The selection process for the College Football Playoff is a lot like the children’s game of musical chairs. You have five or six realistic contestants (the ACC, the Big Ten, the Big 12, the Pac-12, the SEC and Notre Dame, depending on the year), circling around four highly prized chairs.
When the music stops, the College Football Playoff selection committee puts butts in seats, using a selection process rooted in teams’ resumes and overall success throughout the regular season.
The result, however, is the same: Four satisfied competitors and multiple anguished entrants left standing, left outside of the circle of success.