ESPN analysts make wild comments about Penn State, Indiana during CFP rankings show

Putting together a College Football Playoff rankings show can’t be easy. You can only talk through resumes and rankings for so long. Maybe it shouldn’t exist, and the CFP committee can send out its top 25 in a press release. That would save everyone some time.

But if ESPN is going to continue with its rankings reveal, surely they can do better.

There were two wild claims made during Tuesday night’s CFP rankings show, featuring host Rece Davis and analysts Booger McFarland, Joey Galloway and Greg McElroy.

When comparing Penn State and Indiana — which were ranked Nos. 4 and 5 — McFarland brought up a common opponent. He said multiple times that the Nittany Lions “struggled” against UCLA in their 27-11 win earlier this season. He added that because Indiana beat UCLA by 29 points and Penn State “struggled,” the Hoosiers should be ahead in the rankings.

First of all, UCLA isn’t the only common opponent on Penn State and Indiana’s schedules. The Nittany Lions beat Washington by 29 points. Indiana beat Washington by 14 points.

But specific to McFarland’s claim that Penn State “struggled” against UCLA, he couldn’t have watched the game. The Bruins fought hard; credit where credit is due. But at no point was UCLA a threat to pull the upset on Oct. 5. Penn State had a 27-3 lead until UCLA scored a garbage-time touchdown against backups with 16 seconds left in regulation.

Not to be outdone, Galloway later suggested something that set social media into a collective bewilderment. Galloway said, when discussing Saturday’s top-five game between Indiana and Ohio State, that should sit star quarterback Kurtis Rourke to avoid injury.

Galloway suggested, because ESPN’s metrics give the Hoosiers a good chance to get in the College Football Playoff even with a loss to the Buckeyes, that Indiana should sit Rourke and avoid a situation like Florida State had with injured quarterback Jordan Travis last year. Travis suffered a season-ending injury, and the committee left out the undefeated Seminoles.

When I heard what Galloway said, I did a double take. I had to rewind my TV. What are we talking about? Benching one of the most prolific passers in college football in the team’s biggest game, not only of the season, but perhaps program history? Are we being serious? Even McElroy, Galloway’s co-worker, was in disbelief when Galloway suggested it.

But hey, if nothing else, the ESPN rankings show gives people something to talk about.