The College Football Playoff committee likes things to be simple. In a perfect world, the top teams win big, there's no need to split hairs, and in the end, it's impossible to mistake the top four teams.
The problem is: Winning is hard, and it's rarely pretty.
Just ask TCU. The Horned Frogs have made a business out of winning ugly -- of erasing second-half deficits and engineering miracles and, on Saturday, in playing absolutely nasty defense and doing just enough to edge rival Texas 17-10.
Or ask Oregon. The Ducks had their ninth win of the season within their grasp -- again and again -- and came away empty.