Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez is one of several people who have been chosen to serve on the College Football Playoff selection committee in 2014, ESPN's Brett McMurphy is reporting. CBSSports.com reported earlier that Alvarez would serve on the committee.

According to McMurphy, Alvarez will join athletic directors Pat Haden from USC, Jeff Long from Arkansas, Oliver Luck from West Virginia and Dan Radakovich from Clemson on the committee. Former Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese also has been chosen to serve.

The selection committee will be made up of 12 to 18 people, with the power five conferences each having at least one representative. Current athletic directors and former players, coaches, administrators and media members will be considered for the committee, which will choose the four teams for next year's inaugural playoff.

It's no surprise that Alvarez would be the Big Ten's representative on the committee. He was a Hall of Fame coach with impeccable credentials, and he had expressed both an interest and a willing to perform what will surely be a pressure-packed job. If Alvarez is the lone Big Ten representative on the committee, the league could hardly have asked for anyone with a better football mind to be its advocate. (He and Long can also swap Bret Bielema stories during breaks in committee meetings).

Former Nebraska coach and athletic director Tom Osborne, current Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith and Michigan AD Dave Brandon are among others with Big Ten ties who would also be strong candidates to serve on the committee, if they were interested.

We know Alvarez has pretty thick skin. Hopefully he's got a good filter on his e-mail inbox when December 2014 rolls around.