Saturday.Hes really gaining confidence through his experience. Its

Conference championships matter. Head-to-head matters. Strength of schedule matters. Every game counts, though some seem to count more than others and good luck figuring out which ones count most.This and more is what the College Football Playoff selection committee sorts through to pick the four best teams in the country.If consistency, certainty and clear-cut criteria are what you crave, this may not be the sport for you. Yes, the goal posts move from season to season. That may be the way it is for awhile -- at least until the playoff grows up.Every year is going to be different, CFP executive director Bill Hancock said. Football seasons are like snowflakes, theyre all different. Next year well be standing here talking about some other way it fell out. And thats great.It worked out great Sunday for Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Washington. Not so great if you root for Penn State.No. 1 Alabama (13-0) will face No. 4 Washington (12-1) in one semifinal and second-seeded Clemson (12-1) meets third-seeded Ohio State (11-1) in the other on Dec. 31.The committee stayed with the same top four it picked going into championship weekend, leaving out No. 5 Penn State (11-2) even though the Nittany Lions won the Big Ten title game and beat Ohio State earlier in the season.The Buckeyes are the first team to reach the playoff in its three-year history without winning their conference.Many questioned why Ohio State deserved a spot, especially over Penn State. Selection committee chairman Kirby Hocutt made it clear that the 12-person committee did not.Ohio States three victories against top-10 teams (No. 7 Oklahoma, No. 8 Wisconsin and No. 6 Michigan) and only one loss, by three at Penn State, won the day over the Nittany Lions. Penn State lost to Pitt and Michigan (by 39) before closing the season with nine straight victories.Several times, Hocutt cited Penn States noncompetitive loss and Ohio States strong nonconference victory at Oklahoma.So the key is to play a difficult nonconference schedule?Well, maybe not.The final spot came down to Penn State (11-2) and Pac-12 champion Washington.The Huskies only loss was to 10th-ranked Southern California and its nonconference schedule featured FCS Portland State, Rutgers and Idaho. Penn State played Pitt, Temple and Kent State out of conference.I think because of Washingtons strength of schedule, their margin for error was very slim, Hocutt said. I think our discussions and our decision would have been much easier if Washington would have had a stronger strength of schedule this college football season.You could say Washington benefited because it did not play a difficult nonconference opponent. But you can also say that if Penn State beat Pitt it would have benefited from playing a difficult nonconference schedule.Hocutt said the committee dug deep into the Huskies and Nittany Lions.As we looked at those key statistics from an offensive standpoint, from a defensive standpoint, from starting field position differential, the edge was to Washington, Hocutt said. You look at turnover margin, Washington ranks first in the country in turnover margin compared to Penn State, ranking 50.If there is a pattern to be found in the committees work over three years it may be this simple: For the most part, the teams are ranked by the number in the loss column.No two-loss team has made the playoff. Even a close head-to-head win over Ohio State and a conference title was not enough for Penn State to overcome two losses.Maybe next season will be different.In many ways the College Football Playoff is no different than the Bowl Championship Series, a highly subjective system that relied on poll voters to pick the top two teams. The one crucial difference, though, is enormous. Four instead of two makes the CFP better than the BCS.What could provide more consistency, more objectivity while removing much of the subjectivity, is bigger playoff. Eight teams, with five automatic qualifying Power Five conference champions, the best team from the Group of Five and two wild cards. Fewer debates, plus it could put some juice back into championship weekend, which has become a little anticlimactic.It would also bring Cinderella into college footballs postseason, providing an opportunity for a non-Power Five team to win a meaningful postseason game and an underdog conference championship game winner to move on and play for the national title.Sounds interesting, but it is not happening anytime soon.Hancock said expansion of the playoff is not up for consideration by the conference commissioners. The CFP is in year three of a 12-year television deal with ESPN.Clemson coach Dabo Swinney cautioned that more postseason would lessen the value of the regular season and that adding another round would require eliminating other games.I dont think you can go past 15 games in college football, said Swinney, whose did just that last season and lost to Alabama in the national championship game. Something would have to give.Ohio States Urban Meyer said he empathizes with Penn State and would not mind seeing a system that rewards all conference champions.Im not sure theres an easy answer, said Meyer, who has won two BCS championships and the first College Football Playoff. I think were heading in the right direction.---Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.Twittre.com/ralphDrussoAP---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org Cheap Senators Jerseys . But the quarterback hopes to stay involved in football after officially calling it quits Tuesday. "Id love to look at those opportunities as they arise," Pierce said in an interview from his Winnipeg eatery. Cheap Custom Senators Jersey . NBA officials ruled the court unplayable in the Bucks final exhibition game on Oct. 25 because players were slipping, and the game was cancelled midway through the first period. http://www.customsenatorsjersey.com/ . Hazard cut in from the left and scored with a swerving right-footed shot for ninth goal of the season, which proved to be enough for the victory despite Chelseas forwards again lacking a cutting edge up front. Senators Jerseys China . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over . Frank Finnigan Jersey Large . Vettel was 0.168 seconds faster than Red Bull teammate Mark Webber around the Suzuka circuit. Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg was two tenths of a second off Vettel. "The car balance is decent, but I think we can still improve," Vettel said. DES MOINES, Iowa -- Somewhat unexpected championship runs by Michigan State and Iowa last season fueled expectations of potential repeats in 2016.It doesnt look like either team will make it back to Indianapolis this December.The Spartans (2-5, 0-4 Big Ten) are a staggering four games behind No. 2 Michigan (7-0, 4-0) heading into their annual showdown game this Saturday.The Hawkeyes (5-3, 3-2), who are off this week, still has something of a plausible path to the West title. But it involves winning their final four games, which would include home victories over the Wolverines and unbeaten and seventh-ranked Nebraska (7-0, 4-0), and one more loss for Wisconsin (5-2, 2-2) and two for surging Northwestern (4-3, 3-1).So how did two teams that just 10 months ago played a title game end up here?Michigan States young defense, which held the Hawkeyes to just 13 points in that slugfest of a championship game in 2015, is letting up nearly 30 points a game. The Spartans had as many as six freshmen playing defense at times in last weeks last weeks 28-17 loss to Maryland (5-2, 2-2).Iowas defense ranks 20th nationally at 18.9 points allowed per game. But its offense has been a mess since mid-September, failing to score more than 21 points in four of its last six games.It certainly gives you time to look deeper at what youre doing and re-assess where your team is at, Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said of the bye week. Right now, weve come short three times. Wed certainly like to close that gap.Michigan State hosts rival Michigan knowing that a loss would eliminate the Spartans from the East race.The (Michigan) game is played on the field. Youve got to be able to block, tackle and catch the football, Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said. This is a very fundamental game played at a very high level, and weve got to be able to win our fair share of battles.BAD BREAK FOR THE BADGERSWisconsin kept its slim West hopes alive with a 17-9 win at Iowa last week. But the Badgers suffered a major blow when it was announced that lineebacker Jack Cichy, its leading tackler, is out for the season with a torn pectoral.dddddddddddd Cichy had 60 tackles, including 37 in his last three games. The Badgers host the Huskers in a critical West showdown, and sophomore Ryan Connelly is expected to take Cichys place.THORSONS GROWTHA big reason why Northwestern has turned into a 1/3 start into a winning record has been the progress of sophomore quarterback Clayton Thorson. He has nine touchdown passes against just one pick in his last three games, all victories, and is third in the Big Ten with 240 yards passing per game. The only league player with more touchdowns than Thorson (14) is J.T. Barrett of No. 6 Ohio State (6-1, 3-1), who host the Wildcats on Saturday.Hes really gaining confidence through his experience. Its gaining knowledge of our offense, trusting in his abilities and just playing at a faster tempo, said Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald, an Illinois native who yelled Go Cubs! at the end of his time on the weekly coaches teleconference.GEORGE LEGACY AT ILLINOISIllinois found itself down to its third quarterback in last weeks 41-8 loss to Michigan, and the game went about as expected. Jeff George Jr., the son of former Illini star and top NFL draft pick Jeff George, was 4 of 15 passing for 95 yards with a TD, an interception and a fumble in his first start. Coach Lovie Smith wouldnt commit to George as the starter for this weeks home game with Minnesota (2-5, 1-3).We saw improvement on until the end of the game. What Jeff brings to the table is a strong arm. Hes confident in his arm, making all of the throws, Smith said.HE SAID ITWere in this together, as a staff and as players. Tough coaches and tough players fight through things, said Ohio State coach Urban Meyer about last weeks loss. All three of Meyers national title teams bounced back from a regular-season loss.---Online: www.collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '