CFP committee's blatant SEC bias puts No. 15 Arizona State behind 3-loss Alabama

Surprise, surprise, Arizona State football was disrespected by the College Football Playoff rankings yet again.

After laying a 49-7 beatdown on the rivals down South in Tucson, marking ASU's fifth consecutive win including two straight over ranked opponents, the team found itself handed only a one spot jump in the College Football Playoff selection committee's rankings for Week 15.

The Sun Devils move from No. 16 to No. 15 ahead of their all-important matchup with the now-No. 16 Iowa State Cyclones on Saturday with the Big 12 Conference title on the line.

Of course, three SEC teams with three losses are ranked ahead of ASU for just one reason: Their brands. No. 11 Alabama (9-3) amazingly seems to be safely in the playoff bracket even though it won't play for a conference title this year. No. 13 Ole Miss (9-3) and No. 14 South Carolina (9-3) are the next teams outside the bracket alongside No. 12 Miami (10-2).

ASU has a better resume than Alabama and the CFP committee does not care

The CFP selection committee isn't even hiding how much it wants to appease the SEC and its biggest brand in Alabama. Chairman Warde Manuel told ESPN Tuesday that teams not playing in conference championship games will essentially stay put meaning Alabama will stay at No. 11 and in the playoff bracket regardless of Saturday's results.

ASU, because it resides in the Big 12, is in yet another do-or-die situation and won't be given an extra life like the Crimson Tide have so often been gifted in playoff years past. ASU is currently projected into the bracket because it finished the regular season atop the conference but it still must beat Iowa State on Saturday to clinch a playoff berth.

I don't care if you think you play in the hardest conference in college football, three losses are three losses and Alabama's resume is not better than ASU's even if the Sun Devils lose on Saturday. Let's take a look at the facts:

ASU and Alabama would have identical records if ASU are not crowned Big 12 champions. They would both have 3-1 records against Top 25 opponents this season but according to the eye-test the committee loves to use, ASU is playing much better than Alabama.

The Sun Devils are 5-0 since Week 10, the games the committee based its initial rankings on, including two consecutive wins over Top 16 foes. The Crimson Tide are 3-1 including a poor loss to Oklahoma and a soft buy-game against FCS Mercer.

And the committee cannot use the Florida State precedent against ASU. Just because leading wide receiver Jordyn Tyson is out for the season, it shouldn't be directly compared to the Seminoles losing quarterback Jordan Travis last season which kept their undefeated program out of the four-team bracket in favor of, wait for it, Alabama.

The committee has previously said playing for a conference championship game is worth something in their eyes when comparing teams. Even if ASU loses on Saturday, it should have a better chance of getting in the playoff over Alabama or any other SEC team save maybe No. 14 South Carolina.

The goal posts will be moved yet again, just as they always are, to support the money-making conference and boost ratings for ESPN and other networks that will host playoff games on their airwaves.

The only thing ASU can do is prove everyone wrong yet again, this time with the most adversity its ever faced. Win and you're in, it's a simple as that. But it really shouldn't be that hard for a team that's being punished because it plays in the Southwest and not in the Southeast.