College Football Playoff Committee: ‘Undefeated ’72 Dolphins don’t pass our eye test’ | Commentary

Running off at the typewriter. …

Breaking news: The College Football Playoff Committee has reconvened and has unilaterally decided to go back in time and strip the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins of their perfect season and Super Bowl championship.

“In hindsight,” CFB Playoff Chairman Boob Corrigan says, “the ’72 Dolphins, much like this year’s Florida State team, were just not the same after quarterback Bob Griese broke his leg and was replaced by aging backup Earl Morrall.”

But, Mr. Corrigan, even though the Dolphins were in the bottom half of the league in passing offense back then, they went 14-0 in the regular season and won all their games with a dominant defense and a great running game.

“Doesn’t matter,” Corrigan replied. “You just don’t understand. It’s all about the quarterback. Football, you see, is not actually a sport; it’s a beauty pageant. The ’72 Dolphins just don’t pass the eye test. Their strength of schedule was among the worst in the league. The aggregate winning percentage of the Dolphins regular-season opponents in 1972 was .397. The committee just doesn’t think they deserved to be in the playoffs.”

With all due respect, Mr. Corrigan, you have no jurisdiction over the NFL or NFL history. Your domain is college football.

“This is where you are wrong,” Corrigan says, his voice booming. “We are the all-knowing, all-powerful College Football Playoff Committee — and don’t you ever forget it. We can overrule what happens on the field at every level and in every era. We can supersede wins and losses and determine champions based upon our own prejudices and predictions. The Committee knows better than you lowly plebes and proletarians. The Committee even knows better than the scoreboard itself.” …

Short stuff: Congratulations to Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley for being named the NBA’s Coach of the Month in November. And condolences to the Magic’s opponent Friday night — the Detroit Pistons, who finished 0-16 in November. The Pistons used to be the tough, hardened “Bad Boys” of basketball, but now they’re so soft and tender that they should be called the “Backstreet Boys” of basketball. … Bad Dad Holiday Joke of the Day: How did the ornament get addicted to Christmas? He was hooked on trees his whole life.” … As much as I’d love to see Florida State and Georgia at full strength, I don’t blame FSU wide receiver Johnny Wilson or any other player who chooses to opt out of the Orange Bowl to get ready for the NFL draft. Why risk an injury by playing in the Playoff Rejection Bowl? …

By the way, I think most of us agree that FSU got screwed by the College Football Playoff Committee, but our state politicians need to quit embarrassing us with their shameless pandering. Our governor, Ron DeSantis, actually wants to set aside $1 million in the state budget to sue the playoff committee. That would be the biggest waste of money since those Y2K survival kits. And then there’s Sen. Rick Scott, who wrote a letter to Corrigan, demanding “full transparency” and requesting all phone records and emails among playoff committee members be revealed. Rick Scott demanding full transparency? Are you kidding me? Isn’t this the same Rick Scott who took the Fifth 75 times while being deposed before his hospital company was fined $1.7 billion for Medicare fraud? …

Speaking of fraud, did you see where a former Jacksonville Jaguars financial employee was accused of stealing more than $22 million from the franchise by manipulating its virtual credit? Stealing millions of dollars from the Jaguars? Who does this guy think he is — Urban Meyer? … And speaking of the Jaguars, they got tons of criticism on social media for seemingly not having a golf cart available to transport injured quarterback Trevor Lawrence off the field Monday night. As it turns out, Lawrence said he didn’t want a golf cart and instead — with Jags employees under each arm — hobbled off the field under his own power. Still, it didn’t stop everyone from making jokes like, for instance, “The Villages has a million golf carts and the Jaguars don’t even have one?” … Masters champion Jon Rahm, the former No. 1 player in the world, reportedly is being paid more than $300 million to leave the PGA Tour for LIV Golf. I would advise the PGA Tour to expedite the merger with LIV while the PGA Tour is still worth merging with …

Isn’t it funny how so many old-school college football fans are freaking out that NCAA President Charlie Baker is proposing that universities actually pay players directly? Ohmygawd — a multi-billion-dollar industry actually having to pay its labor? Outrageous … I read in the Sentinel the other day that the Cincinnati-based Skyline Chili has opened a restaurant in Winter Garden. Which reminds me of an old joke about how quickly the weather changes in Florida: Chili today, hot tamale. … USF announced earlier this week that the opening of its new football stadium has been pushed back from 2026 to 2027. According to the Tampa Bay Times, USF Board of Trustees Chairperson Will Weatherford explained that the Bulls didn’t want to rush the construction and build an inferior product, impugning UCF’s stadium in the process. “We don’t want a Bounce House,” Weatherford said, “We want our house.” The Bulls’ new stadium may turn out to be nicer than the Bounce House, but anybody will tell you that the value of a home is all about location, location, location. Memo to the Bulls: The Bounce House is located in a much nicer neighborhood (the Big 12) and will go up in value exponentially compared with USF’s yet-to-be-built stadium. Just think of it like this: UCF’s home is located in Isleworth while USF will have a nice new house right in the middle of Cheapskate Estates. …

Last word:  “My Heisman ballot: 1. Jayden Daniels. 2. Bo Nix. 3. Connor Stalions.” – Gainesville Sun columnist David Whitley.