College Football Playoff Selection Committee and the SEC

The NCAA has made it's final choices for the 13-member College Football Playoff Selection Committee that will choose the 4 teams to participate in the playoff.

First off, you are probably wondering "why 13?" Maybe they wanted to emulate the Last Supper? If so, who would be Jesus? Nah, it's probably so there is not an even amount (i.e. tiebreakers). Plus, "13" might be an apropos number.

The good news is that nobody from Notre Dame is on the committee. Their AD Jack Swarbrick has had way too much say in what has been going on in the NCAA as of late. I do not say this out of disdain for the Irish, rather it is because he represents one school where someone like SEC Commissioner Mike Slive speaks for 14 schools. One man should not have that much sway.

So, who the heck are these 13 poor souls and do they know what they are getting themselves into?

13-member College Football Playoff Selection Committee:

Jeff Long (chair of the committee)
Occupation: Arkansas athletic director.
Hand in the Dirt: football and baseball at Ohio Wesleyan. Football staff positions at Rice, Duke and NC State prior to joining Bo Schembechler at Michigan. AD at Pitt before moving to Arkansas in 2008.
Where you might have heard of him: Hired and fired Bobby Petrino.
Good for the SEC: Arkansas AD.
Bad for the SEC: Midwest roots; Wife is from Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Integrity: ? He took his time firing Petrino which raised some eyebrows but did the right thing in the end.

(Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

Barry Alvarez
Occupation: Wisconsin athletic director & former head coach.
Hand in the Dirt: played linebacker at Nebraska. Assistant coach at Iowa, Notre Dame, and Wisky before taking the head job in Madison.
Where you might have heard of him: Hired himself and took a big fat paycheck to coach last year’s Rose Bowl (20-14 loss to Stanford).
Good for the SEC: Absolutely nothing.
Bad for the SEC: from Pennsylvania; his whole career spent in the Midwest.
Integrity: sketchy - I did mention the big fat paycheck, right?

Lieutenant General Mike Gould
Occupation: Former Air Force Academy superintendent, retired October 1, 2013 .
Hand in the Dirt: Starred as a defensive back on the Air Force football team in the 70s; graduate assistant football coach 1976.
Where you might have heard of him: I doubt you have.
Good for the SEC: Two stints spent time at Maxwell AFB in Montgomery, Alabama.
Bad for the SEC: Grad school at Northwestern.
Integrity: High

(Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports)

Pat Haden
Occupation: Southern Cal athletic director.
Hand in the Dirt: Quarterback at Southern Cal and Los Angeles Rams (1976-1981).
Where you might have heard of him: Fired Lane Kiffin.
Good for the SEC: ?
Bad for the SEC: Southern Cal; no connections to the south.
Integrity: A reputation for honesty & fairness; Rhodes Scholar.

Tom Jernstedt
Occupation: former NCAA vice president.
Hand in the Dirt: Played quarterback for Oregon from 1964 to 1966 before injuries derailed his career. Worked in the Oregon athletic department for many years.
Where you might have heard of him: You probably haven't.
Good for the SEC: Probably the most qualified: worked on basketball selection committee.
Bad for the SEC: Oregon; no connections to the south.
Integrity: Experienced in being unbiased.

Oliver Luck
Occupation: West Virginia athletic director.
Hand in the Dirt: QB at WVU and five years with the Houston Oilers.
Where you might have heard of him: His little baby boy plays QB for the Colts.
Good for the SEC: West Virginia angling to get into the SEC?
Bad for the SEC: From Ohio; Andrew Luck’s dad; J.D. from the University of Texas.
Integrity: Rhodes Scholar finalist.

(Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports)

Archie Manning
Occupation: Overexposed father of Peyton & Eli, occasional CBS contributor.
Hand in the Dirt: Ole Miss QB, 14 years in the NFL mostly with New Orleans.
Where you might have heard of him: If you have a TV, you've seen WAY too much of him.
Good for the SEC: Southern boy, deep roots. (He should have some interesting conversations with Oliver Luck)
Bad for the SEC: High profile; Might be accused of being "Good for the SEC" and do the opposite?
Integrity: ?

Tom Osborne
Occupation: former Nebraska coach and athletic director, former congressman.
Hand in the Dirt: QB at Hastings College, three seasons as a wide receiver in the NFL.
Where you might have heard of him: Congress
Good for the SEC: ?
Bad for the SEC: bleeds Cornhusker red.
Integrity: ? He was a politician after all!

Dan Radakovich
Occupation: Clemson athletic director.
Hand in the Dirt: Tight end/punter at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Where you might have heard of him: See below.
Good for the SEC: was Associate AD at South Carolina 1994-2000, Senior Associate AD, LSU 2001-2006.
Bad for the SEC: from Pennsylvania; trying to push the ACC.
Integrity: ?

Condoleezza Rice
Occupation: former Secretary of State under George W. Bush.
Hand in the Dirt: A really odd pick but not surprising in these politically correct days we are living in. I have utmost respect for Ms. Rice but she should not be on this committee.
Where you might have heard of her: I mentioned the Secretary of State thing, right?
Good for the SEC: Lived in Birmingham and Tuscaloosa until age 12; Claims to be a Tide fan; Father was a high school coach and athletic director in Birmingham.
Bad for the SEC: Spent most of her years in Colorado; Taught at Stanford; Is she REALLY going to watch all these games?
Integrity: Seems honest and intelligent.

Mike Tranghese
Occupation: former Big East commissioner.
Hand in the Dirt: Was a golfer and basketball team's manager at teeny tiny little Saint Michael's College in Vermont.
Where you might have heard of him: Nowhere.
Good for the SEC: Nothing.
Bad for the SEC: No connections to the south at all; trying to pretend like the Big East matters.
Integrity: ?

Steve Wieberg
Occupation: former 30-year college football reporter at USA Today.
Hand in the Dirt: no proof; Like most of these guys, I am guessing no.
Where you might have heard of him: If you are an avid reader of USA Today Sports.
Good for the SEC: Graduated from the University of Missouri.
Bad for the SEC: Most of his years covering the game, Mizzou was not in the SEC. Has nothing to gain or lose by being honest.
Integrity: ?

Tyrone Willingham
Occupation: former head coach Stanford, Notre Dame, Washington and not a very good one at that.
Hand in the Dirt: played football and baseball at Michigan State.
Where you might have heard of him: Famously hired & fired as Notre Dame head coach.
Good for the SEC: Does he resent Notre Dame?
Bad for the SEC: no connections to the SEC (born in North Carolina).
Integrity: ?

(* All of this is pure speculation and meant for entertainment purposes.)