THE FRONT ROW WITH JASON ELLIOTT: Saturday, November 29, 2014

The college football playoff system is flawed.

Doesn't matter if it is the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, or that of the Football Championship Subdivision, no matter how hard those in the selection committee try, someone is going to be upset.

IT MIGHT be the worst-kept secret in the FCS, but the Big Sky Conference has been one of the better leagues at producing contending teams in recent years.

Eastern Washington, with maybe the best player in the country in Vernon Adams Jr. - who missed part of the season - has been a step above everyone else in the Big Sky for the last two years, earning a first round bye by winning the conference this season.

Montana and Montana State also advanced to the playoffs with strong regular seasons, but left out in the cold was Idaho State, which finished the season with an 8-4 record.

That included going unbeaten (6-0) at Holt Arena in Pocatello, but road losses at Eastern (56-53), Utah (56-14) and Utah State (40-20) might have swayed them out of the conversation.

The Bengals didn't play Montana this year and who knows, if Montana didn't find a way to beat Montana State in last weekend's Brawl of the Wild game in Missoula, maybe the Grizzlies don't advance.

But they did, and will host San Diego - yes, the same San Diego which is West Coast Conference school in basketball - (they are an FCS school in football, formerly coached by Jim Harbaugh) with today's winner advancing to face Eastern Washington in the second round.

Not exactly the best gift you can receive with a win if you're Montana, but it might be the best-case scenario for those fans of both schools.

AFTER WATCHING the results every Tuesday on the inaugural FBS College Football Playoff, I'm left wondering. Florida State, which has won 26 straight games dating back to 2012 against Florida, has been dropping in that poll, yet hasn't lost a game.

Not last year, not this year - yet.

Ironically enough, that loss came to visiting Florida, which is back in Tallahassee today. The Gators have nothing to lose and a coach that's leading his team for the final time.

Alabama, Oregon and Mississippi State - all with one loss - have remained in the top four in the last two weeks, and will likely continue to do so with wins.

If Oregon loses in the Pac-12 Championship game next Friday, it becomes more likely a team failing to win a conference title could sneak into the final four.

Maybe someday, the NCAA can come to an agreement on an eight-team tournament, but that won't happen anytime soon.

Someone good is going to be left out in the cold in the national title race.

No matter of who gets hot at the right time.

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d'Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at JEPressSports.