college football’s playoff selection committee, possesses excellent judgment. So it is with relief that I note that all our worries about crowning college football’s best team as national champion are over.
Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long was invited to attend the 2014 BCS national title game as part of his new role as the chairman of the College Football Playoff selection committee.
When it ended, Long said it became very clear that the new era in college football — one he will play a major role in — was underway.
“I kind of did feel that pressure kind of shift and move over,” Long said last week. “But at the same time, it’s an exciting time. It’s a different time because we will be choosing four teams. Then the championship really will be decided on the field.”
I suppose when they expand the playoff field to eight, Long will say that the championship really, really will be decided on the field.
Get The Picture 
I can’t decide if Jeff Long is the perfect leader or the worst leader for the new playoff.
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“Decided on the field” is a phrase that has lost all meaning.
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It all has great potential, but the first time they take a 1 loss non-division winner over a 1 loss conference champion like Baylor or Mich. St., it’s going to hit the fan.
Next year will go a long way in determining the direction. I don’t know why it’s so hard to enact a guideline that a non-conference winner cannot go ahead of a conference champion with an equal or better record. I don’t want to see a rematch unless it’s painfully necessary. I want to see if the Baylors and Spartans of the world are for real. I already know Auburn can beat Bama because I just saw it.
Of course, I’m convinced 10 of us could get together and be better at the process than the ‘selection committee.’
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We knew that LSU could beat Bama… they just couldn’t do it twice. 😉
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But…but…the sacredness of the regular season was upheld under the BCS system wasn’t it? Oh, and don’t forget the FU/FSU rematch in the nineties. At least when all power conference champs are included a non-conference champion would have to win a playoff where all conference champs are included.
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Yes it did keep the regular season sacred and exciting. I watched tOSU vs Michigan, next year I can skip that game.
The rematches mentioned did put the 2 best teams on the field.
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Then you had that in the regular season. Rinse, lather, and repeat. I don’t question that two of the best may be in the same conference. Probably happens quite a bit, but since you don’t ever know if they are the best, I would rather see more matchups. If those two survive other top teams, then let it be replayed. But with 120+ teams, choosing two is suspicious, choosing two who have already played was just silly. As I recall there was a huge outcry for a repeat of Ohio and Michigan that year because no one else was deemed worthy. As expected, that was blown up.
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How does selecting 4 teams from a pool of teams = settling it on the field?
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THIS…How about if every member of this committee signs an agreement to take a lie detector test at the end of each “selection event”. If they don’t want to agree, or if they refuse the test when the time comes..they’re votes are discarded for an “alternate” juror.
Some of the questions should be..
Are you’re choices completely honest and without bias ?.
Has anyone lobbied you inappropriately or given you any gifts or money to vote in favor of or against any team or conference?
Have you, to the best of your ability, determined these four teams to be the best four teams for this playoff?
Who played Lumpy on “Leave it to Beaver”?
Really..would this be asking too much? I think a lot of people would say “Yes, it’s too much and I won’t do that”. Then you move on until you find four qualified “experts” who are willing to be examined concerning their answer….A hell of a lot of money, prestige and power are at stake…millions and millions and millions of dollars…Consider that. These aren’t questions about one’s personal life or sexual orientation…just honesty about the selections they make.
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“Long will say that the championship really, really will be decided on the field.”
With integrity, style and words of encouragement because Opportunity is Nowhere* with Jeff Long #winning –
“Enjoy Bielema and what he brings to the football team, but also enjoy knowing Long won the hiring game this season with style.’
http://www.arkansasfight.com/2012/12/7/3738306/bielema-is-great-jeff-long-is-better
“But Long, whose bio details time on the football staffs at Rice, Duke and North Carolina State before he got into athletic administration, has addressed Arkansas players and assistant coaches multiple times since April 10, the day he fired Petrino. Those meetings have included words of encouragement…”
http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article/30824/razorbacks-appreciate-ads-willingness-to-speak-listen-in-days-following-petrino-dismissal?page=all
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I thought FSU played Auburn on a field and the game ended with one team winning. I was under the same false impression that Alabama played Notre Dame on a field last year,
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“Weally, Weally”. There, FIFY you wascally rabbit.
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Stingtalk Senator, please.
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