This is no different than the BCS. This system only reinforced that wall to keep out and prevent the G5's from crashing the party. And don't think for a second that the G5 conferences had much of a choice but to agree to that arrangement.
If you want a real, legitimate championship than you have all the teams play on a level, non-rigged playing field, and you don't set up artificial barriers and glass ceilings to prevent them from recruiting on the same level. I'm not even calling for a big playoff, just a playoff system that allows all 129 teams to control their own destiny on the field of play and eliminate the artificial disadvantages that keep them from building up their programs and recruiting on the same level. This is the biggest detriment to this sport.
They are trying to eliminate the schools not in the P5 conferences(aka "the Cartel") from competing for a share of the pie ($$$ and access). You allow them to compete the last and have access and a share of the pie the past 2 decades and there wouldn't be this disparity. It's completely artificial. How is this not clear as day to you?
A corporation who's hijacked an industry and is running a monopoly to try and eliminate its competition. They've rigged it as if they are running things like a cartel. You don't think there would be more equity and competitiveness between the P5 and G5 if that weren't the case?
The reason I'm rooting for UCF to go undefeated is in the hope that should they get left out, this will lead to anti-trust action and force expansion and G5 inclusion.
Reportedly, there was an altercation between 2 players during practice. On CFB Live they were speculating that that played a little bit of a factor as well.
This seems to be a tendency of Herman's. If you look at his 2016 season with Houston, he had 5 games where his teams showed up flat and ill-prepared against teams they were favored to beat, with 4 of those being losses And that was with a loaded and experienced 2-deep.
I remember in 2010, after Utah had announced they were leaving for the Pac 12 and we announced we were going independent that he was whining and bitching about BYU and yet a year later, he and his program commits to bail on the MWC for the Big East and then bails on them for the Big 12. From that point on, I couldn't stand him and his smug little fanbase who likes to echo his nonsense.