[lex24]

nor is Notre Dame objectively a better team than Georgia (it's not that close.)

I happen to agree with you, but the real problem is that neither ND nor Georgia played a particularly difficult schedule. In a sense, we really don't know how good either of them are. We know ND wasn't better than Cincinnati on the day they played, and we know Georgia was not better than Alabama on the day they played. That's about all we know, because there aren't many other "quality" data points. Clemson wasn't very good this year, so that data point for Georgia is really devalued.

In order to retain sanity, I simply remember that this "playoff" format in no way guarantees the best team in the country will win. If that happens, it is mostly luck, because there are so many conflating factors that can make that not happen. It is for "fun", nothing else.

I think the best two teams end up in the Championship game nearly every year. In fact, give me a year when they haven’t - since going to the 4 team format.  I think it should be expanded.  But I don’t think there have been many, if any, years where the top teams didn’t play for the Championship.  

The thing about this year is that essentially everyone agreed on the top 4.  The only real question was seeding.

[lex24]

nor is Notre Dame objectively a better team than Georgia (it's not that close.)

I happen to agree with you, but the real problem is that neither ND nor Georgia played a particularly difficult schedule. In a sense, we really don't know how good either of them are. We know ND wasn't better than Cincinnati on the day they played, and we know Georgia was not better than Alabama on the day they played. That's about all we know, because there aren't many other "quality" data points. Clemson wasn't very good this year, so that data point for Georgia is really devalued.

In order to retain sanity, I simply remember that this "playoff" format in no way guarantees the best team in the country will win. If that happens, it is mostly luck, because there are so many conflating factors that can make that not happen. It is for "fun", nothing else.

I think the best two teams end up in the Championship game nearly every year. In fact, give me a year when they haven’t - since going to the 4 team format.  I think it should be expanded.  But I don’t think there have been many, if any, years where the top teams didn’t play for the Championship.  

The thing about this year is that essentially everyone agreed on the top 4.  The only real question was seeding.