The College Football Playoff committee released their final rankings for the inaugural 12-team playoff earlier today. The Oregon Ducks are the top seed after winning the Big Ten Championship, Georgia is second after defeating Texas in the SEC Championship Game, Boise State was third after winning the Mountain West, and Arizona State was fourth after winning the Big 12 in their first year in the conference. These four teams will earn a first-round bye as a reward for their great seasons. Which team will win the College Football Playoff this year?
Upcoming Matchups
Teams 5-8 in the committee’s rankings will have the opportunity to host a playoff game
#12 Clemson vs. #5 Texas
#11 SMU vs. #6 Penn State
#10 Indiana vs. #7 Notre Dame
#9 Tennessee vs. #8 Ohio State
College Football Playoff Controversy
The College Football Playoff, ever since its inception in 2014, has been surrounded by controversy. That is the case for the committee’s final rankings this year. As was the case last year, the controversy surrounds the Alabama Crimson Tide. A 12-1 Alabama was the No. 4 team in last year’s CFP. They were let in over an undefeated Florida State team that was down to their third-string quarterback.
Alabama did not have things go their way in 2024. They went 9-3 this season and were left out of the CFP for an SMU team that lost in a thriller last night to the Clemson Tigers in the ACC Championship. According to ESPN, SMU had the No. 60 Strength of Schedule while the Crimson Tide were No. 16 in that category. SMU qualified for the College Football Playoff with no top 25 wins over teams in the committee’s final rankings.
Former Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban, before the final rankings were released, believed SMU was ranked too high in last week’s rankings. Saban believed the Mustangs should have had to win the ACC to make the playoff, and not be selected coming off a loss. He also believed SMU’s inclusion in the 12-team field would de-incentivize teams playing a more difficult schedule.
Final Thoughts
The 12-team playoff made conference championship weekend more interesting because it provided more teams the opportunity to qualify. Even though this year’s final rankings were not without controversy, the committee did the right thing. It would have sent a terrible message for future playoffs if the committee penalized a team for playing in their conference championship game and losing heartbreakingly.
