The College Football Playoff selection committee is set to have an Ohio State flavor to it.
According to Heather Dinich of ESPN, Athletic Director and Vice President Gene Smith is in line to join the committee. He will replace Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez, who has been on the committee since 2014, the first year of the Playoff.
According to Dinich, Alvarez is one of three individuals whose terms on the committee have expired. The other two are former Vanderbilt and Furman head coach Bobby Johnson and former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice. The Playoff is expected to name replacements for all three by the end of the month but it appears Smith is in line for one of them.
According to the College Football Playoff's recusal policy, as listed on its website, Smith would recuse himself from any discussion about Ohio State's place in the rankings.
“A recused member is permitted to answer only factual questions about the institution from which the member is recused, but shall not be present during any deliberations regarding that team’s selection or seeding,” the policy states. ““The recusal policy is virtually identical to the NCAA men's basketball committee policy.”
Smith has served as Ohio State's athletic director since 2005. The university promoted him to vice president in January 2014. He also served as chair for the NCAA men's basketball tournament in the 2010-11 academic year. Smith spent five years on that tournament committee.
Smith did not immediately respond to request for comment on Friday.
