Three days from now, we'll get the first ever rankings from college football's playoff selection committee. No one's going to like them.
There are currently three undefeated teams (well, four, but one of them doesn't count, but we'll get back to that in a second), and then a dozen or so one-loss teams that cannot be logically separated. Nothing that happens today will sort that, and when the rankings are released on ESPN at 7:30 pm on Tuesday, teams five through 12 will have been shafted.
The ensuing arguments will sound much like all of the arguments you heard in the BCS era. They're just going to start earlier, and everyone's going to blame Condoleeza Rice.
One of the games getting bolded today: 28-point favorite Marshall hosting Florida Atlantic. Marshall is our fourth undefeated team; the one that doesn't matter. They won't even get to be a part of the Tuesday evening arguments, and I'm not suggesting that they would beat the likes of Ole Miss or Mississippi State, but … they are 7-0, they have boatraced every single opponent on their schedule, and isn't that the point of a playoff? To give a team like that a chance to punch against the big fellas?
I realize that won't be happening. But the least we can do is make time to give them a few minutes of attention during an otherwise meh 3:30 schedule.
Noon. Texas @ #11 Kansas State (-13). ESPN.
Noon. Maryland @ Wisconsin (-10½). Big Ten Network.
Noon. Rutgers @ #16 Nebraska (-21). ESPN2.
Noon. Minnesota (-5) @ Illinois. ESPNU.
Noon. Memphis (-23½) @ SMU. ESPNews.
Noon. UAB @ Arkansas (-27). SEC Network.
Noon. North Texas @ Rice (-14). Fox Sports Net Regional.
12:30. North Carolina @ Virginia (-7). ACC Network.
1:00. San Jose State @ Navy (-9). CBS Sports Network.
1:00. Northern Illinois (-20½) @ Eastern Michigan. ESPN3.
2:00. #25 UCLA (-14) @ Colorado. Pac-12 Network.
2:00. Akron (-2½) @ Ball State. ESPN3.
2:00. Ohio @ Western Michigan (-10). ESPN3.
2:00. Georgia Southern (-17½) @ Georgia State. ESPN3.
2:00. UMass @ Toledo (-17). ESPN3.
2:30. Kent State @ Miami Ohio (-6½). ESPN3.
3:30. Florida Atlantic @ #23 Marshall (-28). Fox Sports 1.
3:30. #1 Mississippi State (-15) @ Kentucky. CBS.
3:30. #22 West Virginia (pk) @ Oklahoma State. ESPN.
3:30. Michigan @ #8 Michigan State (-17). ABC.
3:30. Texas Tech @ #10 TCU (-23).
3:30. Oregon State @ Stanford (-13½). ESPN2.
3:30. Georgia Tech @ Pitt (-3). ESPNU.
3:30. Boston College (-14) @ Wake Forest. Fox Sports Net Regional.
3:30. Louisiana Tech (-9½) @ Southern Miss. American Sports Network.
3:30. Central Michigan (-5) @ Buffalo. ESPN3.
4:00. UNLV @ Utah State (-17). ESPNews.
4:00. Vanderbilt @ Missouri (-23½). SEC Network.
4:00. Old Dominion (-13½) @ Western Kentucky. C-USA Digital.
5:00. Temple (-7) @ UCF. CBS Sports Network.
6:00. #15 Arizona (-2½) @ Washington State. Pac-12 Network.
7:00. Syracuse @ #21 Clemson (-14½). ESPNU.
7:00. Wyoming @ Colorado State (-18½). Root Sports Rocky Mountain.
7:00. UT-El Paso @ UT-San Antonio (-13). American Sports Network.
7:00. Texas State @ Louisiana-Monroe (-2). ESPN3.
7:15. #3 Ole Miss (-3½) @ #24 LSU. ESPN.
7:30. #4 Alabama (-19) @ Tennessee. ESPN2.
7:30. South Carolina @ #5 Auburn (-19½). SEC Network.
8:00. #13 Ohio State (-14) @ Penn State. ABC.
10:00. #20 USC (pk) @ #19 Utah. Fox Sports 1.
10:45. #14 Arizona State (-3) @ Washington. ESPN.