Before they met in November to determine their first ranking, the 13 members of the College Football Playoff selection committee were well aware this season would present challenges unlike any other -- a year filled with disruptions, unbalanced schedules and even their own required COVID-19 antigen tests and masks.
Two things never changed: the protocols they used and their task to "select the best teams."
Through Ohio State's truncated six-game season, Cincinnati's undefeated run, Texas A&M's SEC schedule and Notre Dame's ugly loss to Clemson on the day it mattered the most, that protocol kept the selection process from becoming as chaotic as the season it was meant to judge. Conference championships still carried enormous weight (Ohio State). Strength of schedule remained critical (sorry, Group of 5). And there was flexibility for a non-champion to be deemed one of the best teams in the country (Notre Dame).
Fans and coaches can and should question the final ranking -- it's the product of a subjective, exclusive system that opens the door to criticism and has so far locked out Cinderella stories -- but the committee drew its conclusions during this unprecedented season based on the same factors it has been instructed to consider from the onset.