AUSTIN, Texas -- The thick cloud of burnt orange smoke -- the one that blotted out a mid-December sun and blanketed half of Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium -- had evaporated. The 381-member Texas Longhorn band left the field and superfan/hanger-on Matthew McConaughey took his usual spot along the home sideline. He's the most casual attention-getter in North America.
Then the rout began.
No. 5 Texas' 38-24 win over Clemson continued an ignominious start for the juiced-up, spruced-up College Football Playoff. Or at least that was the feel for most of Saturday, even if Clemson clawed back to within seven points early in the fourth quarter before relenting.
Maybe it was because of the way the Longhorns bullied the Tigers with a problematic ground game that Clemson couldn't solve. Stopping the run was an issue coming into the game for Clemson; it'll remain a point of emphasis for the next nine months after surrendering 292 yards rushing on 48 carries (a demoralizing 6.1 average).
From 10,000 feet, the Tigers' loss was the third straight CFP game decided by double-digits -- and that's taking a soft look at how lopsided things unfolded. You can't sugarcoat it as much if you take away Indiana's two garbage touchdowns that made its 27-17 loss at Notre Dame appear falsely competitive.
Throw in SMU's 38-10 collapse at Penn State, and the optics across the board are awful and the last thing the playoff needs. It fuels the fire of critics everywhere.
Critics of the format. Critics of the selection process. Critics over kickoff times, weather and probably even concession prices. Nobody is happy except for the 12 teams in the field, though some certainly aren't as pleased as they were just a few days ago.
Figuring things out
Of course that means the two teams carrying the weight of the ACC, a league now completely kicked out of the CFP for 2024 when Texas ended Clemson's return to the playoff after a three-year hiatus.
So, it's back to the drawing board for ACC commissioner Jim Phillips, along with every athletic director and every coach in the league.
They're on the clock to figure out how to overcome the perception that the ACC is the weakest of the Power 4 leagues in order to get multiple teams in the field again next year. And, obviously, to be more competitive going forward. There's also a slew of lawsuits that need litigating between now and then; but one thing at a time. On-the-field results need to be tightened up first.
Regardless, however, the narrative that SMU or Indiana or, yes, Clemson didn't deserve to be in the playoff is a tired one.
The format and the selection process was approved by everyone -- including the folks sore over being left out and the ones complaining about the scores. To second-guess who should and shouldn't be in after the fact is lazy.
Could things have been different in South Bend if South Carolina were chosen rather than Indiana? Possibly, although there's also a chance it could've gone even further sideways.
Would the Alabama Crimson Tide have fared better at Penn State? Maybe. Maybe not. Anything can happen on any given Saturday.
Still, the griping will probably expedite changes this offseason.
The current format was already merely a two-year trial run, and 12 teams might remain the number. But tweaks are likely coming to the multiple weekly rankings that are released, the reshuffling for seeding and maybe doing away completely with conference champions getting automatic tickets.
Anything and everything is on the table because the CFP remains as much of a living product as it was when it was birthed 10 years ago.
Home is the place
Yet, even with the lackluster opening results, the CFP otherwise got what was envisioned. And it was good.
After all, college football is an on-campus game perhaps more than any of its peers in other sports. Basketball flourishes on neutral-sites in neutral towns and under tournament conditions. And the endgame for baseball is always Omaha.
Aside from the scores, what unfolded on an icy night in Indiana, a cold afternoon in Pennsylvania and a postcard-worthy day in Texas was good. It did what bowls -- or even regular-season games -- cannot achieve: Showcasing the best of each individual community with winner-take-all postseason propositions.
Consider what unfolded here:
There was a 1,700-pound steer positioned in one corner, while mariachi bands popped up in others and all while an engaged fanbase frothed at the mouth. All of it created an anxious atmosphere for even the most grizzled team, making Clemson's last-gasp run in the second half even more impressive.
That wouldn't have happened without the current format.
"What an environment for college football this was," Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. "... college football got this one right."
Of course, it's easy for him to say that in victory.
Then again, no one is griping about the environments, only the scores.