At particular issue for some in the room was the explanations for the rankings of Big 12 teams Texas Tech and BYU in relation to several SEC squads. Penalties for losses were a particular frustration.<\/p>\n
The Red Raiders (12\u20132) played a cream puff nonconference schedule of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Kent State and Oregon State that did not prevent them from locking up a No. 4 seed and a first-round playoff bye. According to those familiar with the CFP presentation, Tech\u2019s high CFP analytics ratings were a reflection of several blowout wins while going 9\u20131 against Big 12 opponents (all nine victories were by a minimum of 22 points). Its lone pre-playoff loss, at Arizona State, did not result in a major hit to the Red Raiders\u2019 strength of record.<\/p>\n
BYU (12\u20132), which was the second team out of the 12-team bracket after Notre Dame<\/a>, was penalized less for two blowout losses to Texas Tech than some SEC teams were for closer losses\u2014both within the league, and in nonconference play. SEC coaches pushed back against that.<\/p>\n Per sources in the room, one league coach whose team was in the playoff mix but did not make the field said he felt worse after hearing the presentation than he did when his team was excluded on Selection Sunday.<\/p>\n Neither the Big 12 nor the SEC fared well in the playoff last season. Texas Tech, the lone Big 12 representative, was blown out at home by Oregon after receiving a first-round bye. Of the playoff-high five SEC teams in the field, only one (Mississippi) scored a victory over a non-SEC opponent, and none advanced past the semifinals.<\/p>\n Much of the blowback centered on a persistent belief among SEC coaches and athletic directors that many losses within their league are a byproduct of top-to-bottom strength. Every road game, they argue, is a difficult endeavor\u2014something they believe might be less true in other conferences. (Including the Big 12, which was the primary point of comparison.)<\/p>\n \u201cLook, I\u2019m biased,\u201d said Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks. \u201cI\u2019ve spent a lot of time in the SEC. I was part of the mock [CFP selection] exercise a number of years ago and one of the things that took me back is when people would say things like, \u2018That was a bad loss,\u2019 or \u2018That wasn\u2019t a great win.\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cAnd to me, that\u2019s hard to say when you go to some of these venues, especially at night. When you judge Texas on the loss at Florida last year and say that\u2019s going to be a massive hit to their r\u00e9sum\u00e9. Well, Florida\u2019s a really tough team and that\u2019s a really tough place to play.\u201d<\/p>\n Texas losing to Florida last season was the game that kept the Longhorns out of the CFP. | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images<\/p>\n Texas finished 9\u20133 and No. 13 in the CFP rankings, with road losses to Ohio State and Georgia in addition to the defeat in The Swamp. It was clear that losing to a Florida team that was 1\u20133 at the time, and finished 4\u20138, was the game that kept the Longhorns out of the playoff.<\/p>\n While banging the drum, as always, for SEC strength of schedule, Brooks said he\u2019s a believer in the human element of playoff selection. Metrics only tell a partial story.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s where the human elements got to come in because the data won\u2019t always tell the tale,\u201d Brooks said. \u201cI give the committee credit. It\u2019s not just off data, but they\u2019re presenting what the data says to them. But we all know data can be used. We can pull data out to prove one point here, one point there. I think the human element is very important because not all wins are equal. You can get into metrics, but depending on your style of play, you can game the system a little bit. There\u2019s so many factors that you\u2019ll never be able to measure.\u201d<\/p>\n With the SEC moving to nine league games this fall, there will be more losses. League officials are concerned that the CFP selection committee will do what it\u2019s long been accused of doing\u2014fixating more on win-loss record than strength of schedule. For that reason, expect the SEC to continue to push for more weight to be given to quality wins and quality losses.<\/p>\n That traditional benefit-of-the-doubt argument has lost some persuasion with the SEC failing to win the CFP national championship the last three seasons. But commissioner Greg Sankey insisted Wednesday that the league still has the strongest overall membership in the nation.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you look at the entirety of our league, we are by far the most competitive,\u201d he said. \u201cBy far. The breadth, the depth of this league, this league stands alone.\u201d<\/p>\n More College Football From Sports Illustrated<\/p>\n Listen to SI\u2019s college sports podcast, Others Receiving Votes, below or on Apple<\/a> and Spotify<\/a>. Watch the show on SI\u2019s College YouTube channel<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Florida](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01ksp0ght0cz4x06y1sw.jpg\" "\\"Florida")
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