Playoff chair Jeff Long totally owns 'body clock' comment

Every week that the College Football Playoff selection committee releases a top 25 ranking, the explanations from chair Jeff Long are scrutinized down to the syllable.

Last season there was the notorious "game control" citation. Two weeks ago it was wins against teams "above .500". Last week it was explaining that Stanford's season-opening loss at Northwestern was attributable to the Cardinal's altered "body clock" as much as anything.

"We discussed that," Long said on a Nov. 10 teleconference. "We discussed a lot of things in that committee room. Remember, we're spending two days in there. And yeah, I think that it is a significant thing.

"Now, every committee member would weigh that differently, but I think it is worth noting that they play at 9:00 a.m. Pacific time. Weather certainly plays a factor, but when games start, certainly. I think we would not be doing our due diligence if we didn't recognize that that team was playing at 9:00 a.m. Pacific, and I recall last year we had a game, I believe, UCLA traveled to Virginia. So we look at those things, and they're a factor. How big of a factor, I can't quantify that for you, but I know it was discussed by the committee members and probably should have been."

Long's rationale was greeted with widespread incredulity, despite the fact it actually fits with the committee's philosophy of evaluating strength of schedule. But on Monday night, as the committee wrapped up its latest meeting, Long showed in one tweet he can take the heat — and a joke.