How to pick the best four teams

ByALOK PATTANI AND HALLIE GROSSMAN
October 28, 2014, 11:49 AM

— -- This story appears in ESPN The Magazine's Nov. 11 College Basketball Preview Issue. Subscribe today!

FLORIDA STATE'S 7-0 start put the Noles in prime position for one of four spots in the College Football Playoff. Then again, the Football Power Index (FPI), ESPN Stats & Information's predictive measure of team strength, says FSU would be a 'dog against four SEC teams on a neutral field. What's a selection committee to do? At a recent mock exercise, presided over by committee chair Jeff Long, we were given a few stats that might be used to make the final picks. In the spirit of debate, here are some metrics we like more.