Greg McElroy decries subpar resume, questions Oregon as top 1-loss team in CFP rankings
Oregon clocked in at No. 6 — the high mark of any of the one-loss teams — in the latest College Football Playoff rankings released on Tuesday. And ESPN analyst Greg McElroy took issue with the Ducks placing so high.
The Ducks coming in at No. 6 were also a part of a bigger point he made about inconsistencies, but his main quibble with Oregon being ranked where it is has to do with a subpar resume. Without a top-shelf win, McElroy thinks there hasn’t been enough substance behind the style that has Oregon ranked so high.
“We need to kind of look at Oregon’s resume a bit. We saw Ohio State on the one line last week because of one reason. Why? That was the resume. And we are not paying attention to the resume as it relates to Oregon. They have one win against a team with a winning record at the moment. That team is Utah. Their next-best win is 4-5 Colorado. Their next best win after that is 4-5 Washington State,” McElroy said.
He added that the two one-loss teams directly trailing the Ducks — Texas and Alabama — have notably more impressive resumes. Texas has a road win over Alabama and a bevy of wins over teams with winning records. Alabama is a similar story, with the lone loss to the Longhorns keeping them stuck behind Texas for the time being.
Both, though, have better resumes than Oregon, in McElroy’s eyes.
“Whereas Texas has beaten five teams with a winning record, including a win on the road in Tuscaloosa, and Alabama’s beaten four. So, if we’re really going to value the eye test, and I think it should absolutely be a factor, there needs to be more of a debate about the one-loss teams,” McElroy said.
The Ducks were central to another of McElroy’s issues on Tuesday
With the release of the latest College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday night, McElroy was annoyed. Drawing his ire: The apparent intellectual inconsistencies from the committee with the ranking, particularly among a trio of one-loss teams.
Basically, McElroy was upset that the rankings appeared to use the eye test to justify certain rankings where others were based on resume. It had McElroy sharing his distaste for the decisions on the rankings reveal show as he discussed the triumvirate of No. 6 Oregon, No. 7 Texas and No. 8 Alabama.
“And Texas should go in front of Alabama. There’s no one that would push back on that. But what you’re telling people to an extent, schedule Texas Tech in the preseason. Because that’s who Oregon played. And Oregon went on the road and looked ugly in that game, by the way. Got a late touchdown that made it look a little better. But if you look at the strength of record, it’s not comparable. Alabama and Texas are both operating, right now, pretty well. I wouldn’t say that they’re passing the eye test with flying colors, but they don’t have the luxury of playing Cal. And I’m not trying to take shots at Cal. I’m not trying to take shots at Colorado and these other teams, I’m not. I just think, why is the committee — and this committee is irritating, I’m going to be honest with you,” McElroy said.
He continued, pointing out inconsistencies in how the five undefeated teams were sorted atop the rankings.
“Why are we using resume to define Ohio State as No. 1, we’re using eye test to define Georgia and Michigan as No. 2 and No. 3, we’re using resume plus eye test to find Florida State at No. 4,” McElroy said. “And we like Washington —”
“It bothers you that there’s no consistency?” Booger McFarland interjected.
“There’s no consistency,” McElroy said.