ESPN Is Absolutely Trying To Influence College Football Playoff Field

It was earlier this week that one of ESPN's most prominent college football personalities, Chris Fowler, spoke out about theories that the sports network influences the College Football Playoff.

The committee, the thinking goes, hears what's broadcast on ESPN during big games, and is at least partially influenced by the playoff's biggest partner to change their rankings. Fowler, though, says that theory is nonsense. 

RELATED: Chris Fowler Addresses Whether ESPN Controls College Football Playoff Field

"If you asked your viewers, they’d say it’s everything," he said. "I mean, they think that ESPN’s pulling the strings. ‘We want the biggest brands.’ I promise you, we play no part in that."

Well, uh, he might have to be asked again after Joe Tessitore and Jesse Palmer spent the final few minutes of the Big 12 Championship Game between Texas Tech and BYU forcefully advocating for the Miami Hurricanes to make the College Football Playoff over Notre Dame. Like, really aggressively making that case.

To the point where social media was full of fans pointing out that the propaganda push was relentless.

If ESPN was trying to convince people it doesn't care who makes the playoff, it did an extremely poor job of it.

Carson Beck of the Miami Hurricanes. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

Notre Dame Has Solid Case Over Miami, Despite ESPN Lobbying

Here's the thing; ESPN has a very substantial, and cozy, relationship with the SEC. It also has a cozy relationship with the ACC. You know who has the broadcast rights to most Notre Dame games? NBC.

It's obvious, extremely obvious, that ESPN gives preferential treatment to its conferences and the teams in them. And it leads to situations like this, where ESPN is openly advocating for one team to make the playoff over another. Especially in a game where they know, for a fact, that the entire committee is watching. 

What's frustrating is that both Miami and Notre Dame have a good case for being included. And with the SEC Championship Game a lopsided Georgia Bulldogs win, they both should get in. But ESPN needs to advocate for Alabama to be included as well, so it frames the discussion as Notre Dame vs. Miami. 

Per SP+, here's where the teams rank in forward-looking metrics: 

5. Notre Dame
9. Miami
12. Alabama

And that's before Alabama put up under 150 total yards of offense in over three quarters against Georgia. But again, this is where the logic falls apart. Game results must matter…unless it's the SEC Championship Game. In which case, reaching it at all is such an incredible accomplishment that losing in blowout fashion doesn't matter. Head to head is a data point, not the only one. Or should Florida State be included in the playoff because it beat Alabama? 

ESPN is just never going to change.