1. FSU has played a weak schedule, they do have some wins against quality opponents but they have 0 statement wins unlike last season where they were blowing everyone out.
2. FSU's stats are amongst the worst of the top 6 teams
they're the only top 6 team not in the top 10 in total offense, ranked 26th, and are 29th in scoring, whereas the 4 of the top 6 are *top 4* in scoring and Alabama is 18th.
They're 104th in rushing yards per game so clearly they rely on the pass but are worse than TCU/Balyor/Oregon
3. just watching them play they have several games where the other team is practically tripping over themselves as if to try and lose the game on purpose.
Honestly, I'm surprised OSU didn't leap over FSU, and I also think the only reason FSU is in the final four is because they have no losses, not because the committee thinks they're a top 4 team. While I can knock them for reason #3, it could be considered an intangible element to their team, because, and you really have to give them credit for it, FSU really doesn't panic while the other team somehow always finds a way to crack under the pressure of the knowledge that FSU won't lie down; OSU won a championship in a similar fashion back in '03, so it makes sense to give FSU that chance, but with a 4 team playoff we don't have to give them benefit of the doubt anymore, we can rank them where we think they should be ranked without keeping them out of the playoffs entirely.
BTW, in the BCS system FSU would be ranked #2 behind Alabama, so no, they shouldn't be #1 even under the old system.
It's probably the right 4 teams. But I think FSU should be ranked #1 too. By ranking them #3 they're basically making them play an away game with long travel and I don't think that's right. FSU fans had to pay to get to CA last yr; it's too far and too expensive for most. And in bowl games you general want to travel to new places.
IIRC, the fear of having 3 undefeated teams led to this playoff system. So the answer to that is having a committee that undervalues wins and awards for "quality losses"? That makes no sense.
So, I'm unhappy with the committee and prefer to see them gone. They didn't follow the guidelines they were given by the colleges (presidents and AD's) when doing the weekly rankings. IIRC the guidelines were: wins, SOS, head-to-head results and conference championships.
Their weekly rankings and explanations were inconsistent. The metrics they used departed from those issued by the presidents and AD's. Whatever they did use was vague, often contradictory, poorly explained and confused.
I prefer we use the old BCS rankings to determine the 4 teams. I don't know why the powers that be decided we needed a committee. By the time the BCS was phased out the ranking system was generally accepted as pretty good (except the Alabama v Auburn mistake, but the 4 team system would've negated that anyway).
Yes, I'm an alum of FSU.
Fern
its ultimately no different:
https://twitter.com/BCSKnowHow/status/541636716332077056/photo/1
simulated BCS:
#1: Alabama
#2: FSU
#3: Oregon
#4: OSU