The End Zone: Who Should Be on College Football’s Playoff Selection Committee? Part I

Collge football took a major step forward recently with the announcement of a four team playoff.  I will not bore you with details of how the playoff will work, but college football needs to make sure they have the best people on the selection committee.  I have heard on some sports talk shows former coaches like Bobby Bowdin, Gene Stallings as examples of who should be on the committee.  i am going to go a different route because former coaches who are tied to specific programs could yield more controversy than the latest Manny Paciao fight.

To fairly assess college football the selection committee should have representatives that respect powers from the SEC, but also know good football when they see it.  When discussing the NCAA tournament in basketball everyone was surprised about Shaka smart ad his VCU team, but may good impartial analyst who study college hoops said all along this team was very good.  The NCAA committee needs football people who are not caught up in the tradition or hype and can fairly give us four teams to play for the national title.  This committee needs to have people on it who are respected because the position needs to be respected early in this process to sustain credibility.

Candidate one: Bobby Beatherd

The general manager who guided the Redskins and the Chargers both to Super Bowls knows football as well as any man the past fifty years. Betatherd, retired, could bring an outside view from the NFL along with objective view on the best teams in the NFL.  Now Beatherd is not a college guy per se and the downside may be overvaluing how a team plays down the stretch, but that is how the BCS has worked recently anyway.

Having someone with football pedigree outside the NCAA will allow teams like Boise State, TCU and other teams having a great year to be fairly considered.  His status in the NFL would give credibility to the committee to all college football coaches including the big boys like Urban Meyer and Steve Spurrier.  Beatherd would bring a credibility to the committee and keep out any belief that the process is rigged for the bigger conferences.

Candidate two: Tony Dungy

The long time Tampa Bay and Indianapolis Coach is respected in all of football for his football knowledge and his love of the game.  Dungy is a thoughtful charismatic leader who be respected inside the committee room as well as college football.  although Dungy is an NFL expert he knows football and would do a great job evaluating teams for college football’s biggest prize.

Candidate three: Howard Schnellenberger

No one will consider Scnelly, but the famous coach transcended the Hurricanes of Miami before Jimmie Johnson which sparked the “U” becoming the powerhouse of the eighties.  Schellinberger recruited Bernie Kosar to the “U” and Miami won the 83 Orange Bowl winning the AP national title. This may have been the second national title had it not been for Jim Kelly’s shoulder injury in 1982 where the Hurricanes lost its next four games.

Candidate four: Fisher DeBerry

Fisher DeBerry is one of the greatest unknown football coaches to ever pace a sideline.  His influence on the game from his time at Air force has shaped many philosophies that have evolved into the spread option.  Jim Grobe at Wake Forest credits DeBerry for the style of play the Demon Deacons have been successful with in the ACC.  UNC’s new Coach Larry Fedora and late Bill Stewart of West Virginia also honed their craft under DeBerry.  DeBerry  was 169-109-1  while at Air Force including one 12-1 season in 1998.  For anyone to have that success at one of the Academies in this day of college football speaks volumes to the mans success and life influencing young people.

Candidate five: Doug Flutie

There is no reason other than Flutie’s Hail Mary play against the Hurricanes that puts the Heisman trophy winner on this list, but should logic be any part of building a selection committee in college football.

Candidate six:  Barry Sanders

Barry Sanders decided to leave pro football at the height of his career which disappointed fans, but how many athletes fail to leave the game before their level of play diminishes the player we once saw?  His ability to make a choice that ticked off the entire NFL fanbase is good enough reason to add the shiftiest back to bring us some of the best runs just to return to the line of scrimmage.

This is the first round of candidates as we explore this topic that will be an ongoing discussion in college football. Who knows Peter Griffin may be a person we look at as long as Fox will allow him to serve between episodes.

As always you can follow the Haley and MandMsportshow on twitter @MandMSportshow and you can read more articles from Haley at The Water Cooler.