Did Ohio State and Washington deserve its Playoff spots?
Ohio State fans are mad. Washington fans are mad. Penn State fans are mad.
There are many angry fanbases due to the results of the semi finals of the College Football Playoff.
Penn State and Ohio State fans are mad because Ohio State was blown out of its Playoff game and Nittany Lions fans feel like their team should have been in the Playoff. Washington fans are mad because the Huskies lost badly to the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Now that the results of the New Year's Bowls are complete, are fans, like those of Penn State, correct in that Ohio State and Washington were not deserving of its Playoff spots?
The answer is no.
Ohio State and Washington were deserving of its Playoff spots before the two teams played its Playoff games. Winning or losing one game does not change the fact that both teams were worthy of the Playoff.
Ohio State lost 31-0 against Clemson and Washington lost 24-7 to Alabama. Neither game was pretty, especially the Ohio State-Clemson game. Some Penn State fans have said that Penn State was more deserving because the Nittany Lions played well against a very good USC team and only lost by three points, that Penn State would have played Clemson better than Ohio State and the game would have been closer.
That may be true. If Penn State were to play Clemson, the game would be closer than 31-0 and Penn State certainly would score at least some points. What also is true is that if Ohio State played Clemson again, it would be much closer too and Ohio State could win. Games like happen and it shouldn’t discredit a team's worthiness for the Playoff
Maybe if Ohio State played Clemson and Washington played Alabama 10 more times, Clemson and Alabama would win all 10 times. Alabama was clearly better than Washington, but Ohio State may be better than Clemson. Sometimes teams will play inferior teams that are bad matchups. Just because one team has an advantage due to a matchup mismatch, it does not mean that team is better.
The College Football Playoff Committee was right in the four teams it picked weeks ago and they are still correct. One game, especially a Playoff game, should not confirm that a team should or should not have reached the Playoff.
