The college football playoff selection committee announced the four teams that will compete for the national championship on Dec. 3, 2023. The committee chose Alabama, Georgia, Michigan and Cincinnati as the top four teams, leaving out Notre Dame, Ohio State and Oklahoma State, who were ranked fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively.
Alabama and Georgia rematch in the semifinals
The committee decided to keep Alabama and Georgia as the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, respectively, despite their close game in the SEC championship on Dec. 2, 2023. Alabama defeated Georgia 34-31 in overtime, snapping the Bulldogs’ undefeated season and securing the Crimson Tide’s seventh consecutive SEC title. Alabama quarterback Bryce Young threw for 421 yards and four touchdowns, including the game-winning 25-yard pass to Jamison Williams in overtime. Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns, but also had two costly interceptions.
The committee said that Alabama and Georgia were clearly the two best teams in the country, based on their strength of schedule, quality wins and overall performance. The committee also said that it did not want to penalize Georgia for losing a close game to the No. 1 team in the nation. The committee said that it considered swapping Georgia and Michigan, who won the Big Ten championship by beating Iowa 42-3, but ultimately decided to keep the rankings as they were.
Alabama and Georgia will face each other again in the Orange Bowl on Dec. 30, 2023, in Miami, Florida. This will be the first time that two teams from the same conference will play each other in the college football playoff semifinals. The winner of this game will advance to the national championship game on Jan. 8, 2024, in Los Angeles, California.
Michigan and Cincinnati make history in the playoff
Michigan and Cincinnati made history by earning their first ever college football playoff berths. Michigan, who was ranked No. 4 before the conference championship weekend, moved up to No. 3 after dominating Iowa in the Big Ten title game. The Wolverines improved to 12-1 on the season, with their only loss coming to Michigan State on Oct. 30, 2023. Michigan’s defense, led by defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, who had three sacks against Iowa, has been one of the best in the nation, allowing only 16.1 points per game. Michigan’s offense, led by quarterback Cade McNamara, who threw for 169 yards and three touchdowns against Iowa, has been balanced and efficient, averaging 37.2 points per game.
Cincinnati, who was ranked No. 3 before the conference championship weekend, dropped to No. 4 after beating Houston 35-20 in the American Athletic Conference title game. The Bearcats finished the season 13-0, becoming the first team from a non-Power Five conference to make the college football playoff. Cincinnati’s defense, led by cornerback Ahmad Gardner, who had two interceptions against Houston, has been stingy, allowing only 16.6 points per game. Cincinnati’s offense, led by quarterback Desmond Ridder, who threw for 190 yards and three touchdowns against Houston, has been explosive, averaging 39.9 points per game.
Michigan and Cincinnati will play each other in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 30, 2023, in Arlington, Texas. This will be the first meeting between the two teams in history. The winner of this game will advance to the national championship game on Jan. 8, 2024, in Los Angeles, California.
Notre Dame, Ohio State and Oklahoma State left out of the playoff
Notre Dame, Ohio State and Oklahoma State were the three teams that were closest to making the playoff, but ultimately fell short. Notre Dame, who was ranked No. 6 before the conference championship weekend, moved up to No. 5 after beating Stanford 45-14 on Nov. 27, 2023. The Fighting Irish finished the season 11-1, with their only loss coming to Cincinnati on Oct. 2, 2023. Notre Dame’s defense, led by linebacker Kyle Hamilton, who had 10 tackles and a sack against Stanford, has been solid, allowing only 18.8 points per game. Notre Dame’s offense, led by quarterback Jack Coan, who threw for 199 yards and four touchdowns against Stanford, has been consistent, averaging 34.5 points per game.
The committee said that Notre Dame was very close to making the playoff, but the committee felt that Cincinnati deserved to be ahead of Notre Dame, since the Bearcats beat the Fighting Irish head-to-head on the road. The committee also said that Michigan deserved to be ahead of Notre Dame, since the Wolverines won their conference championship and had a stronger resume than the Fighting Irish, who did not play in a conference championship game.
Notre Dame will play Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1, 2024, in Glendale, Arizona. This will be the second meeting between the two teams in history. The first meeting was in 1960, when Notre Dame won 34-14.
Ohio State, who was ranked No. 2 before the conference championship weekend, dropped to No. 6 after losing to Michigan 42-27 on Nov. 27, 2023. The Buckeyes finished the season 10-2, with their other loss coming to Oregon on Sept. 11, 2023. Ohio State’s offense, led by quarterback C.J. Stroud, who threw for 394 yards and two touchdowns against Michigan, has been one of the best in the nation, averaging 45.5 points per game. Ohio State’s defense, led by defensive end Zach Harrison, who had two sacks against Michigan, has been shaky, allowing 21.4 points per game.
The committee said that Ohio State was eliminated from the playoff contention after losing to Michigan, who won the Big Ten championship and earned the No. 3 seed. The committee also said that Ohio State did not have enough quality wins to overcome their two losses, especially their loss to Oregon, who lost to Utah twice in the last three weeks.
Ohio State will play Utah in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 2024, in Pasadena, California. This will be the first meeting between the two teams in history.
Oklahoma State, who was ranked No. 5 before the conference championship weekend, dropped to No. 7 after losing to Baylor 21-16 in the Big 12 title game on Dec. 2, 2023. The Cowboys finished the season 11-2, with their other loss coming to Iowa State on Oct. 23, 2023. Oklahoma State’s defense, led by linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez, who had 13 tackles and a sack against Baylor, has been one of the best in the nation, allowing only 16.8 points per game. Oklahoma State’s offense, led by quarterback Spencer Sanders, who threw for 257 yards and a touchdown against Baylor, has been mediocre, averaging 29.8 points per game.
The committee said that Oklahoma State was very close to making the playoff, but the committee felt that Cincinnati deserved to be ahead of Oklahoma State, since the Bearcats finished the season undefeated and won their conference championship. The committee also said that Oklahoma State did not have enough quality wins to overcome their two losses, especially their loss to Baylor, who won the Big 12 championship and earned the No. 8 seed.
Oklahoma State will play Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1, 2024, in Glendale, Arizona. This will be the second meeting between the two teams in history. The first meeting was in 1960, when Notre Dame won 34-14.
