Predictably, it ended in controversy. And complaints. And two really, really unhappy fan bases.

The College Football Playoff was created to cure the alleged ills of the BCS, which was itself created to cure the alleged ills of the Bowl Alliance and all of the poll-based systems that preceded it.

And yet, anyone who really understands college football knew that the College Football Playoff was never going to cure anything.


Because while the system expanded the "playoff" field from two teams to four, at its heart this new system is basically built on the same structure as all of the systems that came before.

That structure, broadly speaking, is this: A bunch of folks making their best guess at the best team in the country, or the two best teams in the country, or the best four teams in the country. That's it.

There are no metrics here. No methodology. No objectivity, even. It's all subjective. It's all guesswork.

Which is to say, no, there is no way to know whether TCU and Baylor are in fact better than Ohio State. Or to say that Florida State, undefeated though they are, are one of the top four teams in the country. Or to say even that Alabama is the top team in the country. We just don't know. We can only guess. And that's what the committee did, too.

FINAL COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF RANKINGS

1. Alabama: Finished off another great season with an emphatic beating of a good Mizzou team. To my mind, the clear No.

1. 

2. Oregon: I still have my doubts about this program's ability to compete with the Alabamas of the world on a regular basis, but the Ducks are playing great football right now. I expect them to blow the doors off Florida State. 

3. Florida State: The simple reality is that they aren't playing like one of the best four teams in the country. That being said, you have to respect going to undefeated. I think TCU and Baylor are better teams. But you just couldn't leave the 'Noles out. 

4. Ohio State: They needed to make a statement and they did. Incredible performance. 

5. Baylor: The Big 12 co-championship mess didn't help matters. But in the end, Baylor was done in by its awful non-conference schedule. 

6. TCU: And TCU was done in by the loss to Baylor, obviously. 

7. Mississippi State: A great year. Simple as that. 

8. Michigan State: What a test they'll face against Baylor in the Cotton Bowl. 

9. Ole Miss: What a test they'll face against TCU in the Peach Bowl. 

10. Arizona: Will be interesting to see how far RichRod can take this program. 

11. Kansas State: Another solid season for the Wildcats under Bill Snyder. 

12. Georgia Tech: Pushed Florida State to the limit. Defense let them down. 

13. Georgia: Overrated. 

14. UCLA: Underachieved. 

15. Arizona State: Will take on Duke in the Sun Bowl. Could have done better. 

16. Missouri: Moving to the SEC was clearly the best thing that ever happened to this program. 

17. Clemson: The way the Sooners have given up, you have to like the Tigers' chances in the Russell Athletic Bowl. 

18. Wisconsin: Inexcusable performance against the Buckeyes. Never showed up. 

19. Auburn: Will take on the Badgers in the Outback Bowl. Hint, Auburn: Wisky can't throw the ball. At all. 

20. Boise State: The Fiesta Bowl?

21. Louisville: They'll beat Georgia in the Belk Bowl. 

22. Utah: Tricky game on tap against Colorado State. 

23. LSU: LSU vs. Notre Dame in a bowl game? I'll take it. Even taking into account the fact that neither team is any good this year.  

24. USC: Scored a nice matchup against Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl. Always an entertaining game. 

25. Minnesota: Will have their hands full against Mizzou. But hey, if Indiana can do it ...