Arkansas AD Jeff Long has been "named the first chairman of the College Football Playoff selection committee," and a news conference will be held tomorrow in Dallas to "announce the committee's members," according to Brett McMurphy of ESPN.com. Below are the other 12 members of the committee, as identified by ESPN and the AP (ESPN.com, 10/14).
| COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SELECTION COMMITTEE |
| Wisconsin AD Barry Alvarez |
| Retired Lt. Gen. and former Air Force Superintendent Michael Gould |
| USC AD Pat Haden |
| Former NCAA Exec VP Tom Jernstedt |
| West Virginia AD Oliver Luck |
| Former Ole Miss QB Archie Manning |
| Former Nebraska coach and AD Tom Osborne |
| Clemson AD Dan Radakovich |
| Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice |
| Former Big East Commissioner Mike Tranghese |
| Former USA Today reporter Steve Wieberg |
| Former college football coach Tyrone Willingham |
|
THAT'LL DO: CBSSPORTS.com's Gregg Doyel wrote, "I'm going to give Jeff Long a chance. Him and everyone else on the committee." This committee is "what we wanted," and "this playoff is what we wanted." It "wasn't going to happen in a vacuum." Doyel: "Let's stop whining about the humans on the committee, because the perfect human for this committee wasn't going to be picked. He or she doesn't exist" (
CBSSPORTS.com, 10/14).
KUDOS FOR CONDI: In Miami, Joseph Goodman wrote Rice "represents the exact type of energy, forward thinking and independent analysis that college football needs as it transitions from the old way of determining its national champion into this new system that could succeed beautifully if done right." It is "absurd to argue against Rice for a spot on the committee" (MIAMI HERALD, 10/13). SLATE's Amanda Hess wrote Rice "isn’t just fit to serve on the committee," she is "ridiculously, laughably qualified for the job." The role "requires someone who understands the game, but is also capable of taking his or her head out of it long enough to see the bigger picture" (SLATE.com, 10/9).
