re: Am I the only one who thinks ESPN controls college football?

Fox has fought back a little, taking the top B1G game. That is healthy. CBS gets that top SEC game, but is otherwise a non-factor. That's a tough call on the playoff. Herbstreit's argument is ESPN would have wanted OSU in there for more geographical balance and eyeballs. But, I am with you that they seem to have more of a vested interest in the SEC and think the Clemson/Bama game would be more intriguing than a potential blowout like last year.