CFB AM: Tommy Bowden doesn't want Condi Rice to be playoff voter

Published Oct. 28, 2014 9:00 a.m. ET

Teddy Mitrosilis

Today is a significant day in college football history, as the first-ever College Football Playoff poll will be released.

But before we get to that, Tommy Bowden had to say something that takes the attention away from the actual teams and games.

Speaking Monday at a Knoxville Quarterback Club meeting, the former Clemson coach said he doesn’t agree with Condoleezza Rice’s inclusion in the playoff committee.

“If the selection committee wants to get it right, and find the most knowledgeable people about the sport of football, go get people who played the game and preferably coached the game," Bowden said. “But just because she likes to watch football doesn't necessarily mean she knows anything about football."

Oh.

There’s more, though.

"I'm a big Condoleezza Rice fan," Bowden said. "I'm Christian Conservative. I'd vote for her for President. I don't necessarily agree that she should be on the committee."

Just so we’re clear: Rice can make decisions for our entire country, but she can’t look at some data and pick out four playoff football teams. Makes total sense!

Bowden, of course, isn’t the only one to express this opinion, but it’s a tired and misguided one. The more different perspectives the committee can have, the better it will be.

THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

1. I can’t wait for the poll release tonight – each week going forward is going to be totally dominated by this top 25. It’s certain to bring chaos and shock the college football system, writes Stewart Mandel in his Monday Forward Pass column.

Mandel also has a new piece out today looking at Florida State and whether or not the Seminoles fit the mold of a true national title contender (hint: they don’t). If the committee is really trying to pick the “best” four teams out there, then it needs to look past the 2013 national title and the win streak.

We also have a new edition of The Audible that leads off with playoff talk and what to expect. Give it a listen if you have a few minutes at work.

2. Another Florida State player is in potential trouble with the law. Running back Karlos Williams is being investigated for alleged domestic battery and also alleged armed robbery when things went wrong in a drug deal. Now how Jimbo Fisher and the university handles this situation, along with the ongoing Jameis Winston case, will be highly scrutinized. And here you thought being a Division I football coach was about coaching football.

3. On the latest Audible, Bruce Feldman had a great story about why Johnny Manziel’s teammates loved him at Texas A&M despite the off-field circus that came along with him. It involves the SEC Media Days, all-night partying and leading a TD drive in street clothes. Here’s the outtake.

THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

1. This is great news for student-athletes: The Pac-12 followed the Big Ten and adopted a bunch of reforms, including guaranteed four-year scholarships, better medical coverage and more. Kudos to the league for being the latest to step up and improve what they offer players.

2. Alabama boosters paid $3.1 million for Nick Saban’s house so that he can live in a free mansion. And get this: Saban can live in it, tax free, for as long as he wants, even after he retires. He makes almost $7 million a year, but there’s no price to Bama boosters for keeping their king happy.

3. Congratulations to Feldman, a good guy and teammate, who has a new book out today on the making of quarterbacks. It’s called The QB, and you can rush to buy your copy here.

THREE THINGS YOU MAY WANT TO KNOW

1. Bill Snyder never fails to be awesome. On why his teams aren’t penalized much:

2. The deputy sports editor of LSU’s student paper takes LSU fans to task for rushing the field after beating Ole Miss.

3. Something to monitor: Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett sprained his MCL against Penn State and will be limited in practice this week. He should be available to play against Illinois on Saturday.

LASTLY

* Bill Connelly on what he learned from the Ole Miss-LSU game.

* Prediction time: How do you think the top four in the first playoff poll will line up tonight? I’ll go in this order: Mississippi State, Florida State, Alabama, Notre Dame.

But, of course, I have no idea. In the end, I think the committee’s poll will look significantly different than the traditional polls, but it’d be surprising if they really rocked the boat early on by doing something drastic. Why create all the drama so early? I expect it to be relatively “chalk” until later in the year.

Have a great Tuesday, all.

Teddy Mitrosilis is an editor and writer for FOXSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TMitrosilis and email him at tmitrosilis@gmail.com.