West Virginia athletic director Oliver Luck takes what he calls a lawyerly approach when talking about his involvement with the College Football Playoff selection committee.

He’ll talk about how he and the rest of the committee responsible for picking the four teams that will play for the national title plan to make that decision. But when cocktail party conversations turn to which team is better — say, Alabama or Oklahoma, and West Virginia has played both — Luck politely eases out.

All 13 committee members are encouraged to steer clear of public opinions about the teams. The ADs are advised to be especially cautious for fear they may be perceived as biased.

On Oct. 28, the committee releases its first weekly Top 25 rankings. The four-team field for the playoff is set Dec. 7.