The College Football Playoff committee met Sunday with the task of choosing the top four teams in college football to play in the semifinals. Many teams made their case to be chosen, making the decision the toughest yet for the committee in the final year of the four team playoff.
Michigan Wolverines (13-0) – Big Ten champions, wins vs #10 Penn State, #7 Ohio State, and #17 Iowa.
Washington Huskies (13-0) – PAC-12 champions, wins vs #8 Oregon (2), #19 Oregon St.
Florida State Seminoles (13-0) – ACC champions, wins vs #13 LSU, #15 Louisville.
Texas Longhorns (12-1) – Big 12 champions, loss vs #12 Oklahoma. Wins vs #4 Alabama, #25 Kansas St, #20 Oklahoma St.
Alabama Crimson Tide (12-1) – SEC champions, loss vs #3 Texas. Wins vs #11 Ole Miss, #21 Tennessee, #13 LSU, #6 Georgia.
Georgia Bulldogs (12-1) – Loss vs #4 Alabama in the SEC championship. Wins vs #9 Missouri, #11 Ole Miss, #21 Tennessee.
Michigan and Washington were sure shots to be in. Texas was confident because of their head to head win over Alabama. It was down to the final spot between Florida State and Alabama.
For the first time in College Football Playoff history, an undefeated power-five was left out of the playoff. Alabama jumped four spots to snag the final spot in the playoffs, in controversial fashion.
Jordan Travis, star quarterback for Florida State is out for the season after suffering an ankle injury in the Seminoles eleventh game of the season. The team’s play undoubtable declined following the injury, and the committee took notice. A player being injured is part of the criteria the committee uses to judge the teams, and it may have cost the ‘Noles a playoff spot.
There was devastation in Tallahassee and elation in Tuscaloosa. Meanwhile in Ann Arbor the reaction showed disappointment. The Wolverines have been in the playoff the last two years, but are still seeking their first win. Some pundits had them as two touchdown favorites with Florida State as the opponent, but the matchup with Alabama could go either way.
2 seed Washington will meet 3 seed Texas in the other semifinal, in another game projected to be a one-score game. This is a breath of fresh air for college football fans, some desperate for a competitive playoff game. In the eight year history of the four team playoff, eighteen of the twenty four games (75%) have been decided by 11+ points, and ten games (42%) have been 21+ point blowouts.
Both games will take place on New Year’s Day. Michigan vs Alabama will kick off at 4 p.m. CST in the historic Rose Bowl. Washington vs Texas will follow at 7:45 p.m. at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. The two winners will meet in the National Championship in Houston on January 8th.
