Six inches or so let the College Football Playoff selection committee off the hook.
When Oklahoma State’s Dezmon Jackson's fourth-down lunge for the goal line came up short at the climax of Saturday's Big 12 Championship, you can bet Cincinnati Bearcats fans breathed a sign of relief. The Cowboys’ loss became even more important for Cincinnati after Alabama beat Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, ensuring two bids for the nation’s most powerful conference.
I bet selection committee members didn’t mind, either, that Jackson’s dash ended shy of the end zone. It kept the committee from having to choose between undefeated Cincinnati or one-loss Oklahoma State for the final playoff bid.