Another CFP ranking, another wrinkle in the discourse. The newly revamped playoffs don’t even begin for another fortnight. Yet, it somehow feels like we’ve lived through multiple seasons worth. Hypotheticals, projections, simulations- college football fans and the media alike are reveling in talking points. Some may deem the conversation taxing at this juncture. However, when Nick Saban gets involved, the proverbial switch in everybody’s minds flicks over to “ON”.

Now, it wouldn’t be like Pat McAfee to be hyperbolic, would it? The eccentric analyst often swims upstream when it comes to his takes. However, sometimes the tide turns with him. His take on one facet in the latest CFP projected bracket has gained some traction. It is not just a problem with this bracket but one that looms over the entire concept of a 12-team playoff.

Whilst dissecting the bracket on The Pat McAfee Show, the namesake raised a concern with guest Nick Saban. “The newest CFP [projected] bracket-Now granted, this can all change with the conference champions and everything like that- has two SEC teams playing against each other again. [As well as] two Big 10 teams playing against each other. I don’t think we’ll ever get to the end of the argument of SEC [versus] Big 10-who’s the better [conference]? Who deserves more-If it ends up this way. This would be a travesty, coach. I think this would be the biggest travesty of the 12-team playoff if it played out this way”, he remarked.

The bracket entails an 8 vs 9 first-round clash between two familiar foes-Georgia and Tennessee. These two matched up as recently as Week 12. The Bulldogs won 31-17 with a substantial 2-score cushion. McAfee perhaps speaks for the wider CFB audience when he suggests a rematch wouldn’t befit the playoffs. The game could potentially seem a dull affair due to the sheer recency of their meeting in the same stadium. Not to mention the perceived difference in quality as per the scoreline.

The rematch potential is just one factor. The bigger “travesty” is the cross-conference games, or lack thereof. With conversation around the intrinsic superiority afforded to SEC teams, a clash between two juggernauts from separate factions beckoned. McAfee offered his explanation of why this bracket fails to thwart SEC bias.

Pat McAfee details why the playoffs necessitate SEC v/s Big 10 matchups

“The cold weather, I think, is the equalizer in this entire thing for some of these Big 10 teams. If we end up with no southern teams going into the Big 10 then boy, that’d be a big miss. That would be a big one. On the flip side, Big 10 schools having to go down [south]. That would be a travesty if we didn’t have that”, said McAfee. The reiteration of just how big a travesty this would be is resounding. 

Nick Saban agreed with McAfee’s plea. He leveraged his extensive experience in both conferences to speak about how the December cold does indeed affect football games. The elements are a huge part of the sport. They add a layer of adversity. If those in the southeast are afforded the chance to elude them, perhaps the debate about SEC homerism will keep trudging on.

As mentioned by Pat McAfee himself, the projections are exactly what they are called. With the dynamic changing each passing Saturday, who knows what the final week will throw up? There is still a chance we will get cross-conference matchups. It essentially depends on the committee’s final placements. Selection Sunday is just around the corner.