Every year, professional and college football have a number of teams vying for a championship. The NFL has a system based upon evidence and consistency. The College Football Playoff System however, can involve subjectivity and judgment, and that will persist until it becomes “more professional.”

In the NFL, before the season even begins, rules are set out, so you know what it takes to win a division, and get in a wild card. These rules are based on precedent. Even when there is an unprecedented event, like the game that was canceled last year due to a terrible injury, a ruling is made before the playoffs identifying a new standard based upon the fairest situation possible.

John A. Tures is a professor of political science at LaGrange College in Georgia. He can be reached at jtures@lagrange.edu. His Twitter account is @JohnTures2.