We're three years into the College Football Playoff, and what have we learned? There's no perfect system.
Adopting a playoff system made all the BCS haters happy, but they're probably the same ones arguing for Penn State to be in this year's playoff field.
The season plays out, we accept the four teams chosen and we enjoy the fact there's finally a CFP.
But somehow we find a way to critique who's chosen for the four spots. The debates of if strength of schedule, overall record, conference championships or head-to-head results matter the most to the selection committee make my head hurt.
Based on Ohio State getting in instead of Penn State, overall record trumps a conference title or a head-to-head result.
The Nittany Lions defeated the Buckeyes in the regular season and beat Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game, but ended up No. 5 in the final rankings.
Ohio State got to sit at home during championship weekend, essentially locked into the playoff.
Wisconsin and Penn State hoped they were playing for a spot in the top 4, but it was really just for a Rose Bowl bid.
Let that sink in. Just a Rose Bowl bid.
The CFP seems to have taken away some of the significance of the other big bowl games. It's like having to play in the NIT in basketball.
OK, maybe not.
But who paid attention to who got into the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl or Orange Bowl this year? I know I didn't.
I just knew Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Washington would get a shot at a national title and there were 78 other teams that earned a consolation prize. Thanks for playing but you weren't good enough in the eyes of a 12-person committee.
I want to get back to the debate about what matters to the committee.
Choosing Ohio Stare instead of Penn State puts a damper on conference championships. No one really knows if they are important or not because we don't know if it will earn a playoff spot.
I'm here to tell you conference championships do matter, even if it doesn't put a team into the CFP.
The winner of Penn-State Wisconsin was never going to the playoff. Both teams lost two games during the regular season. Ohio State only lost once. The committee must like simple math.
Alabama, Clemson and Washington all won a conference title and are in the playoff. Penn State gets to play USC in the Rose Bowl and Big 12 champion Oklahoma gets to play Auburn in the Sugar Bowl.
All of the Power 5 conference champions are in a New Year's Six bowl game. That's what the conference championship games are for, not to guarantee a playoff spot.
You want to play for a national title? Don't lose two games.
To everyone wanting an eight-team playoff: just stop, please. That would have put a three-loss Wisconsin into this season's playoff.
College football is great because every regular season game means something. Expanding the playoff field will dilute the regular season.